18" max performance tires
 

I asked a similar question to this in the autocross area and did not get much feedback.

I bought a set of 18x8 OZ Superleggara that I need to get a set of tires for. The tires will see 60% road miles and 40% autocross. I don't care about being the fastest on the autocross track just looking for fun and something better than stock. If I really get into this year I will invest in a true autocross tire next year. The wheels came with worn out 235/40-18 starspecs which due to their increased weight and larger diameter make the car accelerate slower. The wheels weigh about 17.5 pounds so I need a tire around 23 to match the stock setup. It should also be noted at the last autocross I was running out of RPM in second gear so I think a very slightly taller tire may help this, especially when corner speed is higher due to more grip.

I've cut the list of tires down to the following based on my budget and the life I am looking for. Based on everyones experience what do they think would be best for my application? (I'm sure there are other people shopping for a similar application)

1-225/40-18 Continental extremecontact DW ~ $680 OTD
-Seem to perform well, 20 pounds, decent life, flexy?

2-225/40-18 BFGoodrich g-Force Sport Comp2 ~ $675 OTD
-25 pounds, but getting good initial reviews, stiff sidewalls

3-225/40-18 Kumho Ecsta LE Sport ~ $435 OTD
-Low cost - 24 pounds

4-245/35-18 Kumho Ecsta LE Sport ~ $665 OTD
-25 pounds, bigger contact patch, better performance? Closest to stock outside diameter

5-225/40 Kumho xs ~$750
-Ruled out until next year, cost/life too short.

Thanks in advance!

I am going with the DW because it is one of the lightest and also has the best rain traction which is good for DD. The higher UTQG is a bonus

DW is good but can get noisy over time, check out the Goodyear Eagle F1 Assymetric 2 also.

I've been considering the new Dunlop sport maxx RT. In 225/40/18 they weigh 21 pounds.

Tire Rack currently has the Ecsta LE Sports on sale for $354 + shipping (including $50 rebate). Seems like a good deal.

I like the look of that tire a lot too. treadwear is pretty low but it looks badass.

My buddy has the ecsta le on his m3 and wasn't a fan. Anyone running them here? I figured wider and lower aspect ratio should be an improvement over stock with any tire...

Maybe its worth burning the cheap kumhos off and doing a ton of events then going to zii's next year?

I just had a set of those (same size) mounted on my 18x8.0 WedsSports today. I'll get them on the car this weekend after my lugs show up.

I wanted Michelin PSS's, but changed my mind at the last minute to save money - they were lighter, treadwear was "ok", and saw some decent reviews on UK sites. We'll see if I made a bad call, I guess.

They do look the part...though when I saw them in person I was taken aback at how wide the center water channels are. Made me worried it's more of a UHP tire...which is what Dunlop lists it as on their website. (Tirerack says MPS :iono:).

After reading many tire reviews online I'm starting to think they are all somewhat rigged. Tires are so temp/airpressure/car/condition sensitive.

I saw a few reviews saying Cooper Zeon RS3-S outperform ps2's? Really?

If money were no object I would just buy PSS's and be done with it but I can't drop $900 on tires. There has to be something between a starspec type autox tire and something longer last like a kumho spt...

Kumho Ecsta LE Sports are a great street tire, will be what I will be going with when its time to replace the stock Michelin Primacy HP's due to having them on another vehicle. An excellent wet weather tire (best I've driven on) that has plenty of dry grip, but not excessively so like higher spec tires designed for track/autocross use. I've come around to fully believe the designers knew what they were doing when the Michelin Primacy HP was decided on as the tire the toybaru would use....it suits it perfectly and really does have good grip wet or dry for street use.

The Ecsta LE Sport would raise the dry grip some while really upping things in the wet. Plus for ~$80 in the size I'll be getting (205/45-17) plus $50 back....yeah less than $300 a set for excellent tires. Reason going with 205/45-17 is I really like how the tire performs when it is mounted on the widest recommend wheel size for it - the stock Primacy HP's are even better now that I have them mounted on a lighter, 7.5" wide wheel; more responsive (width) and smoother riding (weight). 205/45-17 Escta LE Sports will have more grip and responsiveness than the 215/45-17 Primacy HP's while being light at the same time....should preserve the cars balance nicely.

Just wondering why you are considering only larger than stock diameter sizes; why not consider smaller than stock diameter sizes that are about the same delta from the stock diameter? Like say 225/35-18. Being smaller in diameter you will get better acceleration, the tires weigh less (4lbs less), and you lower the CG by half the height difference. Plus I'd rather my speedometer read a few MPH higher than I'm actually going than a few MPH lower...

Vracer good point, I forgot that tire came in 225/35/18. Not much of a cross section to handle the pot holes up here but on the flip side, less side wall to react to steering input.

Since you're looking at Max performance, it tells me that when it comes to compromise you'll lean towards Daily Driving instead of AutoX. In that case, go with the Continental ECDW. It's a great all-around summer tire. Great grip in the dry, one of the best in the wet, quiet, and comfortable. The lower weight will help with acceleration too. Just give them a couple extra lbs when AutoXing to get some better feel.

Otherwise, if you were compromising towards AutoX, I'd say just go for an Extreme performance tire (ZII or R-S3) and zero your toe to get the max life from them.

I think my true goal is the responsiveness of a z1 but longer life and slightly less grip for around $650. The only thing that turns me away from the ecdw is everyone noting the softer sidewall. In 225/40/18 the tire carries an xl load rating and that combined with the lower aspect ratio than stock may lessen the characteristic but its hard to tell. Noise and ride aren't concerns.

I was truly shocked how reactive the z1 was compared to stock, completely different world, I just can't justify $900.

I appreciate the feedback. I ended up going with the Continental ECDW, bought them and got them mounted today. I'm up to a little over $1000 into the wheels and tires. Here is my feedback, remember these are not broken in yet.

Weight
-Stock on my scale was 41 pounds.
-The 225/40-18 on the superleggara was 39.5

Handling
-The ECDW in this size is a touch more responsive than stock in the first few miles. I was only at 36 psi as well. The on center was about as vague as stock but once the tires were loaded it improved and the steering weight got better. I need to play with pressures too.
-You can feel the sidewalls compacting with snaps to the steering wheel but again, slightly better than stock likely due to the reduced aspect ratio.


Acceleration/Braking
-More reactive, even though the diameter of the tires is slightly larger. My guess this is due to the weight decrease. I didn't think 1.5 pounds could make this much of a difference but it seems it did. The wheels came with 235/40 starspecs and they made the car feel like a dog in this respect an weighed about 1.4 pounds more than stock.

Ride
-These tires feel like they ride better than stock

Noise
-Close to stock now, I think they will get a growl as they wear

Grip
-Much higher almost a whole another level. They breakloose a bit faster than stock but it feels like you have a better idea what they are doing so you can correct it faster and keep going in the right direction. Slides on the stock tires felt like slowmotion to me sometimes and I would over correct.

Summary
-To me this wheel size and tire is what should of come on the car stock. it brings it to an entire another level but it still just as comfortable. I can see why they didn't put something like this on the car stock is it goes from sliding at 45 mph to sliding at 80 mph where you can get in much more trouble.
The feel of the car remains the same. I'll report back after the next autocross with how they did there. To me it feels close to the grip of a 215 starspec, just missing the stiff sidewalls and firm feeling. I guess that's the penalty you pay for weight and comfort. My guess is the PSS is the one tire that breaks that rule.