Tire Time for E28 M5

My RR tire blew out on the highway the other day and I am very close to needed tires anyway, so it's time to get a new set. Currently, I'm running Kumho Ecsta MX in 225/50 16. I've had these for 2 years and 21k miles now and have been very pleased with their treadwear, although that's not much of a concern. I haven't put them on the track (my first driving school in this car will be this March) but have been impressed with their performance. My father has also run these on his E36 M3 and was pleased their performance on track. However, I would like to try something new. I bought the Falken Azenis RT615 when they first came out and ran them on my Volvo 245. I loved these tires at the autocross and was pleased with their street performance. However, we're talking about a car that has less than half the horsepower, is 400 lbs. lighter, and is running a 195/65 14 compared with the M5. Apples to oranges to say the least. I've been out of the tire grapevine for 2 years now but it seems the Falkens have lost their edge. Tires I'm considering are the Falken Azenis RT615, Kumho Ecsta MX, Dunlop Direzza Star Specs (which seem to be the hot ticket), and the new Kumho Ecsta XS (sure do look cool and I've been pleased with their product in the past). According to tirerack's website, the Dunlops weigh 4 lbs. more per tire than the Ecsta XS and that's a lot of rotational weight to push around. Other than that, the Dunlops seem to be the way to go. I'm concerned with the performance of the Falkens on the racetrack (as opposed to autocrossing) and while I've been pleased with the MXs, I believe they're outclassed here (just guessing, but they might be dropped sometime soon now that the XS has come out). I'm very intrigued by the XS, but at $7 more per tire than the Dunlops, I'd almost feel foolish being a guinea pig for them when everyone raves about the Dunlops. Thanks for any suggestions.

What about some r-comps for auto-x and some decent all-seasons for daily driving? It is added hassle, but i'm sure the M5 would be a hell of a lot of fun with the extra grip.

back to your question, the XSs look intriguing, but people are raving about the Dunlops. I'm sure either would be a great choice. Personally, I wouldn't worry about the weight difference, but that is just me. $7 or 4lbs extra is kind of a toss up to me.

R-comps are out of the question. Sure they'd be fun, but my car is no class winner and one of my primary objectives, in a street car, on the autocross course or race track is learning how it performs at the limit - which would be far different on race tires.

No, $28 is not an issue. My point was that the XS is not a cheap tire. It would be much more likely that I tested an unproven tire if it were priced like the Azenis or the MX.

As far as 4 lbs. per tire of additional weight is concerned, just about everyone tries to drop as much weight as possible in their wheel setup, being that it's rotational weight and has the greatest impact on driving dynamics. Most people are pretty excited when they trade their 17 lb. wheels for 13 pounders but often overlook tire weight. I'm no engineer but as far as rotational weight, it seems logical that the further away from center of rotation the weight is, the greater the effect. Dropping 4 lbs. per tire seems pretty substantial to me. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. Obviously it's not THAT important to me or I wouldn't be considering the Dunlops. It seems that their positive attributes might "outweigh" their weight issue.

btt

I don't think you will go wrong with either tire. Whether a tire in this category is a big success or not come down to 10th's of a second in autox. For what it sounds like you are doing, either of these tires will do everthing you need them to. I would personally go with the xs since you already know it's lighter. The difference in grip will not be enough that you will notice.

I also love my Kumho MXs. The Dunlop Star Spec looks like the same tread pattern as the MX. I'm tempted to try the Dunlop or the new Kumho when I'm ready for a new set of tires. I love how the MX communicates on track. Very easy to drive and feel the limits and over drive the limit. I just wish it had just a little more grip.

I switched to the Star Spec's at the beginning of the season awesome tire sticky as all get out and in the rain there the E36 M3!!I highly recommend them to any one the only draw back is the no 50 series sidewall if your running a 15" wheel.

btt