You're favorite do-it-all/compromise tire?

I'll be putting a wheels/tires/suspension on the BRZ this spring/summer. The whole point of the car is to be able to drive to work, then on the weekend go to an Auto-X or a track day and not have to change anything (pads/tires/tune, etc.)

I'm not worried about winning in Auto-X (I'm not building the car for a particular class, just how I want to do it), so it doesn't necessarily have to be an RS-3 or DZ Star Spec, etc. Aside from being relatively grippy, they need to be able to handle a 20 minute session on track without chunking, etc. The car will have proper camber, alignment.

I'll be running 245 or 255/35/18 on the car.

Go ahead and stick with one of the bad boy tires, or maybe go for one of the Michelin/Pirelli's you typically see at OLOA?

pilot sport, and I'm not a Michelin guy by any stretch.

Go with an EPS tire, for your needs the only disadvantage vs. HPS/MPS etc. is that they'll wear down faster. I run Z1SS for a similar use although the mileage I drive is fairly low.

Specifically I'd look at Z2s or RS3s. Not Rivals, they're seriously autocross-focused tires that wouldn't be good in the wet, and their tread pattern means you can only do front-to-back rotations.

The best all around compromise tire I ever had.... Bridgestone RE960-AS

no longer available in the size for my All-Trac sedan

captdownshift wrote: pilot sport, and I'm not a Michelin guy by any stretch.

This, and I too dislike Michelin....but if you're asking us for a compromise, that's it. Personally, I vote that you should man up and get 2 sets of wheels/tires.

In reply to yamaha:

I couldn't agree more, I much prefer having 2 or even 3 sets of dedicated wheels/tires that excel in specific conditions then a single catchall set. I can spend less on excellent snow tires and track tires combined that on a single set of pilot sports.

Michelin Pilot Super Sport. Last summer I drove over 10,000 miles around the country including 8 track days on a set of them on my E46 M3. Still plenty of life left. I drove through the dry, the wet, the massively wet, and on sticky tracks (the Glen) and slippery tracks (CMP). Best all-around tire.

I run RS-3s on my "dedicated" track car. They don't handle the rain like the Super Sports.

No such thing. My favorite tire for DD'ing April through October is still in question at the moment, but it is certainly a 300ish tread summer-only compound. My favorite tire for November through March is Wintersport 4D. Favorite tire for track is Star Spec. Favorite tire for rallycross is whatever I can get cheap off a stage rally team.

If you car doesn't have at least 3 sets of wheels and tires, you're not having as much fun driving as you should be

I like the z2's they are quite good in the rain and cold unlike the RS3 which is greasy and terrible in the cold

Autocrossers call all season tires no season tires. I agree, most important part of a good car, mechanically speaking. Because they offered better traction than bias ply tires, tire company marketers advertised them all season.

I had Michelin PSS on My 1 series, the fronts chunked pretty badly. However, my car is pretty front heavy and I had a crap alignment. I have Direzzas on there now - much better tires on course and still very streetable. At full depth I found that they have plenty of rain traction.

+1 for Pilot Sports. Had them on a previous Miata and now on my current one. Never tracked them but they held up fine at Deal's Gap for repeated runs.

Hey guys, it's OK.

I don't need winter tires.

Z2s

Or Federal RS-R in 255/40-17. Dirt cheap, and good.

Typical GRM thread, half the people suggest exactly the opposite of what I want to do.

If I was going to have to sets of wheels and tires and switch back and forth just for track work, I'd just R-comps on them. That's point, I don't want to lug that stuff around, or change brake pads, etc.

There are no trophy girls at HPDE or Auto-X.

evildky wrote: I like the z2's they are quite good in the rain and cold unlike the RS3 which is greasy and terrible in the cold

Just received z2's today, install tomorrow. Have RS3 on the car now. Yeah, terrible and greasy in the cold and don't handle anything more than a light rain well at all. And when they get worn almost to the tread bar they get kinda squirrely. Found they will overcome the ESC and spin in the cold and wet. Over all, wasn't dissatisfied with them though. Hope the z2's are all they're touted to be as that's why I bought them.

I will also throw in the ring the next tire down the Hankook line, The V12 Evo's. Handle street well, even cold and rain. Not as sticky as the RS3 but a decent compromise. I autocrossed on them and thought they did pretty well for a compromise tire.

Second the extra set of rims idea. Have 2 sets of stock RX8 rims and 3 sets for the Miata. One set original hollow alloys, one set NA Daisies and one set Kosei light rims.

In reply to z31maniac: You should go to an event in the next closest region because my region has trophy girls.

I suggest Continental ExtremeContact DW tires. They're the best tires in the wet of any street tire and handle excellent. They are good on the autocross course, too. They're much cheaper than Michelin Pilot Super Sports, but are probably slower, too.

Very happy with my 225-45-16 Z2's,good grip,quiet and seem to be wearing really well despite the camber/toe settings.

I'd prefer them on 9" wheels but the 8's will do for the street.

For my old Focus ZX3 it was Pirelli P-Zero Nero M&S. Not the greatest at anything but good at everything.

Mr_Clutch42 wrote: I suggest Continental ExtremeContact DW tires. They're the best tires in the wet of any street tire and handle excellent.

I was going to suggest these as well. You give up a tiny bit over the top of the ST crop, but they are awesome in the wet.

After that, I'd be looking at Z2s.

The answer is not RS3.

Why do you want to run 18" wheel/tire on an FRS/BRZ that sees track/autocross? Why not stick with 17"s for lower cost, less unsprung weight, and better availability of tires? One thing I've really noticed with the FRS is with removing some unsprung weight off the car the quicker and more agile it becomes along with a better ride quality. Take even 2lbm from each corner and it's noticeable, and likewise add 2lbm per corner and it's noticeable.

That's why this is my tire/wheel choice:

205/45-17 on 17x7.5 with +40mm offset - makes the stock setup seem sluggish and clunky in comparison. She is extremely light yet stable on her feet (4+lbm less a corner, a lower CG with more grip than the Primacy HP's in every situation, and a slightly wider track all adds up...)

In any case, a highly regarded Max Performance category tire for best all around performance would be the ticket. A lot of FRS/BRZ guys seem happy with the Michelin PSS. I'm more than happy with the Kumho Sport LE's - actually like them much better than the Kumho XS they replaced because the Sport LE's perfectly suit the balance of the car in the chosen size and have phenomenal wet weather handling capability. I'm more of someone who buys a low cost performance tire with short life but still has great performance throughout it's life than a buy expensive Michelin tires guy.

I got ~20k mostly highway miles, and 5-6 track days out of Direzza Z1 on my Miata. In South FL, where it rains a lot, and they were good in the rain until the tread was nearly gone. Same deal as you - I used XP8 pads and didn't change anything, just check tire pressure and lug nut torque and head onto the track. I run the car with my dad, so it sees lots of track time per event.

Need to replace, but now the Miata is an extra car so maybe 5k miles to 10 track days. I'd be happy with the same performance again. Leaning Z2 but not yet decided.

z31maniac wrote: There are no trophy girls at HPDE or Auto-X.

Even if there were, I'm pretty sure getting action from the trophy girls is just a running joke among grassroots racers

It's true that RS3s are useless when cold...depending on how your commute is that may or may not be a problem.