Last-minute "What tire??" question...17" size for the Abarth.

I knew the tires were going to need replacing down the line, was hoping to get thru this summer and deal with it next spring. But looking at the tread on the Yokohama S-Drives and the "exhilirating" drive in recent rain, that time may be now. ...and a track day at Mid Ohio June 12th is looming fast.

205/40-17 I believe is the standard size. I looked at Tire Rack a little before I left for work, they didn't have the Firestone Firehawk Indy500 things a friend just bought in my size, but 205/45-17 was a choice I think. Not that much taller right?

A few more autocross events this year, semi-skilled but mostly having fun, this track day and maybe an HDPE with the SCCA in August. Mostly summer daily driver...

What's the better choices out there? And would really like to stay under $120 or so if possible.

I didn't think the Indy 500's were all that great a few years ago on my street only Mustang. That was in the dry, in the wet they were kind of meh, on snow they might as well be made of glass.

I checked the stock size at Tirerack.com and those close out Riken Raptors, at $45 a tire, would be my choice. Because they have a decent customer score and the price is $45 a tire. My two cents with a product I've never used so I should probably shut up.

In the stock size, Tire Rack has RT615Ks for $109 each and RT615K+ for $120 each.

Dammit, browser ate my long response.

Short version, for the money I don't think you can do better than the Riken Raptor. I've had them twice and am very pleased.

I second the raptors, but only because I want to see how bargain rubber stacks up to the real sticky stuff. I've run the current Indy 500s, but not up to the limit, they have decent road manners and I'm not disappointed with the grip on twisty roads.

If I were buying a summer set today for a mostly street driven car, I'd go for Continental whatever the one that replaced DW is. If it rains when you're at Mid-O, you're going to want every traction advantage you can get.

I saw the Raptors as a choice, and the low $ actually scared me away, having never heard of them. Hm. Might think twice now.

215-40-17 also should work

those rikens are crap. IMO, at $45 a tire they are still about $50 a piece too much. The indy 500's were updated a year or so ago and are now the Bridgestone RE-003 everywhere else in the world.

What about a 215/40?

I'd suggest my go-to Comp2s but they are only available in a 205/45.

They make me giggle. I can only just barely get the ABS to activate in the rain, and only then if I do something dumb like try to make my ears fold over my face while cornering.

I used to have s.drives on the RX-7. They were....scary.

Knurled wrote: I used to have s.drives on the RX-7. They were....scary.

Let me guess...on the black Motegi wheels that I sold you from my old xB? (That you drove over at Nationals in '14?)

The Raptors aren't RE-71s by any means but they really aren't bad. On the Passat I drove them year round from pushing snow with the front bumper to flogging the Tail of the Dragon. They grip well and break away smoothly, they don't chunk or break out when pushed hard. They get noisy around 30,000 miles.

And their speed rating is good on a car governed to 130mph (on a track of course).

The new Conti Extreme's that everyone is raving about seems like the obvious choice (if available in your size.)

Looks like 205/45 for these, but I'd go with a taller, superior tire to something like those 500s.

KyAllroad wrote: The Raptors aren't RE-71s by any means but they really aren't bad. On the Passat I drove them year round from pushing snow with the front bumper to flogging the Tail of the Dragon. They grip well and break away smoothly, they don't chunk or break out when pushed hard. They get noisy around 30,000 miles. And their speed rating is good on a car governed to 130mph (on a track of course).

I had one set that chopped and corded in spots but full tread in others. Shook like hell. Saw a lot of them on customer's TL;s that were chopped to hell and loud as E36 M3.

Jerry wrote:

Knurled wrote: I used to have s.drives on the RX-7. They were....scary.

Let me guess...on the black Motegi wheels that I sold you from my old xB? (That you drove over at Nationals in '14?)

No, on the 15x6 BBS or something wheels that I had on my silver car.

Somewhere on the YouTubes is a video of me looping that car in the Hocking Hills area.

In reply to KyAllroad:

I just read the customer reviews. All were pretty good and a mixture of car types, many in the HP range of the Abarth. These might be the winners, especially for the price.