RA1's have enough tread to drive safely on the road. I even did a track day in a downpour on a set.

Tempting, well then that means, according to this thread, for me its RS3v2 vs RA1... hmmm

Also be careful with driving too fast (taking exit ramps and curves). Remember RA-1's are R comps so they need heat to get grip. Usually on the street a tire rarely gets up to operating temperature, so the grip of a RA-1 might be less than optimum in this situation.

I'm probably the most boring driver on the street you'll ever meet... the last thing i want to do is have something happen on the street. So I've always just been able to drive like a normal boring driver on the street...unless i just put a new part on :giggle:

RS3v2 will do everything better than an RA1. Quieter on the road, more cold grip, more warm grip, longer lasting. RA1s might be better in a heavy downpour, but that's not surprising, since they were developed as a rain tire.

There's no reason to buy RA1s, IMO.

Very good to know, i guess i have just a bad experience stuck in my mind with rs3's because i ran my friends miata at Mid Ohio on kinda dead rs3v1's and i just hated them, and ever since then was kind of reluctant on them because i always thought of them like that, which i shouldn't. But from what ive read the rs3v2 is a very good option. And the V1 was a good tire i just had a bad experience and need to get over it.

RA1s are awful. Just buy R-S3s.

nuff said

RS3 are cheaper as well.

True...you can never complain with that.

Everything I've read says that RS3 V2 are much much better than the V1.

My car got totaled twice with a set of RS3's on it (frozen ones, and probably V1's to boot).

Just bought a new set of RS3's. :giggle:

Is this still the consensus? RS3 v2 is a champ for inexpensive street legal tires that will do great on a track?

We just ran them for a WRL 9 hour Enduro in Colorado. 85 degrees. Very happy with their performance and durability. We were running at Podium pace in GP3...
I'd guess they'd run 20-25 hours on track at race speed before their done. The last set ran 12 hours of WRL and then 5 Track Day "half day sessions" before cording.
Great value for $ and we are as fast as anyone...

I don't have much to compare to, but my rs3-v2 are good value. Haven't had them in the rain yet but seem to do well on the street. I had the opportunity to putz around on some back roads and then got to an empty parking lot. 2nd gear 5k with the lsd And I couldn't break it loose. Felt like it was one with the road.

Except for rain.

V1 = V2 (says Hankook at least)

V1 and V2 are definitely different.
V1, needs to be raced on the surface of the sun to get up to temperature and then stupid grippy, essentially wont wear out on the street could be labeled 400tw instead of 140 (and later 200)
V2, works basically from cold and wear a lot faster than V1s, a lot closer to the 200tw rating thats on the sidewall

I'm on my second set of R-S3 V2's and pretty much echo everything that has been said.

Any updates for the 225/45/15 Maxxis VR-1 or any hope for the RE-71R in this size?

I'm a big fan of the RS3 V2. As a do it all tire, you cannot really ask for much more. I'd agree with Leafy that they wear quicker than the V1s but they fixed the two big things wrong with the V1. Most importantly they have superior grip during braking (V1s were terrible) and they grip when cold.

Yeah, my V1s had tons of tread depth left after heat cycling them into rocks. Were like ice on track until a lap or two in. Never owned V2s, but instructing a dude with them at autocross had us spraying them on a 95* day. No way they were the same compound.