Ultra High Performance Tire Review

DaMve Pankew & PASMAG STAFF // Photos by Dave Pankew & Mike Gazda Installs & Reviews

Every year we load up the coolers, round up our stable of PAS Magazine project cars and book a full track day at nearby Toronto Motorsports Park and call it a “work day.” Although it’s guaranteed to be a great time, an editorial event like this really requires loads of logistics and planning to make it go off flawlessly. Editorial staff Mark “Brazilionaire” Pereira and Dave “Hollywood” Pankew got the wheels in motion months beforehand placing the call out to a few gracious tire company contacts, as we planned this issue’s annual PAS Tire Review on a real race track. Notice, I didn’t say tire comparison, but rather a day long test at maximum speeds along with our full impressions on the street too.

In order to ensure this process went smoothly, we enlisted the help of our friends at Toyota Canada, who lent us a 2009 Toyota Tundra TRD Package to reliably haul our dozens of wheels and tires around in style. We dropped off all the goods with the experts at Wheels Direct (www.wheels-direct.com), who hooked up the professional mounting, balancing and installation of all our wheels and tires for the track event. The supportive and generous Wheels Direct staff earned major props for doing such a great job and even staying open after hours for us, as we frantically worked all night in preparation for our Annual Performance Tire Review.

Speaking of supportive partners, wheel manufacturer TSW (www.tsw.com) really stepped up and sponsored our track event, supplying all of the high performance wheels used in our evaluation review. TSW has a strong history of manufacturing top-quality premium wheels for enthusiasts and with the high speeds and torture testing we had in store for these tires… we really needed to go with a brand that delivers good looks and great performance on or off the track. TSW certainly came through and we can’t thank them enough for outfitting our test cars. To check out some of the wheels we used or other available applications for your specific ride, visit www.tsw.com

For our Annual Performance Tire Review, we aimed to test a few ultra high performance street tire submissions evaluated on our on-going STS turbocharged project 350Z (Z33). Our hardcore track prepped Project Skyline GT-R (R32) was selected to evaluate a more extreme performance tire with a lower wear rating, meaning they would grip harder in the process of wearing faster. Four companies (BF Goodrich, Dunlop, Marangoni and Toyo) stepped to the forefront and were willing to have their tires put on our project cars and reviewed under serious loads. We also opened up track time to our other PAS project cars, industry partners and freelancers so we could all enjoy a full day out of our offices and shops. These cars had current rubber underneath them, giving us a chance to gain impressions side-by-side and set up a few fierce battles on the track.

Toronto Motorsports Park is a 3.0km track with no elevation changes. There are two fast straights and lots of tight turns including an exciting chicane. The track surface is nice and wide allowing areas for passing and all kinds of performance maneuvers to allow us to review our tires. We could run the track clockwise, counter and perform all kinds of acceleration, braking and cornering tests on the wide open straights.

A relatively new player on the North American scene, Marangoni is a product of fine, high quality Italian craftsmanship. Much like other Italian brands, Marangoni prides itself on admirable attention detail, and it shows. Like every Italian product you can tell it doesn’t have the mass-produced feel you might find with mainstream brands. Even without a proper scale on hand, we noted the high quality built Mythos was just slightly above the average tire weight in our OEM sized lineup being evaluated. Don’t let its increased weight fool you, as it shouldn’t alarm buyers since the Marangoni Mythos is superbly stiff in the corners and offers highly stable performance, which is only accomplished with more premium quality belting. The Marangoni Mythos offers quiet road manners and provides sure foot grip performance on the dry track. Around town it doesn’t transmit much of the road imperfections into the cabin and deals with potholes quite admirable in our experience. Although we were unfamiliar with the Marangoni brand, all of our staff were pleasantly surprised with the overall solid performance, value and class quality of the Marangoni Mythos. Overall, the Marangoni Mythos is a highly suggested, quality-made UHP tire option well worth a closer look, plus it’s available in a range of most popular OEM sizes.

Nissan 350Z Turbo

Our powerful “Project 350Z” has had many upgrades done to it, but the mission has always been the same… to build it as a serious high horsepower street car that can still handle the odd day on the track. Since the Z33 is now STS turbo powered, it’s boosted 400+whp can be a handful to hook up with so much torque thrown down on the rear wheels. Since the Z is used primarily for the street, it retains its OEM suspension (for now) as the drive remains OEM stiff, yet civil and predictable. The evaluation criteria for our three tire brands (BF Goodrcih, Dunlop and Marangoni) on this car were not only performance and handling, but we considered comfort features like road noise, long life and wet traction too. The tires would have to have a relatively forgiving sidewall and be able to deal with double duty of the crumbling city streets and the odd track day event. This real-world driving experience was a true test of a great UHP tire for enthusiasts seeking a high performance street tire capable of delivering real grip, real comfort and real value. Let’s show and tell how each of these three brands were evaluated on our Editor-in-Chief, Mark Pereira’s screamin' Z.

Nissan Skyline GT-R

For the past two years, our “Project GT-R” has popped up in many tech articles when the need arises to have a project car test products to extremes on a race track. At almost 600whp, Editorial Director Dave Pankew has proven his relatively lightweight (3,170lbs) Nissan R32 GT-R is an AWD menace on the track and eclipses the power-to-weight ratio of many pricey exotics. With TEIN Flex coilovers, every available AMS suspension arm and fat Cusco sway bars, there is not a track this GT-R can’t make a meal of. But then again the ability of this car to generate extreme g-forces in every direction devours tires. The tire selection for this car has to be a large contact patch, an optimal heat range and super stiff, yet lightweight construction. The GT-R is legally plated but doesn’t see much of the street… but the tires still have to be DOT compliant and deal with wet roads and the nuances of driving around city streets once and a while.

BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW
www.bfgoodrichtires.com / www.bfgoodrichtires.ca

300-AA-A
Made in USA
235/40R18 & 265/35R18
Y-Speed Rated (186 mph or 300 km/h)

PROS: Quiet and comfortable road manners along with a brilliant balance of wet and dry traction with long lasting tire life.

CONS: It is the oldest design of the tires we reviewed… but still remains a benchmark for all UHP tires to target

Highlights:

• g-Control sidewall inserts designed to resist deflection for high-speed cornering

• Uni-directional racing-influenced tread design

• Deep, wide grooves to help speed water evacuation and reduce hydroplaning

• Large CAD-designed tread elements for maximum contact

• Over 80 available sizes from 15-inches to 24-inches

VERDICT: An exceptionally well-rounded and proven Ultra high performance summer tire that works hard, yet begs to be pushed much harder and loves it!

Although the BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW is not a brand new tire design by any stretch, it’s tough to improve upon one of the best UHP tires on the market. BFGoodrich has relied on this unique, instantly recognizable and very aggressive KDW (Key feature, Dry and Wet traction) tread pattern for a number of years, as they pushed themselves well past the competition. Highly acclaimed by many loyal tuners, the BFGoodrich g-Force KDW continues to serve as a benchmark target for all UHP tires and delivers great performance and enhanced stability. With extremely large and rounded shoulder blocks, its design seems reminiscent of tribal flames and ensures the BFGoodrich g-Force KDW provides terrific driver feedback and predictable communication as it reaches its grip limitations. The g-Force KDW boasts solid dry grip traction and well above average wet traction performance. The Y-speed rated tire is plenty fast and proven on drift circuits around the world including the Canadian DMCC series where BFGoodrich leads the tire manufacturers’ points challenge! With smooth operation, predictable high performance and no tendencies to wander or allow road imperfections to bother the driver, the BFGoodrich g-Force KDW is simply first class. On top of all that, it will last longer than most tires designed to perform like it. Yup… we really do like this tire and highly recommend it for your mod list.

Marangoni Mythos
http://www.marangonicanada.com/

280-AA-A
Made in Italy
235/40R18 & 265/35R18
Y-Speed Rated (186 mph or 300 km/h)

PROS: Excellent dry traction, very high quality design and impressive sporty handling

CONS: Just slightly above average tire weight… but heavily built to be stable at high speeds and deliver superbly stiff cornering

Highlights:

• Directional Tread Design with central ribs and four wide longitudinal grooves

• Adaptive Sidewall Stiffness Control technology for balance of ride and handling

• Multi-level optimization of the tread block sequence to maximum contact patch

• Filler Optimized Mixture - Improved Compound technology for superior adhesion

• Performance, Safety, Technology technological platform for lasting performance

• Rim Protector technology to prevent curbing

VERDICT: A remarkably responsive and competitive UHP tire that performs outstandingly well in wet and dry conditions, but needs to be marketed more heavily among enthusiasts... so start spreading the word people!

A relatively new player on the North American scene, Marangoni is a product of fine, high quality Italian craftsmanship. Much like other Italian brands, Marangoni prides itself on admirable attention detail, and it shows. Like every Italian product you can tell it doesn’t have the mass-produced feel you might find with mainstream brands. Even without a proper scale on hand, we noted the high quality built Mythos was just slightly above the average tire weight in our OEM sized lineup being evaluated. Don’t let its increased weight fool you, as it shouldn’t alarm buyers since the Marangoni Mythos is superbly stiff in the corners and offers highly stable performance, which is only accomplished with more premium quality belting. The Marangoni Mythos offers quiet road manners and provides sure foot grip performance on the dry track. Around town it doesn’t transmit much of the road imperfections into the cabin and deals with potholes quite admirable in our experience. Although we were unfamiliar with the Marangoni brand, all of our staff were pleasantly surprised with the overall solid performance, value and class quality of the Marangoni Mythos. Overall, the Marangoni Mythos is a highly suggested, quality-made UHP tire option well worth a closer look, plus it’s available in a range of most popular OEM sizes.

Dunlop SP Sport MAXX GT
www.dunloptires.com

240-AA-A
Made in Germany
235/40R18 & 255/35R18
Y-Speed Rated (186 mph or 300 km/h)

PROS: Outstanding and highly responsive road handling and high-speed stability

CONS: Average wet traction performance… but impressive durability and overall smooth performance, with minimal road noise

Highlights:

• DuPont Kevlar reinforced lower sidewalls: enhances road feedback and driving precision

• Touch Technology: provides enhanced communication between driver and road for precise steering response

• Multi-Radius Tread Technology: delivers superb dry handling while maintaining wet handling

• Asymmetric Tread Design: enhances dry cornering while maintaining superb wet traction

• Unique Bead Fit System: enhances force transmission between tire and wheel for superb driver feedback

• Jointless Band Technology: maintains the tire’s shape and enables smooth performance at highway speeds

• Max Flange Shield: protects wheels from curb damage

VERDICT: With Dunlop’s engineering and racing heritage, you really can’t go wrong after selecting the proper tire from their impressive lineup

There are so many Dunlop performance tires on the market, it is nearly impossible to get a handle on them all. We’ll be honest, we haven’t even tried them all, but choice is a good thing and kudos to Dunlop for offering consumers such a diverse performance line-up. Although the Dunlop Direzzas might seem the most aggressive, Dunlop decided to submit the Dunlop SP Sport MAXX GT for this evaluation. Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT tires are designed to offer outstanding driver feedback and responsive handling via a highly refined carbon black tread compound technology from Dunlop Motorsport molded into an asymmetric tread design. With high water evacuation grooves and very non-descript appearing shoulder blocks, one might wonder how this tire performs considering its somewhat subtle design cues. Well, the Dunlop SP Sport MAXX GT is a quiet, durable and predictable performance tire geared towards delivering an outstanding luxury-sport ride under almost any conditions (except snow). At high speeds, this tire truly shines thanks to its unique bead designed to enhance high-speed capability and ride quality. The Dunlop SP Sport MAXX GT performed great and is an ideal choice on any luxury / sport vehicle when it comes to finding a forgiving, consistent and overall balanced ultra high performance tire.

Toyo Proxes R1R
www.toyotires.com

140-AA-A
Made in Japan
265/35R18
W-Speed Rated (168 mph or 270 km/h)

PROS: The tread pattern and the overall performance

CONS: Nothing! But buyers may opt for something else in the Toyo lineup before the more expensive R1R

We first saw the R1R at Drift Mania event in the summer of 2008. There were stacks of them in the Toyo pit and we quizzed driver Hideki Nishimura about them. He said they were from Japan not yet released for North America but since he had seen the tire in Japan, he wanted to run them in competition here. With an aggressive tread pattern, this tire sleeves in somewhere between the R888 competition tire and the ultra high-performance T1R. Since the T1R is getting older, the new R1R is slated to offer performance cars more grip than in previous years. A quiet tire (certainly compared to the drone of R888s Y-speed) we felt it was similar to the T1R for noise, making it suitable for a sport car.