235/40-17 summer tire recommendation?

[Pat]

I will soon be in the market for new summer tires. I'd like to get 235/40-17s. Normally I buy from The Tire Rack. However, their selection isn't great in that size.
I want summer-specific performance tires. But I don't want anything super sticky that will wear quickly (i.e. RS3s, Star Specs, etc.). Generally speaking I'd like something with a treadwear rating of about 300.
I have been through a few sets of HTR-Z IIIs and have been happy with them. They are a killer value, which is appealing to me. That said, they don't come in the size I want and are certainly outdated technology.
The Pilot Super Sport looks like a great option, but they don't come in that size, either.
The Tire Rack's best option for my priorities seems to be the Yokohama s.drive. But that doesn't really score all that well in their tests. One step down from there would be the HTR-Z II, which in my opinion is garbage. One step up from the s.drive is the RE-11. While it's a great tire, it's more expensive and softer than what I'm looking for.
So really I feel like the only thing close to what I'm looking for is the s.drive. What other tires should I be considering in that performance category and price range? As I rarely buy tires from anywhere other than The Tire Rack, I'm not sure what my other options are.
EDIT: I see Toyo has a Proxes T1 Sport with a treadwear rating of 240. And Falken has an Fk453. Those might be contenders, too. They're about the same prices as the s.drive. I wonder how they compare.
Thanks!

[swarb]

Why 235/40? Why not 245/40 which is the optimal size?
What is your price range?
Hankook v12 evo2 and continental dw are popular.
Treadwear rating means nothing with different brands. Can only compare with the same brand.
Usually there is the 200treadwear track/street tire and a step up 260+ treadwear with less grip but more life. I'm guessing you are looking for the latter?

[Pat]

Originally Posted by swarb

Why 235/40? Why not 245/40 which is the optimal size?
What is your price range?
Hankook v12 evo2 and continental dw are popular.
Treadwear rating means nothing with different brands. Can only compare with the same brand.
Usually there is the 200treadwear track/street tire and a step up 260+ treadwear with less grip but more life. I'm guessing you are looking for the latter?

I want that size for better rim protection than a 225 width tire, yet still have good steering response.
I'm unsure what criteria you are using to determine the "optimal" size. The size you recommend surely isn't optimal for my 8" wide wheels, nor my priorities of steering feel and weight.
If you're referring to speedometer accuracy, I am alright with it being off by 1% or less.
Yes, I am looking for greater tread life than a 200 rated tire. And I understand your point about those numbers being relative.
Thanks for recommending Hankook. I had forgotten about them. But the v12 evo2 doesn't come in the size I'm looking at.

[swarb]

Ok you're right about the rim width. Sorry, I made assumptions. 245 would fit also, but you will lose some steering response. But sidewall stiffness is a factor also. Unfortunately 235/40 is an uncommon size so tire choice is somewhat limited. Make sure you check the spec's on each specific tire as some models run wider/narrow than others.

[ryoma]

how quick is quickly for you? I have the Direzza ZII's (non star spec) with almost 10k miles on them for almost a year with a few track days and the wear on them is not bad at all. of course, the track days probably wear down the tire pretty fast if you go a lot. I think the benefit of increased grip far outweighs the overall life of the tire though. but my driving style might differ from yours. I can still probably go another 10k miles easily. plus I only paid $600 for a set of 4, so it's not bad at all.

[Pat]

Originally Posted by ryoma

how quick is quickly for you? I have the Direzza ZII's (non star spec) with almost 10k miles on them for almost a year with a few track days and the wear on them is not bad at all. of course, the track days probably wear down the tire pretty fast if you go a lot. I think the benefit of increased grip far outweighs the overall life of the tire though. but my driving style might differ from yours. I can still probably go another 10k miles easily. plus I only paid $600 for a set of 4, so it's not bad at all.

The ZIIs don't come in that size. Thanks, though.

[ryoma]

Originally Posted by Pat

The ZIIs don't come in that size. Thanks, though.

Mine are 235/45/17. though, looking at tire rack there is "fewer than 2" available. the star specs should be the same in regards to the compound used but just slightly more expensive.

[jawn]

The S.drives sound like they fit your needs. They don't wear quickly, and they're fairly grippy for what they are. The major complaint about them is that they're a bit on the loud side when they start to wear.

[donthaveoneyet]

i really liked my dunlop direzza DZ102 tires, they were fantastic in every way i think. dry grip, wet grip, predictability however they only lasted me 25k miles which is kinda low. not on an FRS by the way, on an SC400.

[Pat]

Again, those are not available in the desired size.

[ryoma]

235/40/17 doesn't really have that many tire choices aside from the ones you mentioned originally. however, if you include 235/45/17 then you open up a lot more choices.

[Impureclient]

The MPSS run a little wide, looks like 10mm so pretty much the 235 width, so why not use a 225/45 on the 8" wheel? Speedometer accuracy is close too.

[Pat]

It looks like all of the 225 tires have section widths from 8.8" to 9", including the PSS. The leading contender 235 has a section width of 9.6", significantly wider than any 225.

[DarkSunrise]

A friend of mine has Toyo Proxes T1S on his track E46 M3. They're relatively comfortable on the street and last a long time. He's used his for two years with a good number of track days thrown in, and that's with over 500 whp from his supercharger. It's hard to compare tires on different cars, but they remind me of my old HTRZIII's but with a little more grip and not as squeal-happy at the limit.

You might also consider Nitto NT05 and Federal 595-RSR since both come in 235/40/17. Not as sticky as modern 200TW EP tires or even RS3's, although perhaps still a bit soft for what you're looking for.