Speaking of tires, I got my hands on a set of the new 200 TW Federal 595 RS-RR:
These are 225/45-17's on a 17x9 +35. Yes, I know they aren't legal for CS, but that doesn't mean I can't run them at a practice event...
So far I have one track night and a few runs at an autox test n tune on these. This setup completely transforms the car. For the first time, it is hard to overcome the available grip to get the car to rotate, and also for the first time, I felt like the car needed more power.
At the test n tune, I ran a few runs on the Federals and then switched back to my 225 RE71's on class legal wheels (17x7 RPF1's). My codriver couldn't beat his times from the Federals when we put the RE71's back on, and I could just barely match my times on the Federals.
In terms of tire characteristics, the Federals felt very precise with stiff sidewalls - just like the RE71's. The level of grip was high, and when you surpassed the level of grip, they were not totally gone and it was easy to recover. The tires were fairly silent (in terms of squealing) until you surpassed the grip level. The longest track session I ran was about 10-15 minutes and the tires did not seem to grease out. Wear has been minimal as well. For street driving, the Federals are loud as hell (probably due to the tread design).
Now, I totally realize that some of the benefits I experienced are from jumping from a 7" wheel (with the RE71's) to a 9" wheel (with the Federals), but regardless, the level of grip and characteristics of the Federals are awesome. Plus, it was only $500 shipped for a set of 4.
Another local FRS owner bought the same size Federals, but put them on a class legal 17x7 RPF1. We are both attending a timed track night next week, so I'm looking forward to comparing times.
I'm hopeful that these tires are approved for next season and are competitive!