I am sick of my hard old R1's and am about to pry open my wallet. I'd like some
advice.
I have a Lotus Europa (1450-pound car) with 6 x 13 wheels. I am not planning
on cutting the wheelwells, so autocross-tire selection is limited. In the past,
I have used 185-60-13 tires from either BRG or Yoko. I drive the car very
little
on the street (300 miles a year or so) and I don't change the tires. All the
autocross sites in my area are asphalt. I do not do track events, so maybe
overheating is not a factor.
My choices seem to be:
Hoosier R3S03 185-60-13
This is the only tire I can get in 185. Hoosier is pretty gonzo about telling
us not to drive them on the street. Road hazards could be a problem for such
light tires, and I carry a AAA card instead of a spare tire. Combined with
the higher price, I need to give these a pass.
Yokohama A032R 175-60-13
I'm just not convinced that these are sticky enough to be competitive. I'm
willing to hear arguments. More expensive than the Kumho, but only 14 bucks
more. If I went this way, I imagine I would want the "S" rather than the "H"
compound.
Kuhmo ECSTA V700 175-60-13
These seem like the default choice. They are surely stickier than the Yokes.
I have heard some folks say that they are stickier than Hoosiers on asphalt.
Several sources say that the ECSTA V700 is not as good a tire as other Kumho
models, but I apparently have no choice, as this is the only Kumho tire I know
about that will fit the car.
I have some questions about heat cycling and shaving.
Heat cycling: This is a pretty tricky business, so maybe it's worth paying
Tire Rack to do this under their controlled circumstances. I am not convinced
it's necessary with such a light car, but...
Shaving: Kumho seems to think that shaving is necessary for autocross use,
but they may be thinking of heavier cars on concrete in the heat, not a Europa
on asphalt in Minnesota. I'd rather not mess with shaving (or pay for it),
but if you all believe the tires will cord in a heartbeat without it, I'd like
to hear about it.
Phil Ethier West Side Saint Paul Minnesota USA
1970 Lotus Europa 65/2597, 1992 Saturn SL2, 1993 Suburban, 1962 TR4 CT2846L
pethier@isd.net http://www.mnautox.com/ http://www.lotusowners.com
"Drifting is the synchronized swimming of auto competitions." -Gene Bennett
|