Which is better Michelin Cups or Hoosier R6's? Are there any road racing slicks for 19' wheels?

 

I have had a few sets of Cups, good in the dry, terrible in the wet. Can be driven on the streets.

The R6 is the tire that I am going to try this year, I have heard that they are great in the dry and worse in the wet then the Cups. Cannot be driven on the streets.

As for true slicks, I haven't heard of anything for 19" wheels, only 18" wheels. Other R Comps available for the 19" wheels are the Toyo 888's and the Pirelli PZero Corsa.

 

The R6 is still a DOT tire and can "technically" still be driven on the street. The R6 is definitely a faster tire, but not much (maybe 1 second on a 2 minutes track). That being said, people who can push Cups to the limit tend to run more consistent low times with the R6.

 

Well said CarNerd.

I have been pushing R6's on many cars I have put together. Cup's and Corsa's have not been cutting it for a long time with some of the higher HP builds.

Also when you see a car with Hoosiers on it rolling around the streets, you know the guy isn't messing around.

Another thing is that Hoosiers are a lot cheaper.

 

IT Really depends on what is important to you. R6-grip (yes) durability (no) so always a trade off. if you can afford them and know how to drive its a good choice. If you are not up to that skill then it could be a bad choice. Check bob Woodman tires for slicks in 19 i don't thinks so, only 18's but you have to look into it.

 

Only R6 and MPSC in 19's. The MPSC are a better tire over the life of the tire. R6's can have plenty of tread left and suck real bad because they are heat cycled out. If you need that last second of fraction thereof, then get the R6's, but otherwise MPSC is the better choice, and even better is an NT-01 that will be almost the same down to the cord and are less expensive, but a little slower than the MPSC by about a second.

 

Corsa R's and Toyo R888 work well on the 997RS.

On the Corsa R you can also get a 325 rear which works well.

The Hoosier R6's are also available in the wider 325 size (standard 235 front) and work very well on the car. I found they were very consistent and lasted longer than the alternatives. Best tyre on the 997 without a doubt.

 

anyone try after track day , can we flip or rotate the Hoosier R6?

 

If you get your R6's pre heat cycled from Tire Rack (or anyone else that offers the service), then you get a TON more life out of them, PLUS they are good to go straight out of the box. I learned my lesson with my 440 RWHP Porsche 944 Turbo...

I bought them NON heat cycled first and got a few decent track days out of them but then they were trashed. I bought my next set pre heat cycled and boy what a difference!!! I got 4 times the life out of them, more consistent lap times, more overall grip etc, etc. The reason is that CORRECT heat cycling at the beginning of their life, creates specific bonds in the rubber compound and the compound has to reach very specific temperatures and be allowed to cool and cure for at least 24 hours before you use them again. If the initial break-in and heat cycling is not done correctly, the tire NEVER works correctly, will not grip, wears out very quickly etc. Here is the authoritative link to the Hoosier "care and feeding" of R6 and A6 tires.

http://hoosiertire.com/Tctips.htm

Here's an article on how to read tire temperatures and what to do about it (very good, concise article)
http://www.theracersgroup.com/news/show.php?id=372


I did occasionally run them on the street (NOT recommended though) and I eventually got 3,000 miles out of them (including track days), but there are serious downsides and dangers to running them on the street.

1. They never really heat up to their correct operating temperature on the street.
2. Not puncture resistant like a street tire needs to be. A guy that ran a Viper on the Virginia City Hillclimb (public road) hit some small pieces of gravel, punctured an R4/5/6 and he and his passenger died when he crashed and went down a mountainside.
3. Absolutely HIDEOUSLY dangerous in the wet.. really, trust me.. I got caught in a rainstorm on the 280 Freeway here in the Sf Bay Area and could only go 34 miles per hour.. at 35 mph, I hydroplaned so badly I was terrified and started sweating bullets.. Little old ladies in mid 80's Volvos were meantime zipping by me at 65 mph... ZERO control at 35 mph.


For the track, if you are really at the top of your game, are actually fast and need the extra traction without resorting to slicks, the R6's are fantastic... Great feedback and breakaway warning, superb traction, zero squirm, dependable grip over the life of the tire as long as you REALLY pay attention to tire pressures and temperatures. 1 - 2 psi can make a HUGE difference with these tires.. I can feel it when one tire has got slightly too hot/overworked and the pressure goes up by 2 psi.

Hope that helps...