optimal street tire size for RTR on 17x7

[Kido1986]

It will still be badged as RS3 Im being told (dont want to say who but Ill say its a very reuptable source, not some tire jockey working for a tire shop).

Nothing with the compound will be changing.

Dunlop has a revised StarSpec already and they are showing better performance over the Z1s. However, its only in Japan (since March of this year). Should be stateside early '13. RS3 mostly > Z1SS now but Im interested to see what happens with the Z2SS. Dunlop is claiming the tire is signifcantly quicker and wears slower

[Jedi1]

I'll probably go with the RS as I have driven on them and know their characteristics somewhat. I have some Star Specs on our Mercedes, but haven't driven the car much this year as it has lived in a few different shops, lol.

[TRev]

I expected this after the meeting at Nationals between us road tire folks, Howard, and the SEB....well at least the 180 to 140 reversal. The voice of the SEB said the rule should have been published as proposed and they were still considering the change. They took a hand vote of those at the meeting and it was very favorable towards keeping it at 140. They also heard many of us recommend they should start using the exception list more and the unicorn size R1R should be on it. I hope they continue to use that exception rule to keep tire manufacturers honest. Thank you SEB!

[mla163]

I've run RS3s for two seasons and I would not buy them again. This is based on my experience running these on an NA miata in STR. 225s on a 9" wheel. I've been autocrossing for 5 years.

Pros:
-Fantastic lateral traction and stickier than anything WHEN HOT.

Cons:
-Not very good when cold. Your first runs will be a warm up. On a cold day, you won't get any good runs.
-Poor longitudinal traction. i.e. easy to spin the tires when accelerating or under hard braking.
-Not very communicative. They don't talk. It's stick, stick, stick, spin without warning.

If you are a good driver, you can take advantage of these tires, but they are not very user friendly or forgiving. My money is on the new Starspecs. These have been a solid tire in their last iteration and have proven to be a good all 'round tire in the cold, hot and out of the box.

[MTCRX]

Originally Posted by mla163

I've run RS3s for two seasons and I would not buy them again. This is based on my experience running these on an NA miata in STR. 225s on a 9" wheel. I've been autocrossing for 5 years.

Pros:
-Fantastic lateral traction and stickier than anything WHEN HOT.

Cons:
-Not very good when cold. Your first runs will be a warm up. On a cold day, you won't get any good runs.
-Poor longitudinal traction. i.e. easy to spin the tires when accelerating or under hard braking.
-Not very communicative. They don't talk. It's stick, stick, stick, spin without warning.



If you are a good driver, you can take advantage of these tires, but they are not very user friendly or forgiving. My money is on the new Starspecs. These have been a solid tire in their last iteration and have proven to be a good all 'round tire in the cold, hot and out of the box.

I really liked the star specs on my CRX ( a light car) especially on cool and wet days autocrossing and at track days, they really stick on a wet track. But I did notice on hot days 80's-90's, after several quick runs they would start to feel greasy and lose traction. Cooling them down between runs with water does help, but when they get heat soaked that is hard to do. I would still highly recommend them, just be aware that on hot days you have to manage the temperature. I will be curious to see how the new ZII's are.

[7thgear]

RS3's a track tire not an autocross tire.

[ABQautoxer]

Originally Posted by 7thgear

RS3's a track tire not an autocross tire.

While its not usually my first choice, I will disagree with you there. It's quite a great autox tire, just beware of cold and rain.

[7thgear]

Originally Posted by ABQautoxer

While its not usually my first choice, I will disagree with you there. It's quite a great autox tire, just beware of cold and rain.

so it's a mediocre autox tire

because if what you describe is great then starspecs are OMGBBQSAUCE, right?

[Kido1986]

RS3s do quite well in SCCA competition, especially in cars with codrivers. I need new tires in January and I'm using them once again. Im hoping it's a warmish day at Dixie in March but Ill have a codriver to keep the tires warm (or more like Ill keep them warm for him, he'll likely wipe the floor with me!)

[ABQautoxer]

Originally Posted by 7thgear

so it's a mediocre autox tire

because if what you describe is great then starspecs are OMGBBQSAUCE, right?

In typical summer autox conditions, it is as fast as any other street tire in most sizes. The Star Specs which I prefer have more operating conditions but generally don't like getting hot (require more spraying) and cost more. They all have their place and in STX I think the RS3 might be a better choice. Call it mediocre is hardly accurate IMO. I lost a ProSolo this year to someone on them in a slightly smaller size and in conditions I figured I had an edge on Star Specs. Same thing at Nats, 1st/3rd were on RS3s and were quite a bit faster than I was on the colder second day though I had a bad day anyway.

[Evil86]

Originally Posted by ABQautoxer

In typical summer autox conditions, it is as fast as any other street tire in most sizes. The Star Specs which I prefer have more operating conditions but generally don't like getting hot (require more spraying) and cost more. They all have their place and in STX I think the RS3 might be a better choice. Call it mediocre is hardly accurate IMO. I lost a ProSolo this year to someone on them in a slightly smaller size and in conditions I figured I had an edge on Star Specs. Same thing at Nats, 1st/3rd were on RS3s and were quite a bit faster than I was on the colder second day though I had a bad day anyway.

RS3 are the rage in Phoenix and Tucson during the hot season, with star specs running a close second. I went from RS3 back to star spec because they communicate better.

[Kido1986]

Yeah, RS3s are terrible for DDing. So damn loud and wear so quickly. And I discovered they in my first coolish autocross on them that a 72F day with no sun to heat the parking lot equals no grip for me

[Gearhd79]

Well, I just ordered my ZII's in 225 45 to go on OEM rims. Ill see how this goes

[fishek]

And my Rivals (225/45R17) just arrived. Mar 23rd will be my first autocross (edit: ever).