wide vs. narrow wheels/tires
 

It looks that there is a misconception that wide wheels/tires are ALWAYS better on track. I am giving below a comparison of two cars using street radial tires. First is a TRD 14R60 car with a Potenza RE71R 235/40R18 tire on 8.5" wheels and second is a Gazoo 86/BRZ car with an Advan A08b 205/55R16 tire on 7" wheels. Overall, the 86/BRZ car is very close to stock because of the Gazoo one make racing regulations. So, we can clearly state that apart from wheels/tires, the TRD 14R60 has an advantage on performance (i.e. weight, brakes, suspension, aero).

TRD 14R60
time 1'07"141, max. speed 151.070km/h
https://youtu.be/MYRRJsiybuU?t=194

Gazoo 86/BRZ
time 1'06"591, max speed 155.709km/h
https://youtu.be/MYRRJsiybuU?t=344

....let's see heavy ass 18" vs light weight 16" and paired new sticky semi slicks I can't find specs for, at lest I can't read Japanese, maybe someone can chime on that one.

Either way I don't need a vid to tell me who's faster.

Hmm, those A08B tires seem interesting. Something like michelin cup 2?

They almost look like r-comps. Like I said wish some one could translate Japanese. Seems like it's only a Japanese market at the moment tire.

You are wrong about the heavy ass 18" wheels. The TRD 14R60 is a very expensive car equiped with forged magnesium wheels.

More information about 14R60 here: http://club4ag.com/dissecting-the-to...ed-production/

They are very similar to Advan A052. Exactly same tread pattern, maybe a bit more soft compound. Overall, in same category with Potenza RE71R's.

Again you are wrong.

So you just want to continue the misconception eh?

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr7U_ZUXCDw"]Yokohama A08B TAS - YouTube[/ame]

a championship winning 100 tw race tire goes faster than a 200tw street tire...but only because it was 20mm narrower.

Compound is the #1 factor, always.

Tire width can be track dependent (for a given car).

- Andrew

Who said that the Advan tire has a 100tw compound? This is illegal based on the Gazoo regulations. Do you understand that the car in the video is a Gazoo 86/BRZ car? Check the tires that are allowed:

http://i65.tinypic.com/2dt7ghy.gif

A 200tw compound is the softest you can use. The Advan A08b was a different name of the A052 and maybe had some small differences. The A052 is the productive version of the early prototype.

It is also available on tirerack: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...del=ADVAN+A052

I don't know much about the tires used in your specific examples, just making the comment that tire compound is a much more important factor when it comes to a single lap time than tire width.

- Andrew

Okay. Show me what the tread wear of the ad08b is please. I'm not convinced that it's the same tire as the a052 and it sounds like you aren't either.

please tell this to the manufacturers. I hate the stupid large size wheels and tires that every car is getting now. There is just no need for it.

Manufacturer reported TW rating also is a bit .. like MTBF specced by hard drive manufacturers. As result same rating carry VERY different tires making that number of little use and little trust in it. More of number that marketing department seems to come up with, not engineers.

I agree that it's likely not the same, but manufacturer tw ratings are pointless when you've got 140tw and 180tw tires one year suddenly becoming 200tw the next year..