That's funny... what one person feels about a tire and another doesn't. I hate advan's. I think they definitely get too greasy too quick. The only time I've stuffed a car into a wall and I was on Advan's. (my "bad" experience isn't why I don't like them... didn't like them when they were new)



RE11's are an excellent tire if you want DOT tires to drive back and forth to the track.

However, it doesn't take long to "outdrive" the tire. Though they are an excellent tire, I think they're more for an intermediate driving skill level.

If they didn't cost so much (cost vs. wear) I'd use them as my daily driver tires...


Mark

 

well.. since i first posted this thread.. i have acquired a spare set of track wheels.. and for now i have the sport cups on them... they work very well.. and i have driven around locally on them.. but my intentions are to burn through a few sets of these after i get my car back.. before i goto an all out race tire.. i need to see how the car handles with the stage 3 tpc set up.. which really, i cant wait for.. my car has been gone for a while now.. and i miss staring at it.. sitting in it.. and the anticipation of when the garage opens and i see the cayman r logo peak under the door..
yeah.. i love this car... and when she comes back.. im gonna love her even more...
im pretty damn excited about fondling her extra horses.. im gonna touch each and every one of those extra horses and make them mine...

 

my neighbors probably thought i went broke and sold the car when they saw it loaded up on the tractor trailer.. because the following week i sold my alpina b7 for a raptor pick up.. it does look odd..

 

I track my 2002 Boxster S, and run in PCA Black groups, pushing things quite hard. I have to drive sometimes 300 miles to the track (Watkins Glen, NJMP, Monticello, Lime Rock) and as I have no trailer, DOT tires are a must.
I used to go to the track with Yokohama AD08's, and they initially did quite well. As I got faster, and started drifting the car more, I found that about 15 minutes into a run, they overheated and got quite "greasy". This became quite scary and unsafe. I would go through a set of 4 tires in about 5 track days, with the tread quite literally melting away.
I then got another set of wheels, and switched to Michelin Pilot Sport Cups, which were a bit more expensive. However, the hotter they get, the better they grip, and I have NEVER had them overheat and get "greasy". I get about 10 track days out of a set of 4 tires, so it comes out less expensive in the end. They are NOT good in the rain at the track like the Yokos, I should mention.
I swap the Yokohamas back on when I get home from the track.
Just my $.02 worth. Other opinions are probably valid as well.

 

Seems that choosing tires is harder than choosing cars!

I've gone through the PS2s on the Cayman R fairly fast, and probably have only one DE left in them (which will be this weekend), so I need to pick new tires too.

What do you guys recommend based on the following criteria?

- 'Advanced beginner' and hopefully 'intermediate' driver by the end of the season, so max grip isn't vital, but safety is (progressive slip, no rapid greasing, etc.).

- Acceptable as wife's DD, driving to/from the track, and driving in the rain. Not ready for trailering or track-dedicated tires yet.

- Good durability; I don't want to blow through a thousand bucks worth of tires so often! And not interested in spending big money for tires if they won't last long anyway.

- Symmetrical tread, so I can flip the tires (which can't be done with the PS2s). Sticking with stock cambers for now, so not much negative camber, and definitely seeing more wear on the outside edges.

- Use the stock 19" wheels.

Update: Searched on TireRack and looks like Michelin PSS may be the way to go.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....StandardBrakes
Not symmetric, but highest rated among the tires that fit, including higher rating than PS2 while also a bit cheaper than PS2. They also claim improved tread life.

 

I’m not going to recommend any particular brand tire because each of us are going to draw from our past experience and what worked for us and our driving style/ability. (which obviously is not a one size fits all)

I will however offer one piece of advice. If you’re advanced beginner and starting to get into intermediate, I’d be hard pressed to suggest even a set of R compounds at this point.

I say this because if you get a “better/sticker” set of tires, they will hide your shortcomings and you will rely on the tire pulling you through the curves instead of your skill.

I was well into intermediate levels before I thought about getting into R compounds.

Anyway, my .02 worth....

Mark

 

Agreed. This is a phase to develop driving skill and not mask mistakes with driver aids and better tires (though I certainly want ABS). That's why my current tire emphasis is durability and safety, rather than max grip.

 

Funny thing is I kind of liked when I started and used stock tires. The stock tires definitely let you know how far you can push it..lol.

Mark

 

And tire squeal is a nice warning of getting close to grip limits too. At least right now, quiet tires are spooky.

 

Lots of people speak highly of the bridgestones.re11s...for dual purposes..
For my street wheels I'm gonna stay stock or goto the re11s and toss them on the trailer n bring them with me..
For the track Im gonna stay on sport cups for a while then move up..
But there are guys using sc for daily wheels as well..

 

My track tires are Hankook Ventus Z214’s. I absolutely love these tires on the track.


Mark

 

OK, just got back from Watkins Glen and the PS2s are pretty much done, so it's time to replace them. They performed fairly well, and a superb driver who drove my car felt the same, but they do get greasy after a several laps.

I've been researching options as far as tires we can drive to/from the track, and I'm thinking that RE-11s are probably the way to go. I'm hearing and reading a lot of good things about them, including good grip both dry and wet, and good durability. Plus they cost less than the PS2s, which only lasted about 7 track days (and 5500 miles overall).

 

I have RE-11's and love them. After 11 track days, the tread is maybe half gone. They worked fine for two sessions in the rain as well. It rarely rains here, so I cannot comment more on wet performance. Haven't tried the Super Sports, maybe some day. I think when these RE-11's are toast, it will be time to try some NT01's.

The Pilot Sport Cup tires are awesome, but expensive. The hardcore guys here get 6-8 heat cycles out of them before they start falling off. That's less than one weekend! I'm not that hardcore, nor do I want to spend over $2k a weekend on tires! (that's also with a GT3, which is heavier)