Thread: Best Tires?
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      06-08-2016, 01:09 PM   #7
pokeybritches
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Drives: ESS/G-Power Z4M, VF Z4, 996tt
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Los Angeles

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Garage List
2006 BMW Z4M  [10.00]
2006 BMW Z4M  [8.50]
2003 BMW Z4 3.0i  [9.00]
If you want the best summer performance tires regardless of cost, you need to move to the extreme performance summer category.

At the top of that category for dry grip is the Bridgestone RE-71R. I have confidence these tires would put power down in first gear on a supercharged M. They are almost too much tire (if there is such a thing) for my supercharged non-M. I decided to test them out shortly after purchasing, and I dumped the clutch in first gear. Instead of spinning the tires, the clutch slipped briefly as I was launched forward... and the clutch is almost new and much higher capacity than stock. With the combination of the limited slip diff, I never see my traction control light up since throwing the tires on, and it used to spin the tires in second gear with max performance summer tires.

With these tires and a well set up Z4, you can run circles around almost any car that has lesser tires on it. They are very predictable at the limit and easy to feel out. The make a nice progressive howl as you start to approach the limit of adhesion, and small corrections get everything back in line.

Wet grip is much better than expected. The only downsides to these tires are road noise and hardness, but my car has a loud exhaust and firm suspension anyway. It's a sports car, and ultimate grip is most important to me.

Having gone through about 14 sets of tires from 6 different manufacturers on my Z's, I have to say these tires are my favorite so far. Next would be the Hankook RS3, though they can be a little scary in the rain and aren't very good if the weather is cool. The PSS are in a category below both, although cool weather and wet grip are better than the RS3, as is tread life.
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