I am sick of paying $600 per rear tire (Michelin PS2's in 305/30/19), and am reading more and more good things about the new Bridgestone Potenza RE-11's, which:
1.) are available
2.) cost a lot less than the PS2's

Now, I've sworn by the Michelin's for ages, but with the extra power of the SC, I am going through rears faster than ever, and would love to save a few bucks if I can, as long as it's not sacrificing too much.

Please share any feedback you have.
Thanks!
CATTMAN

 

John......Honestly I've never been a fan of the PS2 sidewall-to-base tire design, as they just wear too fast. (no matter what the inflation). The one major item I have always liked about Michelin is the turn-in repsonse........ with that being said, we have had the RE01Rs on my wifes Z3 and I'll most likely change over to the RE-11s when my S02's on the 997 go. (And I'm comparing this on good spirited mountain drives and/or AutoX where no-doubt the tire is being pushed hard)

The turn-in response is not quite like the Michelins, but, I like their (Bridgestone's) handling. They will "just" not break loose.........and while the 01Rs are not 11's (the 11's are the next gen of 01r's), they last a good while, hold the road VERY nicely.

Long story short, I see RE11's in my future.

 

John,

Another option that I started doing to save money was buying slightly used tires from Ebay. I bought a full set of PS2's with about 80% wear left for about $500 and similar set for my M3 for about $300. Got the idea from Mobonic and Gomez who track regularly and dont want to buy new tires every month.

Just an idea,

Jason

 

Have you thought about the HANKOOK Ventus V12 or the NITTO INVO?

 

Looks like I'll go for the RE-11's later this month, but not until I wear the last bits of my PS2's off with PSM OFF! Too much with 530hp

Now, what about mixing fronts/ rears? My front PS2's still have plenty left in them, would it be terrible to have them in front and the RE-11's in the rear?
CATTMAN

 

Only complaint I had about my RE-11s were they were a little loud and grab a bit depending on how bad your roads are. As far as performance, just as good as PS2's! I'm in the market for tires right now and these are on my list with triple 8's.

EDIT: Just looked on tirerack and they didn't have anything wider than 275's for 18's!

 

The RE11 are not N-rated and are heavier than the excellent RE050A N1. Note that the new RE050A N1 are considered superior to the older N0.

 

So the RE050A is supposed to be a better tire?? i see its 140 treadwear which is a nice happy medium for track street.. The weight is 1lb lighter in rear, 3lbs up front.. Saving 8lbs rotational on the outermost point is great.. The tread design looks less aggressive the RE50 and its not EXTREME performance like the Re070 that looks discontinued... any input would be great.. Im researching all i can right now as the dunlop POS i have right now are not cutting it for track days..

MIke

 

I'm in the market for new tires and I really do want to try the RE-11's since I hear great stuff about them.

For a RWD car, how much does the front rotational mass make a difference?

 

put the RE-11's on last week and so far love 'em. The car came with RE050A's and later switched to PS2's. I preferred the PS2's. spoke to a few people who i trust and they said the RE-11 offer better dry grip than the ps2's and are as good in the wet. So far, my limited experience would agree. they also seem quieter and a better ride.

Give em a try. whats the worst that can happen? you burn thru them and get something else.

 

Would Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position be an option at all? I know it's an All-Season tire, but the ratings are very comparable (at least on tirerack.com user ratings).

 

There is a pretty big divide between the 960 and re-11. The re-11 is a cheater tire designed to fit into an scca touring class as a direct competitor to the direzza. It has the advantage of being a tire that you can drive to the track, and then not have it fade after a lap. The 960 is more of a oem tire. This year in Solo street touring, the tires to beat will be the re-11, khumo ecsta XS and the direzza. In many regards, it surprises me that these competition tires are so refined for the road, but I guess that is where tire technology is!

 

Toyota r888 and ra1 are r-comp tires you can drive to and from the track. They are more suited to the track than re11's

 

Thanks, John! If not tracking, would you feel the 960 is still fit for spirited road driving? Really appreciate your feedback!
cheers,

 

Sorry, I have only read reviews on the 960 and have no direct experience with them. They are attractive by price and like most modern tires, are very good in most scenarios. The re050 would be the next higher on the performance list, and from my experiences, have no draw-backs. I have never tracked the 050, but they are good for autoX and don't kill the outer tread blocks like the PS2.
I can't say that I love my PS2s, just because they are hairy at the limit. And they cost way too much for my impoverished pockets!
The RE-11s are more narrowly focused than both of those above. As MDRUMs correctly alluded to above, the tires he mentioned are more "trackable", which conversely makes them lousy street tires and marginal AutoX tires. Mostly due to heat profiles. Tires like the RE-11 are designed for AutoX (specifically a stock-tire class with wear above 150), which allows them to heat up in a single 50 second run and perform at max capabilities for several more minutes before getting greasy. "track" tires cannot heat quickly enough for street usage and will perform worse that a typical "street" tire.(just like racing brakes) The RE-11 makes less sense when they are going to go up against Hoosiers at the track.
What I find so attractive about the RE-11s, is that they have been found to have few, if any, compromises for the street. One has to wonder why they make the 050 at all!! I will be getting a set for my car when these PS2s are toast. I have an Evo school up in Devons, MA in a few weeks and plan to destroy the Michelins!