Help me make a tire decision

[Josie Wales]

I am torn - simply confused on which I way I should go. The car is currently on winter tires (Michelin Alpin PA4) and it's time to put the GYs back on. BTW - I can't say enough about the Alpin PA4s. They are made for Porsche 911s and a direct fit for our stock wwheels. they grip really well; wet or dry. They are EXPENSIVE, but I can't say enough good about them. Their limitation is they are W rated so one must be careful not to exceed 150 MPH for a significant length of time on the Autobahn.

I don't care much for the GYs - my experience is unless the sun is out at mid day beating down on the blacktop and it is at least 70 degrees or better, they don't grip. The GYs have about 7000 miles on them and they really need to be replaced. I am sure I could get another 4000 miles out of them if I drove out of the throttle all the time and didn't track the car, but that is not my plan nor why I bought the car in the first place.

I know I have to compromise. The climate in my area is seasonal with plenty of precipitation. 90 degree weather is the exception, not the norm. A typical July/August day is high 70's low 80's and it can rain anytime. So, that knocks out any really good drag radial. Not too mention, I would like the ability to show down against a hot euro sports car when the opportunity arises on the Autobahn. I love to get up on Saturday and Sunday mornings and go hunting before the traffic gets bad. Most DRs I note are W rated, which means I got to shut down early and to be honest, I am not sure how well the car will handle at 150 MPH on a long bend.

I am thinking my best bet is to buy PSS, but I hate to compromise when I visit the drag strips this summer. I plan on making at least five events and would like to compete to the car's abilities. Oh, and the Germans don't prep a track here. The race are generally ran at old US and NATO closed down airstrips. They simply set up the lights and traps and let them go head to head.

What are my options?

 

[Lethalchem]

Maybe check into the Nitto brand options? Typically Nitto sacrifices a little bit of performance in order to get a little bit better tread life and weather functionality. Of course this is dependent upon the model you choose, as the dedicated road course or drag radials would still be potentially problematic for your region. I just know I was able to daily drive on some 555's (not the II's) in my old cobra and never had any issues with rain. There are better rain tires out there, and there are better traction/race tires out there, but some of the Nitto models do a decent job of trying to find an acceptable middle ground. Plus they're comparatively cheap.

I've only really looked at the Drag radial and road course options from Nitto for my GT500, so maybe someone else can better steer you toward or away from them, but it might be a decent place to start your search.

 

[carguy19]

TOYO 888 would work great for you. Still a high speed rating and sticky, but not a drag radial, so it will work in the rain.

 

[Lethalchem]

TOYO 888 would work great for you. Still a high speed rating and sticky, but not a drag radial, so it will work in the rain.

Everyone keeps saying that about the R888's but I've always considered them a road race tire with all the wet weather issues you'd expect with that design. People say it's not an issue and they do fine. How true is that? Are they really as good in rain and for drag racing as everyone claims? I've never seen a road race tire (intentionally designed with a rigid sidewall for lateral traction) perform well as a drag radial (typically design with a soft sidewall for forward traction). I WANT this tire to be an option, but I haven't heard enough people with direct experience confirm it. Just curious.

 

[carguy19]

The problem is that there are sacrifices....

a tire that wears well usually is a harder compound and isn't sticky and is better in the rain.

a sticky tire wears out quick and gets better traction but usually isnt as good in the rain or cold.

Drag Radials have sidewall flex, not good for road racing.

Road race tires have stiff sidewalls and suck for drag racing.

You have to figure out where you can make sacrifices and what your priorities are and make a decision.

Unfortunately with a GT500 in my opinion, especially when you are going to mod the car. You should run a drag radial. With 700hp at the wheels there are no safe street or roadrace tires that are going to prevent you from oversteering at a track or autocross event.

 

[Josie Wales]

Do they perform better than the stock GYs? Straight line acceleration?