I'm popping in here as this question is also relevant to my interests.
I've been having a blast autocrossing on the stock tires and learning a lot about how to handle this car. I'm planning on upgrading tires after this season (if my tires don't wear out before that), but not quite sure I'm ready for super-awesome-performance tires that might (a) cover up some of my mistakes, preventing me from learning, or (b) let loose more aggressively than a novice driver like me might be able to correct.
So thanks all for the suggestions - keep them coming!
