Given
86%
while driving a
Skoda Fabia vRS
(215/40 R17) on
a combination of roads
for 3
spirited miles
As I do allot of track days, I have decided to use these as my "summer" tires, as the reviews have been positive, even in rain, which some track tires massively struggle in ....
My car is set up for track, brakes, suspension, roll bars ect upgraded... last trackday the tires were the weakest area, ...
Firstly on the road.... the dry grip is phenomenal.... On the public road I couldn find the limit , as I would be going WAY too fast ....
In the wet, suprisingly good, I was expecting worse... they cut rivers on motorways at 70 mph without issue, and handle in the wet pretty much like my mid range maxxis Z'1 did (which i rate as a good tire!) so no problem there, big relief as these will be my day to day tires!
turn in is sharp, they have a very stiff sidewall, it sharpens up the steering response.
They are noisey... if your car is a motorway cruiser all day for your job, these are not for you! if you value fuel economy they are not for you, I have lost 5mpg since fitting them over my winter tires! however, as a day to day summer tire on the road (for someone like me who doesn't mind the noise or fuel economy) I am impressed..
On the track! my first track session on them was Castle coomb, a track I have driven twice before in this car, so can compair :)
conditions were damp to dry, in my car the tires dont need heating up (my car generates allot of heat in the tires with the brakes and diff ect ) however others have said they need heating a bit to get the best, they are quite a hard compound I think... Turn in is awesome, there is a distinct lack of roll on the sidewalls, and ultimate grip was massively UP on the previous times... I could brake later, and carry MUCH more speed round the corners... as I went quicker, they didnt overheat and go wobbly as road tires tend to , they held together well, the tread didn't roll over, and didn't seem to take much wear .... (5 mill at my cars last service!) and thats after about 3,000 miles, so I'm very happy with that!
in summary , a track tire that doesn't offer much compromise on other track tires, yet can be used every day on the road, is reasonably priced, and wears reasonably well! I have found my summer tire of choice, and they will be tested on a whole day at blyton park soon! and several more track days in the summer, If they survive all that , i will definatly be buying again!