Summer driving
 

I thought it time we move on from this awful winter as we have all now shared our various perspectives on how our cars are handling this tough winter.

What are people doing about the stock Primacy HP tires?

I just bought a set of OZ Alleggerita HLT in Graphite Silver 17 x 7.5 weighing around 15 lbs each (6.8 kg).

I am fitting a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 tires in 225/45 x 17 91V size weighing 24 lbs each (11 kg).

Stock tires weigh only 20 lbs (9 kg) but stock rims are sturdy at 21.4 lbs each (9.7 kg).

I went with 17 x 7.5 rather than 17 x 8 to preserve the comfort level in the ride. With a lighter unsprung weight and a slightly more bulged sidewall I expect the ride to improve a tiny bit without sacrificing any grip.

I went with all season tires because I live and drive at 1,000 metres elevation. What would be normal summer temperatures elsewhere are uncommon here outside the period from mid June to late August. Ultra High Performance Summer tires just don't get hot enough often enough to put out their best grip. Plus, it can get cold and even icy just about anytime and is a virtual certainty sometimes as late as May and as early as September, varies annually.

On balance, after reading all the new reviews, articles and tests on this new Michelin all season I'm convinced to give them a try. Just not until June....

I gave my set of stock Primacy tires to Wheels Direct to be disposed of lol! They are just as bad as those MXV4 tires that came with Hondas back in the 90s. When I ran them during break-in, speeding into the 401 ramp would cause a slight 4 wheel drift sensation. Wet traction was just non-existent.

I bought a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 in 215/45/R17 87V to replace them. I have a set of Enkei STI wheels in 17" X 7.5 dark grey coming (basically trying to get my BRZ to look like a poor man's Supra 2.5 Twin Turbo R lol) and would be swapping these AS3 tires onto them for non-winter use. I can't wait to try them in warm weather. Wet traction is awesome and they are much more comfortable and sure footed. The stock tires felt like driving Fred Flinstone's car.

The stock rims are so ugly I'm going to use them in winter.

This is STI's recommendation for their 18" X 7.5 setup:

Michelin Pilot Super Sport 225/40ZR18(92Y) XL @ 35psi / 240kPa front and rear.

Gonna plastidip the stockers black.
Looking to buy 17 inch Rota Torques, and fit Continental DW Contact tires to them (225 width).

I am wondering if offset 30 will cause problems though (because that seems to be all I can find online for these wheels other than the stock 48 offset)

I bought some 17x8 Rotiform NUEs /fail

I'm doing naff all. I love the low grip the primacys (primacies?) give and don't plan to change a thing.

PS do you worry that heavier tires on light rims will increase the rotational inertia of the wheels, even if total mass remains the same or less?

Yes, and almost all that extra tire weight is in the tread. Some will be in the bead wedge but most will be in the tread.

But, to get a stiffer tire you have to get a stronger tire, which means a heavier tire. No way around it.

I have a set of xxr 527 in 17x8.25 waiting to go on. I plan on throwing on a set of Falken Ziex 912 in 225/45 and hoping that they are as bad (good) as the stock primacy hp.

Looking to preserve the fun slippery stock characteristics. Ill be sideways and smiling as I pass all the losers putting on PSS and Advans.

QFT.
Keeping the stock wheels too, because I'm in the "love them" camp.

As you upgrade to a stiffer and quicker responsive chassis and suspension setup you have no choice but to upgrade the tires otherwise you would reach your traction limit a lot faster in a turn and possibly lose it. I honestly don't miss the Primacy tires, even going straight at a slow speed I can tell a difference in steering feel with the better tires.

I think putting Primacy tires on it stock was really Toyota's way of sticking a middle finger to the industry in that they can develop a chassis setup with parameters so strict, it can pull handling performance figures similar to a competitors' products without being bounded by specially developed tires and high tech. Saying you can go sideways easier is just a marketing by-product imo.

If that is actually true, then I like Toyota's gt86 design dept a little bit more after learning it.

I think this is exactly true.

By all reports fitting better tires improves this car significantly.

Heck, even high performance winters are an improvement!

You won't be passing anyone wrapped around a pole (sideways).

Back on topic, I'll be putting 235/40/18 and 255/35/18 PSS on 18x8.5 and 18x9.5 TC105ns (roughly 16lbs each) this summer for street. For track, I'm on Toyo R888s 225/45/17 square.

You're right, with all that power how will I possibly drive it on crappy tires...

+1

225/45/17 PSS, lowered