For the second time in 2010 EVO have published an excellent summer tire test. The first test, published in July concentrated on a RWD MX5 running 205/45 17 tires and was won by Continental with the ContiSportContact 3. In this tire test EVO have used a Renaultsport Megane 250 Cup wearing massive 235/35 r19 tires to test 9 ultra high performance / max performance tires.
Unlike a number of the German tire tests, EVO score by how the tire feel almost as much as the actual data results, with 40% of the scoring based on the subjective feel scoring. The most important of these subjective tests is steering feel, and this punishes tires like the new Bridgestone S001 which offered an excellent raw performance, but provided a somewhat numb driving experience.
The difference between the best and the worst tire was just 1.1 seconds in the dry, showing just how close the competition is. In the wet this gap extended to 8.5 seconds with the Continental winning (81.3 seconds) and the Kumho posting the slowest time (89.8).
The Results
Continental haven taken another win proving they're the brand to beat in 2010. The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric had a surprisingly strong 2nd place thanks to its excellent wet grip and positive feedback while the Pirelli P Zero K1 rounded out the top 3 thanks to an excellent performance, just let down by a poor aquaplaning score.
A strong all round performance, setting the standard in many tests. Strongest tire in the dry and performed very well in the wet. Excellent subjective steering feel.
Shadowing the 2nd place Goodyear in most of the test, the Pirelli has excellent handling in both the dry and wet and gives a surprisingly quiet and comfortable ride
Giving the fastest time in the dry handling test the Michelin is the sportiest tire of the group. Excellent steering feel makes this a tire for drivers
Slightly weak aquaplaning results and the sporty nature of the tire gives a slightly harsh ride