New 2017 Auto-X rubber coming?
 

Looking around TireRack, I see the Hankook Ventus RS-3 (ver 2) is on closeout and a new RS-4 is listed. I haven't found any info about the changes from Hankook yet, however. The tire is generating some buzz on grassroots forums though.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...omCompare1=yes


I also see a new BFG G-Force Rival S listed and according to BFG, its the Rival S Version 1.5.


http://www.bfgoodrichracing.com/stre...force-rival-s/


I'll probably replace my set of Dunlop Direzza ZII's this spring, and I may get a set of RS-4's.

Are you familiar with the RE71R? That tire is king until the RS4 or Rival S 1.5 proves otherwise in my mind. It was head and shoulders faster above the previous RS3 and Rival tires in autox, but it didn't last quite as long.

I'm interested to see how these tires shake out. If the RS4 is faster in autox, it likely won't be as good of a track tire as the RS3 was.

The early testing from GRM of the new Rival S looks promising (up to 255mm width onl changed).

I ran the 225/45r17 Rival S last year. The grip in sweepers was awesome but was super vague in the slaloms, transitions and corner entry's. The new ones supposedly fixed all this.

Fake news!

:lol:

Plenty of locals are running them and turning in similar times to slicks.

At this point your head is in a hole if you think the Rival S 1.0 wasn't on par with the RE-71R.

Guess which tire won STX, STR, STF, and other classes last year?

Guess which tire was faster in the GRM test?

And some tires are better for certain surfaces (even different concrete or asphalt), or certain ambient temp, tire size, dampness, car weight, FWD, RWD, AWD or driving styles. The RE71R seems to be in the top tier of all around great tire and is easy to drive fast. But the BFGs on the right surface with the right setup and the right driving style can be the tire of choice. The redesigned ones this year should be even faster, and the RS4s are an unknown, but Hankook has put out a top tier tire in the past.

Will be an interesting year to watch tires (last year was kinda stable with no new tires to watch).

The past few seasons the BFG is tested well in GRM but when it comes to nationals it just doesn't seem to do well. Maybe has something to do with BFG involved in the scca... but who knows ;)


STX and STF were both BFG factory divers, both very good, str I cant remember. Take a look where the next BFG equipped car is in each class. My money is still on the bridgestone, it does everything good and in all weather. Just me though.

First to market + good marketing. I mean...REALLY good marketing.

The first reference to anyone seeing Jesus on new tires was actually Dietz on the Rival S he tested after nats 2014. Somehow the Bridgestone crew (or someone else) reappropriated that and now everyone calls the RE-71R the "Jesus" tire.

Who here has actually tested both tires? I have, I was faster on the BFG. People who haven't shouldn't discount it.

PS: I am not a BFG contract driver, nor have I ever received compensation from BFG except for standard prosolo contingency (once, and I ordered the wrong size tire, lol). I'm just tired of seeing uninformed opinions.

I agree. I ran the Rival S in CS trim and the grip was amazing. It was just vague in transitions and corner entry. Hopefully they have cured this with the newest version.

I have not tested them myself but I do have a local competitor that we were a tenth or two off each other each weekend. When he went to BFG in 2015 he was considerably slower at nationals.

I thing a good setup and yes the bfg could be faster but for me the RE71r works "year round." Cold spring days, wet, hot... its consistently fast and if you are buying one set and don't have the cash to test and buy multiple sets I say bridgestone.

Do the Rival S behave similar to the old Rivals, where they seem to grip/handle better with some slip angle?

The fastest FR-S/BRZ in drying, but very wet conditions at this year's Nats in CS was on Bridgestones, but the 2nd fastest was on BFG Rival S and his run was ~15 minutes before that... I was on the BFGs in renfield90's car in 2015 at Nats and liked them as much as the Bridgestones.

I won't be getting new tires until mid-summer because I want others to find out what's the best tire, but if I had to pick today, I'd go with the new Rival S 1.5.

I'll plug along with my 3-year old Bridgestones and 80-run Kumho V720s until I'm too far off the pace. :iono:

for sure and a lot will come down to driver preference as well.