From the Top Gear video, the host comments about how it WAS the best car he drove all year, but took that comment back. He referred to an issue with the 8 on wet roads. Has anyone experienced this?

 

the way it drives on wet pavement has to do with the tires. I bought the Goodyear F1's because it rains half of the time in FL.

 

So how do the stock tires perform on wet roads?

 

The comment was to do with the tires, not the car...

 

you do have to drive the car easier when it rains, i can light up the tires with the traction on without trying in the rain

 

With my F1 tires I don't bother slowing down in rain unless the water level is several inches high.

 

From what I've read, the OEM Bridgestone Potenza RE040 tires don't do well in the wet on any car, not just the RX-8. But I believe the OEM Dunlop Sport 8090 tires are better in the wet.

 

I have the Dunlop's and have had no problems in the rain and I don't have DSC.

 

If I simply just accelerate and corner hard from a traffic light into a turn in rainy conditions, I can feel the rear end slipping a little, with traction control on. That's with the Dunlops.

 

Doesn't every RX-8 have DSC?

 

i'm not sure whats going on here, are dunlop sport 8090's the stock tire for 16" wheels?

as far as the RE040's, they really only work on dry road, purpose built for summer. Absolutely useless in winter. I dunno about rain, as Ive never pushed it in the wet

 

Do the S03 PP work well in the rain?

 

As mentioned, the comment made on Top Gear about wet handling was referring to the potenza's RE040's and not the car itself. About a half year after initial release, Mazda began fitting "some" cars with Dunlops 8090's but it seems that it is hit or miss whether you end up with the bridgestones or dunlops.

The REO40's have good traction on dry pavement, but iffy in the wet and not good at all in the snow (comments posted by members up north confirm the above). It seems the dunlops are a better all around tire with probably less "road noise" and possibly better tire wear, but may lag a step or two with respect to dry traction.

 

The base model does not have DSC. It does have traction control, though.

 

I drove my car home in the rain. I was happy with the traction of the Potenzas in the wet. I have to admit that I haven't used other tires on this car, and it outhandles anything else that I have owned. I have the rear end slip in water when I was on the gas, but I have not felt the front slip. I just attributed it to a little too much lead coming out of a turn ;-)

 

shazusa sez:

"The base model does not have DSC. It does have traction control, though."

Ummm... not to be mean about it or anything, but check it out; no traction control or DSC on the base model.

 

I stand corrected. I think I confused myself with the limited-slip differential--not that they are the same, but just that traction control was also included on the base model.

My sport model has a DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) off switch, but I thought I remembered something in my owner's manual about a TCS switching (Traction Control System, or something like that) for models without DSC. I guess I assumed from that, that maybe the base model had TCS without DSC.

Oh well!

 

I've got the Dunlops also, and the car has been great in the rain.

 

Mine has Dunlops and I've had the traction control activate in the rain, but the wet limits seemed reasonable.

 

When it rains I just don't drive too fast.

 

I have the OEM Potenza's and I have not had any problems in the rain. It was raining hard in Dallas today when I went to work and I was driving 75 mph and the tires have 17,700 miles on them and car was completely stable.

 

I've driven in light rain and it's completely fine. Then I drove it in heavy rain and on the freeway certain sections were horribly twitchy. I could feel the steering wheel jerk a lot. But yeah that was only in certain parts and in quite heavy rain. (Hardest I've seen it rain in southern California for quite some time). Not sure what tires I have and I have DSC on.

 

I've got the Dunlops and had a good scare yesterday. I've been driving all-wheel drive Subarus(not WRX's...Outback 6 and SVX) for last 5 years now and last rear wheel drive car I had was 21 years ago. I was just changing lanes in the rain and gave it a little too much gas in 3rd and my "baby" broke loose. I recovered ok(not counting the tachycardia) but the poor lady behind me gave me a little more room. I am going to find me a big empty parking lot soon and get reaqquainted with rear wheel drive. I have the base model without DSC and wondered if that would have helped in that situation.

 

I attempted to swing wide around a puddle so as not to dirty my baby, and another car was pulling up. To get away from the other car I gave a little extra gas (this was in first gear). Well I ended up in part of the puddle anyway and the back end stepped out. I have DSC, which kicked in and straightened the car out "right quick!"

 

I haven't had much of a problem with the Potenzas but then again, since I live in So Cal, I won't have a lot of chances to test it out in the rain.