I only have the $600 to go one route, so i would like to know what you guys think will be best performance-wise.

I have about $600 to play with and I was planning on having s-techs installed and the car aligned. BUT I just realized my current summer tires are on their way out quick (Azenis rt-615), and it will be about $600 alone for a new set of performance summer tires.

I do have a brand new set of the ContiExtreme DWS, which are great tires, but all-seasons nonetheless.

So, since I will be tracking the car at Watkins Glen in July, I want to know if I am better off dropping her w the springs and mounting the fresh all seasons, or holding off on the springs and making sure I run a dedicated summer tire, especially for the track.

 

This would be my choice

 

thanks. Any other input? Maybe I should've named the thread

"stock w/ Summer tires" v. "lowered w/ all-season tires"

 

What I would do and this comes from my first experience at the track, is to invest in a solid set of sway bars and decent summer tires. Lowering the car with stock sways is not the best idea. I noticed a huge improvement just by installing the sway bars and reducing body roll at the track. I think you will be very happy with them and they will only run you about $300 for a set of progress tech bars. Install is cake as well.

 

Lowering will not help your handling significantly. It is for reducing high speed drag and looks. A.S. tires will wear significantly on the track. If you are in competition for time, you will be slow.
Get the summer tires.

 

Yeah I had intended to add sway bars no matter what set-up I went with

And I am starting to see where this is going... Thanks so much everyone... And always open for more opinions!

 

My 8 has the sport suspension with Enkei GF1 18x7.5 wheels and Kuhmo SPT's. I've tracked it 6 times, and aligned once. I've got a set of Tein s springs, but I'm going to put my Handkook k110's on first, and get realigned to what I think will get it closer to neutral handling: front camber -1.6, rear camber -1.0, and zero toe all around. If I can't dial out that front understeer, I'll then put on the springs with rear first. It was only on the 4th track day that I got to the limit enough to read that I could improve handling by alignment or suspension changes. Go for summer tires first.

 

An alignment that gets you a good amount of negative camber and reducing the toe will significantly increase the tire life of whatever tire you end up using in a track situation. Don't skip it.

 

i've had collective input from multiple forums, and decided against the springs. I am fully aware of the rx-8's stock suspension capabilities, but was less informed on how all-seasons would do on the track. And since this will be the first time i track a car, I wasnt sure what setup would be the better performer. Im gonna buy a nice set of summer tires, set of beefier sway bars, and put the DWS (AWESOME all-season tires in case you were wondering) for winter/off-season.

Thanks for the input everyone...now onto finding the right set of tires...

 

I just installed hankook ventus v12's on my car the other day. Nice tires but pretty soft feeling, they handle great and havent really broke loose, but i havent really tested them yet. They are $137 for 245/40/18 on tirerack. The tires I think you should take a close look at are.

1. Dunlop Direzza Star Spec
2. Kuhmo Ecsta SPT's
3. Hankook Ventus v12's

If you want the best then grab some Michelin PS2's or PS3's. No not the sony game systems

 

tires

 

yea i was really diggin the SPT's, the Nitto NT05, and possibly the azenis 615 again, but as the story goes, i went yet another route and am looking to buy the fn01r-c's with the ventus k104s that are in the f/s section for the same price as a set of new tires.

I think i'll put my conti DWS's on for a little while till the funds build back up and save whats left on my azenis's's's's for track day...

 

star specs are where it's at. great value.