Difficulty choosing a sticky tire....

[Mystikal]

After weekend update: 250mi road trip done, through some challenging mountains and stuff...I love these tires. Great feedback, I'm shocked at how stable the sidewalls are (and I even have 235's on a 7.5" wheel, '95 M3 spec). I can't be happier with these so far, I'll be auto-xing them on the 18th.

BTW, take a grain of salt with the popular opinion that they are loud. They are absolutely silent unless you're on grooved concrete (and THEN they roar). There is just about none of that here, thankfully.

[z31maniac]

Well after some thinking and talking with the girlfriend, it seems the E30 is going to be out "trip" car for the few places we are going this summer.

KDW2's it is.

[Mystikal]

They definitely won't chunk, just look at the shoulder tread...they're basically one giant chunk all around, lol. They just get greasy.

The RT-615 will have an edge in 10/10ths dry grip. But the KDW2 will slaughter it on a wet day, especially for hydroplaning. And it'll last like twice as long.

[z31maniac]

Will the 615 chunk or just get greasy?

If they will just lose some traction I'm OK with that, happens to street oriented sport bike tires at the track. Or does the 615 just go, with no warning?

How does the KDW2 compare to the 615 in all out dry grip?

This is really a tough choice between the two.

[Mystikal]

For auto-x, 615. But for 20min track sessions, I'd rather be on the KDW.

[z31maniac]

If it came down to the KDW2's or the RT-615 for my use what would you say?

I'm thinking I'll probably spend the rest of the year at the Auto-X, then HPDE next year. Just because I can ride a sportbike at the track doesn't mean I'll have a handle on this car yet.

[Mystikal]

lol, nice. You'll be happy with the KDW2s if you have to go that route. Even at 33/36psi (started with OEM spec to get a baseline) I'm pretty impressed with the response these things are giving me.

[z31maniac]

Well hell, it looks like ALL the STX tires are on backorder or not released yet in the size I need.

Only thing availbble is the Yok Neova, which mounted and balanced are going to run around $1100!!!!!

[z31maniac]

Well after getting off the phone with Tire Rack, I think I'm just going to go ahead and get some KDW2's.

The rep told me there are approx. 14 sets of the Direzza D1 on backorder ahead of me, had I put my name on the list. And Neova's and RE01-R's would over $200 for a set of either close to $300 for the Neova's.

[z31maniac]

Good deal.

Keep this thread updated after your weekend experience with the KDW2's. I remember seeing a GT Mustang out at Hallett last month that was running them in the rain at an HPDE, and they seemed to do very well.

[Mystikal]

Paging Mystikal.......

Here.

I really like the KDW2 and I've made this known, but for your purposes (so little street miles), go with something more aggressive. The KDW2 is just about the perfect dual-purpose no-compromise (well, least compromise) tire in my opinion, but you barely touch the street. FWIW, I just mounted my 235/40/17 KDW2's on my M3 yesterday, I'll be breaking them the next few days and flogging them in the mountains this weekend. :)

For what you want, look at the all-star list: AD07, RE-01R, Z1. The RT-615 heats up too fast for long track sessions, although it would be very quick for the first 10mins or so. The R-S2 is an option, but it's just not on the same level as the first 3 tires I mentioned. Unshaved RA-1 is a possibility, but will require a little more care than the street tires here. I wouldn't bother going that far, especially on a car you're not familiar with yet.

[Coouuper S]

lol

[z31maniac]

Those kdw2 are extreme summer tires. Both tires look great and are faily the same price. However, the KDW2's have alot more thread on them which will last you alot more longer. They also have a higher speed rating.

KDW 2's are Max Performance Summer, not Extreme Performance summer.

[Coouuper S]

Those kdw2 are extreme summer tires. Both tires look great and are faily the same price. However, the KDW2's have alot more thread on them which will last you alot more longer. They also have a higher speed rating.

[z31maniac]

^That was my first choice, but I keep thinking Extreme Summer Performance is what I want.

Been looking the Direzza Star Spec.