Star Spec 2's are out on Tirerack!

[MatRacer]

Would running 16'' be a significant disadvantage weight wise? Is it really noticable?

Like the fact that 225/45/16 is prettry the same dia than stock... Vs my diff ratio...also the look of 16" on E30s...

[rwh11385]

So I'm nearing wear bars on my Michelin PSS's after two summers and thinking about my options. I was hearing people putting Star Specs on their E39s over at bf.c, but not sure on them vs. going with the Super Sports (which I've been very happy with) again or even the R-S3s.

If anyone has run these on heavier vehicles for daily driving, I'd like some feedback. At most, I may do a few Auto-X events but haven't had time since 2010 when I was running clogged cats and blown dampers, and sometimes snow tires...

In 235/45-17, top choices would be:
PSS = $161 [300 treadwear]
ZII = $150 [200]
R-S3 (new version) = $160 [200]

Others:
Kuhmo XS = $153 [180]
Bridgestone S-04 PP = $135 [280]
Bridgestone RE-11 = $152 [200]

My experience with Bridgestone's has typically been with the "high-performance" all-seasons which were decent on the E30 to blah on the E39, so don't have high expectations.

Based on Tirerack reviews, R-S3s and the XS's have terrible hydroplaning resistance and wet traction... and worse noise / ride. The Dunlops supposedly do slightly better than those two in the rain but not on Michelin's level with ride and noise on par with the Hankook and Kuhmos... is this accurate?


So are DII's that gravy on heavy cars for DD and some Auto-X or should I just stick to a good thing?

[Earendil]

In 235/45-17, top choices would be:
PSS = $161 [300 treadwear]
ZII = $150 [200]
R-S3 (new version) = $160 [200]


Based on Tirerack reviews, R-S3s and the XS's have terrible hydroplaning resistance and wet traction... and worse noise / ride. The Dunlops supposedly do slightly better than those two in the rain but not on Michelin's level with ride and noise on par with the Hankook and Kuhmos... is this accurate?

That is correct. I've tracked my car with ZII's on the lake that is Pacific Raceways, and your speed will be cut to 60-65 or things will get squirrely. That is in standing hydroplaning water though. In the wet they are good enough.

So are DII's that gravy on heavy cars for DD and some Auto-X or should I just stick to a good thing?

My personal opinion is that ZII's are great for what my E30 does: Weekend driving in the sun, and driving to and being a part of track days regardless of the weather. Tracks are fun in the wet too, and you just want predictability. You also want to get to the track safely.

That said, my E46 is my daily driver and I would never put ZII's on that car. Any slick summer tire is going to lose a lot of grip in cold weather (less than 45 F) and even on sunny days the E30 on the streets feels like you have plastic wheels. It is very noticeable. Extreme summer tires are not confidence inducing when they are out of their element, thus I put a good set of All-Season's on my E46 for the peace of mind, and the fact that they are still fun enough when I desire it.

I see it like human shoes. Tennis shoes cover a lot of ground, and you can get by in the summer and winter. But your favorite and best pair of flip flops are never going to be ideal for the cold and rain, even if there are some idiots who swear it's not that bad ;-)

[Wh33lhop]

I've run both the PSS and now the S04 on my E46, and I'm pleased with both tires. The S04 is basically 90% of a PSS at 70% of the price, and they seem to run wider which may not do much for performance but they certainly look cooler than the skinny looking PSS (/rice). I will probably be getting another set of the S04s because they are so cheap.

If you want more performance than either of these has to offer I would go with an RE11A. Basically the best mannered of all the extreme performance tires. But I think for your purposes either of the previous two will work fine.

[M-technik-3]

Discontinued anyway no need to worry about them except they are on clearance.

[Mystikal]

So I'm nearing wear bars on my Michelin PSS's after two summers and thinking about my options. I was hearing people putting Star Specs on their E39s over at bf.c, but not sure on them vs. going with the Super Sports (which I've been very happy with) again or even the R-S3s.

If anyone has run these on heavier vehicles for daily driving, I'd like some feedback. At most, I may do a few Auto-X events but haven't had time since 2010 when I was running clogged cats and blown dampers, and sometimes snow tires...

In 235/45-17, top choices would be:
PSS = $161 [300 treadwear]
ZII = $150 [200]
R-S3 (new version) = $160 [200]

Others:
Kuhmo XS = $153 [180]
Bridgestone S-04 PP = $135 [280]
Bridgestone RE-11 = $152 [200]

My experience with Bridgestone's has typically been with the "high-performance" all-seasons which were decent on the E30 to blah on the E39, so don't have high expectations.

Based on Tirerack reviews, R-S3s and the XS's have terrible hydroplaning resistance and wet traction... and worse noise / ride. The Dunlops supposedly do slightly better than those two in the rain but not on Michelin's level with ride and noise on par with the Hankook and Kuhmos... is this accurate?


So are DII's that gravy on heavy cars for DD and some Auto-X or should I just stick to a good thing?

If you're coming from the refined and pillowy PSS you're going to hate your car with auto-x tires. Ride, tramlining, wear and noise. There is absolutely no tire out there that will do what the PSS does both on the street and track.

[Wh33lhop]

If you're coming from the refined and pillowy PSS you're going to hate your car with auto-x tires. Ride, tramlining, wear and noise. There is absolutely no tire out there that will do what the PSS does both on the street and track.

One track day chewed up my PSS pretty bad, lol. I wasn't easy on em but they didn't exactly last like I thought they would. I believe I got about 11k out of them total.

[rwh11385]

That said, my E46 is my daily driver and I would never put ZII's on that car. Any slick summer tire is going to lose a lot of grip in cold weather (less than 45 F) and even on sunny days the E30 on the streets feels like you have plastic wheels. It is very noticeable.

Yeah... I had that experience with Falkens RT215s and some chilly spring weather. That changeover is very apparent when you are chirping away from a stop sign under partial throttle.

The S04 is basically 90% of a PSS at 70% of the price

Hmmm.... I'd be tempted to chance their performance if they were significantly cheaper. Even at Closeout, S04 is still 85% of PSS if you consider mount + balance. Regular price is $158 vs $161. The real kicker though is $70 prepaid Michelin card that they give out several times a year which makes it nearly a wash. (And Bridgestone rarely has that)

And no one is looking at tread width on a stock E39 with OEM sport springs, haha.

If you want more performance than either of these has to offer I would go with an RE11A. Basically the best mannered of all the extreme performance tires. But I think for your purposes either of the previous two will work fine.

Cool - yeah, the PSSs wouldn't really unstick under reasonable amounts of fun so I'm not sure I need anymore. With the RE970's, I felt disappointed and let down by the amount of grip but have been very happy with the Michelins. And I'd rather spend $700+sh (or $630+sh after rebate/pre-paid card) and know it'll be what I'm expecting than chance it for $600+sh with S04s.

Based on the feedback, I really think I wouldn't want to hop to Extreme Performance Summers from Max Performance Summers. For the small amount of gains I might have during Auto-X, I don't think what I'd be giving up on the street would be worth it...

If you're coming from the refined and pillowy PSS you're going to hate your car with auto-x tires. Ride, tramlining, wear and noise. There is absolutely no tire out there that will do what the PSS does both on the street and track.

Perfect - thanks Jay. It's pretty much a comfortable boat that occasionally might Auto-X instead of a luxury sports car turned track car like E30s and E36s sometimes end up.

[agent]

I had a set of Conti DW on my E39 and was happy with how they performed in spirited driving situations, including driving them pretty hard on the Tail of the Dragon for a weekend. They were also stellar in the wet - I'd go so far as to say confidence-inspiring. Admittedly I never AutoX'd it, though I got about 20k out of that set.

[Wh33lhop]

Yeah in your situation heeter I would probably just go PSS. A set of PSS in my sizing last I checked (225/245r17) was like $700ish, and the S04 was like $500ish before a mail in rebate. No brainer for me, I have other tires for fun and with my use tires tend not to last very long.

Also, I did wind up getting a couple hundred back on my PSS due to a road hazard and then mileage warranty claim (though I paid like $900 mounted and balanced through costco, yikes). The S04s don't have a mileage warranty but if you're switching to winter tires I'm not sure the PSS warranty holds for some dumb reason.

[rwh11385]

Yeah, two years ago PSS's were $198 each so ended up being just shy of $900 to my installer. (I thought they seemed a lot pricier last time...) I also ended up not getting road hazard and took a nail so that was another $230 w/ sh. And I didn't keep track of mileage... 20k total, probably 2/3-3/4 of that on summers? Oh well. Still happy at the end of it.

In comparison to what I paid last time, $161 seems like a bargain!

Good testing of S04 PP vs Conti DW vs PSS: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=148