Thanks for the picture. I am buying these same tires to replace my current 15+ year-old tires (based on the DOT tire stamp). I need to put more miles on the 03; having these all-season tires provides the option of driving on cold clear winter days.
Alternate front tires sizes: 235/40-17 and 205/40-17
- Thread starter Big McLargeHuge
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Thanks for the picture. I am buying these same tires to replace my current 15+ year-old tires (based on the DOT tire stamp). I need to put more miles on the 03; having these all-season tires provides the option of driving on cold clear winter days.
Exactly! Yesterday morning here in Ohio it was low 30’s but a gorgeous day. I took my NSX to visit a friend an hour away in rural Indiana. If I had summer tires I would have had to take a different car.
If ambient temperatures drop to near- or below-freezing, driving or rolling a vehicle equipped with summer performance tires risks the possibility of tread compound cracking. Tread compound cracking is a permanent condition that requires the tires to be replaced. https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=273
BTW, it was really the first time I’ve driven the car with the AS4 tires- and they seem great. If they are good enough for std equip on the C8 Corvette, I figured they’d be a good choice for our cars.
Wow... No idea how I missed this. Looks like you picked up Indy 500s. I had those on my BMW and really like them too. Sidewall a bit soft, grip is great, and quite inexpensive.
In regards to the VR1 vs Z3. I've only had the Z1 and Z2. Haven't tried the Z3 but I assume it's just better off the same. The Z1/2 always felt like a great track tire to me at the expense of road comfort and noise. Sidewall pretty stiff. I do like the Maxxis VR-1 better because it's the goldilocks spot for the driving I do. It was even super fun and consistent at the track. I'd say the Z3 might edge it out a tiny tiny bit in overall grip but longevity was good, communication was good, heat tolerance was good, and the drive back home was comfortable. I'd only swap to a different brand if the PS4S came in our sizes or if I decided to go 235/40/17, which has been looming over me lately. VR-1 does not come in a 235 like the RC-1 does. Maxxis dominate, and I mean dominate the high performance mountain bike world so I'm very familiar with the brand which may seem new to car folks.
I remember the Indy 500 got a bit greasy quickly at high temps but no complaints from me as an aggressive street tire. Really great value for performance. The Japanese version is a Bridgestone and highly rated in Japan.
Btw... Those Advan offsets are PERFECT for the NSX IMO. I miss the fitment from my Advan RS's in the exact same size.
Thanks for the detailed review. I love the Indy 500's so far but just have one mountain drive and some highway in them. I still might do the VR-1's next time, I'm hoping these last longer than 8k miles.
As my first summer tire I don't have other experience to compare with, but I didn't realize how absolutely trash my old all-seasons were from when I got the car. Right before I swapped wheels/tires they made a constant thumping noise, above 70 MPH it sounded like my tire was about to blow out, and it made my steering wheel vibrate on certain road types and had horrible ride quality. As soon as I put on the 500's it was like a whole new car, felt like driving on a grippy cloud. Not something you normally hear with aggressive tires but that's how bad the old ones were.
I was lucky to find a set of the RGIII's in the US otherwise I'd be waiting until July to get them. Joe G. on FB (forgot his name here) posted about his in hyper black and helped me out with the specs.
As my first summer tire I don't have other experience to compare with, but I didn't realize how absolutely trash my old all-seasons were from when I got the car. Right before I swapped wheels/tires they made a constant thumping noise, above 70 MPH it sounded like my tire was about to blow out, and it made my steering wheel vibrate on certain road types and had horrible ride quality. As soon as I put on the 500's it was like a whole new car, felt like driving on a grippy cloud. Not something you normally hear with aggressive tires but that's how bad the old ones were.
I was lucky to find a set of the RGIII's in the US otherwise I'd be waiting until July to get them. Joe G. on FB (forgot his name here) posted about his in hyper black and helped me out with the specs.
Interesting discussion on the C8 OEM Run Flat version of the tire at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhrUe7j4FVw; jump to 21:25 of the video.
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If this interests you, and you want a further 'peek behind the curtain' of tire development and what goes into making these Michelin tires, especially the bespoke versions for a given car, check out my article that talks about my interactions working with Michelin developing tires for Fords like the Ford GT, GT350, and GT500:
https://motoiq.com/not-all-michelin...may look the same,compounding for a given car.
Billy
Agreed. I am very pleased with the AS4 tires as well.
A plethora of details; thanks for sharing.
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