Performance Tire Recommendations
 

Hi guys,

I don't know how long it's been since I lasted posted anything but I was wondering if I could get some knowledge from some of the more experienced track day people here.

I am currently driving a 2018 BMW M240i RWD and am hoping to taking on a few good track days this year. I will be going to the Ridge in May and I am also hoping to try out some of the other bigger tracks like Area 27, Pacific Raceway, or Vancouver Island Motorsport Park.

A friend recommended Bridgestone RE71s which I can order from any Costco. However, I am wondering if there are other brands that you guys would recommend. Will tires like these last if I drive on them to go to tracks like the Ridge?

Thanks.

The RE71Rs are very sticky tires and probably the one to get for autocross short of going to the purple crack (Hoosiers).

They are also very good for track days but wear will wear significantly faster than others like the Direzza ZII or the Hankook Rs4s. Speed wise they will keep up or surpass some of the harder R compounds like the R888 or the NT01s. But the wear will be high especially for heavier cars and if the temperatures are hot. If you want more wear at the slight expense of speed, the Direzzas and Kooks might be a good choice.

Do you have any track experience? Maybe don’t immedietly jump to the stickiest DOT tide you cannget

What tires came with your car? If it's your first time doing motorsports, I do not recommend sticky tires just yet

On a related note, how stock is the car? If you don't have very much (negative) camber, you're going to kill the tires very quickly in a track environment.

any reason why not to get sticky tires just yet if you have money to burn?...hehe.

they always focus on learning driving skills to cut down time but having sticky tires for abit more confidence pushing it sounds pretty reasonable IMO.

Usually when you are learning the limits of your car, one relies on the squealing of tires as you approach the limits of grip. Quite a few of the really sticky tires don't squeal (or squeal very little) so you have to rely more on feel than noise. Learning on OEM tires is fine especially if you want to get a baseline.

I love the RE71R for autoX but haven't had them on the track for sustained periods of speed.

Perhaps someone can chime in on their durability at the Ridge.

I would recommend the RS4 over the RE71R due to weight of the car and possibility that you will be taking the car tracking more than once this year

while the RE71R has better grip overall than the RS4 but as many have mentioned above - they do wear out relatively quick

they are excellent for auto-x though

RS4 can take a beating and a lot of teams i've talked to like to run the RS4 for endurance racing since they can LAST (which is never a bad thing) and have a high heat tolerance - meaning they do not feel greasy after couple of sessions on a hot day

I would stay away from R-Compounds like the NT01/R888R until you are more familiar with your car and the grip levels - going straight into r-compounds will be quite a steep learning curve if you are confident but you'll have to be extra careful if the road is wet/cold

Assuming the OP is relatively new to the high performance driving world, one suggestion I think is worth bearing in mind is -- you want a tire that has a linear and predictable breakaway characteristic, and will communicate with you, much more so than one that has massive grip.

Generally speaking, OEM tires on sporty cars are pretty good with that -- until they have been abused too many times at the track, and become heat cycled out. This is why some of us are recommending you stick to the OEM grade stuff to start. Once you have built some basic car control skills, you'll be in a better position to take advantage of what the higher performance tires can do for you, and better handle their quirks.

Thanks for all the input guys!

I think the curb weight of the car weighs in at between 3500-3600lb. The cars is pretty much stock but I am contemplating weather I should get new brake pads for the car this season as well. My car is currently running on Michelin PSS but with my stock setup, I think I'll be going a little bit wider with another set of wheels.

In terms of track experience, I've done probably 4-5 track days, a few performance training courses, and about 5 autocross events over the past 3 years. Not sure if that makes me experienced enough but I've been driving this car for the past 2 years so I think I'm comfortable with the limits of the car.

run a +1 size of the PS4?



those new PS4 tires are excellent.

the PS4 and PSS tires are decent id say - but cost quite a bit to replace

whereas the re17r / rs4 / z2 cost relatively cheaper for similar if not better performance on the track

i would recommend at a minimum better brake fluid if you still running stock (motul rbf600 minimum) for peace of mind

getting a set of dedicated brake pads for the track will definitely be a huge bonus (id recommend cobalt XR series or PFC series [PFC 11 is really good] )

at the end of the day - everyone has their own preferences for tires/brakes so take every feedback with a grain of salt and try it out for yourself

you can't go wrong just tracking the car as is as a benchmark - then work your way up from there

With that kind of experience, you probably have a good idea of what you're doing out on the track. I can see why you'd want to get some better rubber.

I am not at all opposed to running something wider. Bear in mind, however, that "going wider" can be done by:

1) going with a wider tire
2) going with a wider wheel
3) doing both #1 and #2

and the results you get are going to be different. From a performance standpoint, you want to use the smallest diameter wheel that also has the widest width, and select a tire that is roughly as wide as your wheel. Because of this, a +1 setup is often not really a performance setup.

Before getting new tires, I would also re-emphasize the importance of having (negative) camber on any track-driven vehicles. IMO, if you are running anything lower than -1.5° (and especially at the front wheels), you are going to kill your tires very quickly. For your 2 series, I'm sure Bimmerworld (or other places) have camber plate to address this issue, and I'd choose them over getting new tires.

not trying to thread jack but have any of you guys heard of zestino tires? and your thoughts on them?

Thanks again for the advise guys!

Random question but do you work at the TSS? I think a couple of my friends have been to your shop and they've said you guys do a very good job.

Anyways, I ordered a set of Apex EC-7 (18x8.5 front, 18x9 rear) and I'm thinking of wrapping them with a set of Hankook R-S4 since they seem to have the best balance of performance and durability that I need at a decent cost. Likely going for 235/40-18 fronts and 255/35-18 rears.

i don't work at tss but am part of tss since I organize their track days events

if you could - try to do a square setup on the BMW - you'll enjoy the car quite abit more and also the benefit of flipping/rotating all 4 tires for maximum durability :fullofwin:

I know that Zestino has been gaining popularity in the drift scene, given that they have multiple compounds. However as a tire for track days, I'm not so sure.

For those who like RE71R Costco offers one of the best prices around plus $70 instant rebate usually in September and December.

Just ordered some 205/50/15 online. I have been waiting for them to come back in stock since October.

For me at least, Costco is a @#)$@(&# joke when it comes to buying any non-OEM sized tires, and RE-71R is especially bad. The sizes I need -- 205/50/15 and 215/45/17 -- are never in stock, and their service reps always give me bullshxt reasons for not being able to serve me / sell me the damn tires. I'm so sick and tired of the bullshxt that I'd rather just buy from TireRack instead, and have them installed elsewhere locally.

lol I am glad I'm not the only one. They had 205/50/15 RE-71R in stock in Sept/Oct but I thought that was too early to buy and have them sit.

The next rebate came around in December and suddenly they are out of stock. I spoke to customer support and they were waiting on new batch to be manufactured and sent to Canada which happened in January. 205/50/15 literally came available again on Wed Feb 14th. I know because I was checking nearly every day!

Getting them mounted and balance is another pain unless you happen to live near by. Even dropping off loose wheels they forget about them and I am lucky if they get to them near the end of the day. Takes a lot of time.

Dunlop Direzzas.

i'm starting to see a lot of positive talk on the car message boards i follow about this new replacement for the michelin PSS:

Michelin PILOT SPORT 4S


https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...Pilot+Sport+4S

https://www.tirerack.com/images/tire...4s_pdpcrop.jpg

Well... now that Michelin finally smarted up and release a bunch of additional sizes -- esp in 17" -- it is natural to see more people discussing and reviewing the tire. For the past year, I'd say the PS4S pretty much had its lunch stolen by Conti ECS and Firestone Indy 500 in the mainstream sector.

Looking to get a wheel and tire package from Tirerack and shipped to Point Roberts. There's tax. Has it always been the case, and will I get taxed again bringing it back?

ITEM(S) TOTAL:

Shipping (98281):

$1,715.88

$148.48
Taxes:$154.48
Tire Rack Discount:-$47.00
TOTAL:
$1,971.84