Engineering Explained uses the BRZ to demonstrate the Top 5 Mods for a car
 

I thought this was a fun video and enjoyed how he debunks the "Prius tires" myth in the comments section.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnBkj96ZJ7I&t=341s"]Top 5 First Car Mods - Without Sacrificing Daily Drivability - YouTube[/ame]

"Debunks"??

No way, they are very slippery compared to something with good grip levels.

In stock form you can lose traction so easily - even slight corners at low speed - you can hear the back slipping around, you can feel it. Some people find this fun, but I think it's pretty silly.

I mean, I'm going to buy some milk, not drift.

I've upgraded my wheels and tyres, and it's night and day.

Allow me to debunk his Prius tire debunking.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...ransformation/

Slid the tail for the first time today at a right angle turn after some rain. Caught it, but was pretty surprised considering I wasn't going too fast (maybe an extra wet puddle?). Anyway, I saw this post and couldn't resist telling someone about my first countersteer :)

You can slide them pretty easily, but notice he's pulling 0.9 Gs at full throttle on a 0 C road without sliding. Not bad.

There's no doubt that there are stickier tires available that improve the car's performance. My point (and his) is that they aren't *awful* zero grip tires that some people make them out to be. They are a low(er) rolling resistance grand touring summer tire that are OEM equipment on some trims of the Cadillac ATS, Mercedes E-class and Audi A4. The fact that they also happen to be an optional tire on the Prius in Japan is something the press leapt on to sensationalize their stories.

Hooray there is somebody else that understands the whole story! They are not the cheap ass compromise that so many seem to think they are. They are a quality tire that do the job they are supposed to do perfectly. When people try to push them beyond that job and they fail then they blame the tires. No they are not a race tire they are a normal street tire and behave as such. I don't understand the frequent comments (such as a couple above) of "they slide out even at low speeds". I guess some people have a radically different definition of "low speed" than I do since I have never even once had them slide out in a corner where I didn't deliberately make it happen. Not even in the wet or gravel.

I think these people confuse speed with acceleration or torque.

I can pull a quick U-turn from a standstill by turning off traction control and slamming on the gas. The back wheels will slip while my speedometer reads 2MPH :|

I actually did this recently in an empty parking lot to freak out a coworker, still works even on my 255/40 sized tires.

I broke traction on the Prius tires the first day I had the car.

I broke traction on my Pilot Super Sports the first day I had them on the car.

I wasn't surprised either time. I have driven a rear wheel drive sports car before.

All this nonsense comes from people who grew up driving FWD cars.

This. Not long after I got mine, I had to counter steer on a damp entrance ramp where I thought there was no way I was going fast enough to break them loose. My heavier Z and my ligher Miata both would have had no problems. I don't want a low rolling resistance garbage tire, even if it isn't quite the prius ones that they are made out to be. The bottom line is those things are a compromise and I want a proper tire for proper safety on the road. If I have to pay for a little more gas then so be it.



No. I currently own three RWD cars and nothing else. The other two don't behave that way.

I grew up driving fwd :)

Despite my previous comment, I do feel pretty planted with the stock setup (though I don't have much to compare to)

I repeat I have NEVER had them break loose where I didn't expect it. I truly don't understand why they would for you. The way you talk all the noobs should be sliding into stuff every single time they hit a ramp in the rain.

I think thats a bit bold to say :P

I understand the conditions where my tires would likely break loose, but I cant say that every time they had, I predicted it.

Although I'm fairly calm when it happens now, it freaks my passengers out. Car starts wiggling as I pass over some unexpected ice and I just looked annoyed rather than worried.

Ya my phrasing may be off. Never had it happen where I didn't expect/plan/know it would. It is the being taken by surprise statements that I am talking about.