Help me choose tyres....
 

I have discovered a small bulge on the inner side wall of one of my rear 215/40/16 GY GSD3s :mad:. So I need a pair of tyres. I want to keep my current wheels, 16x7 SSR Comps. Here are my 'desirables':
- a little more side wall than my current tyres
- as much traction as I can get
- good wet weather performance (it rains a lot here..)

So what would your hot set-up be given what I'm looking for?

(BTW the car is a Mk1, height adjustable and I fitted a pair of 205/45/16 T1Rs to the front a month ago).

pirelli p-zero nero or nt-05

I'm not a big fan of mixing tires on a street car. I want predictable performance and the ability to rotate them. I'm not a fan of the T1R but I'd rather have four of them than mixing the pair with something else.

whats a tyre?
__________________
Best Car Insurance | Auto Protection Today | FREE Trade-In Quote

British tires.

RE-11 or Hankook V12.

No, I'm not a fan of them either - otherwise I would go for them on the back. Don't appear to have as much grip as the GSD3, although difficult to really assess traction until I have them on the back. One option is to stay with them, either in 205/45 or 225/40 and wear them out then replace all 4. I have been looking at the KU31s - would 225/45 fit?

Is the RE-11 available in a size that would suite my wheels? Just having a look to see if the Hankook you mention is available over here....

Pirelli I can get, nt-05?

Nitto NT05.

--Ferdi

I ran Neros on my VW's and really liked that tire because it gripped well for a street tire and had a very long life. If they made a tire for my 6ULs I'd be on those for the street...no doubt.

Get the NT-05 if you want grip on the street though...that's a beginner street tire for road course action.

Any experience of the Kuhmo KU31 and Hankook Ventus V12 evo? Both are available over here and well priced (although I'll happily pay more for a better tyre in the right size).

Kuhmo KU31 is available in 225/45/16 which would give me a wider contact patch, but would probably only fit under my rear arches, leaving 205/45/16 on thr fronts. In the Hankook V12 205/45/16 is probably the widest I could go while retaining a higher side wall than the 215/40s I have now.

V12 seems to be the better tyre all else being equal.

I think the KU31 is known as the SPT over here. They are in a slightly lower class (in terms of grip) than the Toyo T1R, but otherwise a very good tire. In that class I think the Falken FK452 is the best but not available in miata sizes.

The V12 and RE11 are in the same class as Azenis, but newer and significantly better.

Look up the TireRack and Car and Driver recent test results on this new crop of soft street tires. IIRC the Kumho XS is great in the dry but lousy in the wet. The V12 and RE11 are tops.

The V12 is looking worth a try then - even in the relatively narrow 205/45/16 size.

Braineack - Is that Ecsta XS? UK Kuhmo site doesn't seem to list that, or perhaps known by another name?

yeah XS; Kumho Ecsta XS

225/45/16 will fit. RS2's or RS3's might be a good fit. Not really sure about wet traction as I try to drive the beater when its raining.

Michael

XS are poor in the wet.

Unfortunately our damp climate makes buying tyres with good wet weather performance a must - which will compromise dry traction a touch.

I've just ordered a pair of Hankook V12 Evo in 205/45/16 flavour. Hopefully they will be better than the T1R in the same size. If they are then the T1Rs will go on the back so as to wear them out quickly and get them replaced with another pair of V12s. If only the V12 came in 215/45/16 or 225/40/16.