mattkimsey

I was wondering how big of an impact tires can have on slalom speeds. For example, the EVO comes with Advan A048 tires which are almost a race tire($250) and they slalom 70mph+. If you put a tire like this on a 98+ fbody, how much could it help slalom speeds and handling in general. I cant find any back to back test with tires.

dailydriver

They make a world of difference. This is the point that the riceboy import crowd just does not understand. If the domestics (especially ours) came with tires that sticky (let alone great shock/spring/swaybar packages) we would be killing them in their "twisties" and magazine races. Now of course in a very tight autocross their shorter wheelbases and less overhang combined with tighter turning radiuses are going to give them the advantage, but an open road course is a different story. All of the above is assuming drivers of equal skill in their respective cars.

blackrat

Aye, I just saw the new STi at a car show. It's stock tires look like race tires and their treadwear is 140! Compare that to the stock rating of what, 280-300 for our tires. In fact, my tires (Nitto drags in back and road race in front) are 100, and they're considered r-compounds ( or so I've been told)

mattkimsey

Yeah, I was just reading a reveiw in one of the mags and it said the Advan A048 tires last on average 8,000 miles. Our braking 60-0 would probably go way down too, with a tire like that.