STR MX-5 Tire Test - No Sizes!: Feedback forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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June 23, 2011 1:00 a.m. Morrisg New Reader

Gee, guys, nice tire test on the STR class available tires in the latest issue, but nowhere did it say anything about the sizes tested. And this after Woody and Chris emphasized how much they liked the Direza Star Specs in the 245/40x17 size and how square to the pavement this size tire sat when tested on an autox course.

Maybe my brain is addled, I'll go back and re-read the GRM article and see if I can find the sizes again.

Or maybe I'll just go to the tire specs at tirerack.com and suss out the sizes using the weight and diameter info in the article. If this works, I'll repost with my findings.
June 23, 2011 1:46 a.m. Morrisg New Reader

Size appears to be 245/40x17 across the board on the tires tested.
June 23, 2011 7:28 a.m. ProDarwin Dork

Why was the test done with 245s instead of 255s? Because they work better than 255s on a 9" wheel? Because thats all the MX5 will fit? It was what's available?
June 23, 2011 9:52 a.m. Per Schroeder Technical Editor/Advertising Director

Yes, we tested the 245/40R17 as that's the fastest tire on the 9" wheel on an MX-5.

Per
June 23, 2011 10:04 a.m. Keith SuperDork

If you read some of the earlier MX5 tests, you'll see where that conclusion comes from.
June 23, 2011 11:05 a.m. ProDarwin Dork

So the 255s fit, but weren't as fast?

Sorry, didn't read any of the other tests, I'll have to dig them up. I'm going to need tires for my STR Underdog AP2 shortly.
June 23, 2011 11:16 a.m. Javelin SuperDork

Per Schroeder wrote:

Yes, we tested the 245/40R17 as that's the fastest tire on the 9" wheel on an MX-5.

Per

Not necessarily. The 245's were the fastest of that brand of tire. One of the other tires in the latest test could easily have been faster in a different size. Though I'm sure it's probably impossible to do a tire test on the same day where you have 2-3 different sizes of each of 5-8 different tires. Sure would make for some interesting reading though...