Found new cheap rear tires. wooo
Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 167
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From: San Antonio, TX
Like The Stig
It's not just the treadwear rating but the compound. It has been shown time and again that a better tire results in better lap times. Tires alone can make one of the most significant differences in a cars performance. This is very true.
So, to say that stickier (and quicker wearing) tires don't make a difference is wrong. Saying they don't make a difference for you because of the way you drive or for your needs is perfectly fine but better tires DO absolutely make a meaningful difference in traction, lap times, steering feel, etc. For beating around town (or drifting) then I completely agree that getting the best tire may be irrelevant. BUT... for track driving, aggressive back road driving, etc... better tires make a meaningful and very noticeable difference and for some is worth spending the money.
So, to say that stickier (and quicker wearing) tires don't make a difference is wrong. Saying they don't make a difference for you because of the way you drive or for your needs is perfectly fine but better tires DO absolutely make a meaningful difference in traction, lap times, steering feel, etc. For beating around town (or drifting) then I completely agree that getting the best tire may be irrelevant. BUT... for track driving, aggressive back road driving, etc... better tires make a meaningful and very noticeable difference and for some is worth spending the money.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,294
Likes: 1
2012 C63 coupe
I agree with some of your comments but also disagree with some, here is my experience. Ive tracked for a very long time, when i had my 500whp evo x i used to have two sets of wheels the first set had invos and the second set had nitto nt-01's. Around the track the nt-01's were unbeatable i could break later and come out of the corner full throttle, with the invos around the track i had to slow my pace quite a bit if not i would end up in the dirt. Keep in mind the tracks pavement is much stickier because of all the rubber left by other cars plus its clean and maintained so yes stickier tires have much faster lap times. On the street this was a different story the nt-01's would not grip at all i would slide a lot and i got to the conclusion that streets have dust, oil, residues that stick to very sticky tires so they become very slippery for driving around town, invos on the other hand has superb grip around town , thats what i have on my c63 now. I then switched to nt-05s for track and yoko s drives for the street, even though the nt-05s were not as aggressive as the nt-01's they still did not grip very good in the street but did a very good job around the track. Yokos with a 300 tread wear worked perfect for street driving. IMO nitto invos are great tires for the street and the price is fair : http://www.onlinetires.com/products/...vo+99w+bw.html
I guess my comments were relative to comparing a high end tire (say, an RE-11 or Pilot Super Sport) to a budget, all season. Around town, there would be a noticeable improvement in grip IMO. Even between quality summer tires there are differences. For example, when I went from PS2s to RE-11s I noticed a HUGE improvement in grip even on the street. The RE-11 would not break traction as easily when you were heavy footed, steering response was better and handling was improved. The issue though is whether this will matter or not depending on driving style, etc. If the C63 is a commuter car and not driven spiritedly, then no need for high end rubber.
Last edited by gthal; Feb 25, 2012 at 06:05 PM.
