El Kabong

Just got a new '04 (see sig), and hope to autocross it regularly, wife willing. June 5th should be my fourth event ever, and my first in the rx8, so I'm pretty new. I'd like to stay in B stock (was running in G stock in a 4-dr integra, street tires), and don't want to spend too much yet.

Think I'm gonna run the Potenzas that came on the car the next couple of times.

After that? I'd like to get a set of autox rims/tires. Looks like they'll be 18x8's, because 17's would put me out of stock class, and 16's wouldn't fit anyhow, from what I have read. Don't care much how they look, just light,cheap,and hopefully not un-strong. Maybe Enkei RPM2's or similar.

I don't want to spend a fortune on autox tires, since I'm gonna be pretty hard on them the first few times out, until I get to know the car better.

Suggestions? Tire-wise, rim-wise, or other-wise?

Any thoughts on ADR or RSL rims?

Would eventually like V710's, but suggestions for an intermediate tire? Anybody like the dunlop super sports?

-Thanks for your input

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

I would advise you not to show up dressed like this:




:D

takahashi

I will use the stock rim for semislick *or autox tires... our stock rim is pretty light and I can curb it with feeling ouch, you see.

I am looking for following options but don't know much about them.

Potenza RE55S
Potenza RE560S
Dunlop DZ02G
Yokohama A048

I also find the Advan Neova is a very good all round street tire but they are not in Australia yet They are in US! Good for you :o

El Kabong

Well, my bandanna and mask are flameproof, but yes, the guitar would be a safety hazard.

ULLLOSE

iTrader: (1)

I think OE take offs will be the cheapest wheels you can find.. If not check TireRack, they have some stuff that fits the 8 for around $170.00 ea... For a tire to start on, for street tire class look at the Kumho Ecsta MX in 245-40-18. For heads up BS if you are not ready for the V710 the Ecsta V700, 265-35-18, will last a long time and still give you great performance.

clyde

I agree with ULLOSE on the wheels. I'd try to find another set of OE wheels THey come up pretty frequently on the for sale forum here, but they usually come in waves. If you can hold out for a little while, you should be able to get a great deal.

If availability wasn't an issue, I don't see any reason to go with the Ecsta V700s over the 710s. Price is similar, but the 710 will last a really long time too (a full season of local events on asphalt shouldn't be a problem) and it's faster. But, of course, it ain't available right now. If only doing a few events the rest of the year, though, I'd also seriously consider the Hoosier A3S04. The closeout pricing from TireRack makes for a compelling argument. As disappointing as the S04s were, would they have been so dissapointing if they had come from Tire Brand X and cost what TireRack is charging for them now? (Especially on a car like the RX-8 which isn't going to cord them in 20 runs?) I don't know.

El Kabong

Thanks for the tip about the OEM wheels. For price:performance ratio, that's probably what I'll go with.

In the mean time, does anyone out there have much experience with the BFG g-force TA KDW's? Those get great reviews from Tire Rack.

Hmm, I'll have to check out the pricing on the Hoosiers.

ULLLOSE

iTrader: (1)

All the BFG KD tires are great. However for the money the Kumho MX is a way better value. Other option is the Falken.

clyde

Hankook R-S2 might be worth looking at too in street tires.

CRX Millennium

iTrader: (1)

I'm in the similar situation, an autox beginner, who have had 5 events under the belt with RX-8. Before then, just mostly on-and-off affairs with 4000lb VW Passat station wagon V6 and 2000lb Honda CRX SI. So driving my 1st RWD competitively has been adventurous, since I have lost track the number of times I spun out at autox with DSC/TCS off.

With that being said, I have done probably way too much research than I should concerning tires for just a beginner like myself. Here is the quick summary:

Street Tire
Falken RT-615, Kumho ECSTA MX, and Hankook RS2 Z212 are the popular choices with SCCA-pro crowds running in Street Touring class. From what I have read, MX & Z212 like to run "hot", while Falken prefers "cold", similar to its predecessor, RT-215. Hot/cold is dependent of slip angle vs grip. Furthermore, the cold tires tend to work best on lightweight cars, notwithstanding our RX-8. Andy Hollis, a multi-National champ, runs Z212 and gave it high praise. Another good and economical choice is Falken GRB Fk451 shaved, down to 4/32nd probably. Personally, I would go with Z212 once sizing expands. The only size that is even close at this point is 225/40/18.

Racing Tire
Without a doubt, Kumho V710 is the most sought-after tire among top talents. While there are many other pretenders such as Hoosier A3S04, Kumho V700, and Kumho Victoracer, none comes close to the price/performance level of V710. The bargain Dunlop Super Sport is viable for local-only, since it is not offered in enough size under SCCA guideline.

As for the OEM Dunlop Bridgestone RE040 out on autox, it can be put to shame by even Ultra High Performance All-Season, such as Pirelli PZero Nero M+S. For BFG KDW2, the common review is great grip though noise-ridden. I have also omitted Bridgestone S02/S03 and Goodyear F1 GSD3 for reasons of cost. The new Toyo T1-S replacement, T1-R, is probably not the ideal autox tire at this point due to increased weight/high cost.

I'm sure there are much experienced autoxers who can share their wisdom with us newbies.

tuj

The closeout pricing on the Hoosiers only lasted like one day. At least that's what my rep at tirerack said; they flew out the door. I'd say do several events on the stock tires to get a feel for the limits and behavior of the car, then look at upgrading tires. The Dunlop Super Sport race are about the cheapest r-compounds you can get and they will last quite a long time, much longer than Kuhmo's or Hoosiers, but they do not have the same level of performance. Everything happens faster with an r-compound tire, so its important to understand how to drive them, how to avoid locking them, etc, otherwise they will just cover-up bad habbits and may get corded faster (Hoosiers). If you can get within a few seconds of the guys on r-compounds in your class on the stock tires, you'll be ready for r-compounds.

CRX Millennium

iTrader: (1)

As far as the liquidation sale on Hoosier A3S04 went, the only suitable size that was on sale was 245/40/18 for $158. 275/35/18 was still at ~$250. Thought long & hard about pulling the trigger, but decided not to due to the widely reported cording problem. Majority of racers running A3S04 all made reference to having ample tread but cording on the sidewall.

The point of R-compound covering up bad driving and artificially boosting one's confidence level is duly noted. Additionally, the potential risk of locking up the slicks and causing "flatspot" can make the tire investment really expensive.

Visit http://www.sccaforums.com/forums/ for insightful discussions on autox. No amount of tire is equivalent to quality seat time. Consider signing up for http://www.autocross.com/evolution/ for the best instruction in the sport.

Icemastr

My recommendation is to drive this whole season on the stock tires, or if you upgrade, just upgrade to stickier street tires. R compound tires hide novice mistakes as the higher grip threshold will allow you to mess up more and still be quicker, however it is my opinion that a beginner run 10-15 events on street tires to see how they like the sport and learn how to drive and have other people drive/ride with them in their car to fix your mistakes. Then if you really enjoy this sport, get a set of stock rims and mount Kumho V710s on all 4 corners, get adjustable shocks, have a race alignment done and have fun. There is no comparison of R-compounds to street tires so if you want to be competitive in your class you gotta run them.

Dark8

Or you can "Just say no!" to R compounds and run STU. Just know that the STI and EVO also run in STU.....

mx5racer

I had the BFG's on my Corvette and then traded to the Kuhmo MX because of price.
The MX is not as good of a tire but worked well.

On the Miata I have the Falkens I think these are the best street/race tire compromise. I would wait to get new rims and change the stock tires to either
Falkens or Kuhmo and just run for awhile -having to trade wheels is a pain and
much of your time driving skills anyway. The other benefit is you get a car on the street that is the same as the track so you know its limits.

Cant wait to try out my 8 on the track