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| Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec | Reviewer's Overall Rating: 8.14 |
| ![]() Buy/More Info | |||
| Miles driven on tires: | 400 | |||
| Location: | Rowlett, Tx | |||
| Driving Condition: | Average | |||
Initial Review, 400 Miles on Tires I wanted to change from run-flats to standard tires, and at the same time, I wanted to increase the tire size and reduce the very harsh ride I was gettinging from the factory run flats. My BMW is a 2010 128i with the sport suspension and staggered 17" factory wheels(7" wide front, 7.5" wide rear). I also wanted a spare tire. So heres what I did. I went online and purchased two, new condition used, 7.5" facory wheels to replace the front 7" factory wheels($320.00). I used one front tire and wheel as the spare. I figured out how to strap the spare and jack kit down in the trunk but that's another story. I now have 7.5" wheels on both front and back. I had the Dunlop Star Spec 225/45/17 installed on the front, and Dunlop 245/45/17's installed on the rear. I was a bit concerned when I first started driving it in that it was so sensitive to the road, but after breaking them in with about 300 miles, I couldn't be happier. The harshness has been significantly reduced but it still has the traction and handling that you would expect from a performance vehicle/tire. It also looks FAT with these tires on it. I absolutly love it. I don't know how they will wear long term, but I will post again once I get about 10k miles on um. Oh, one more thing, with four people in it, you might experience a very,, very minor tire rub up in the fender well on the rear tires if you hit an aggressive dip. It's not very noticable,,, ever so slight. I experienced it once in 400 miles of driving. Not a concern for me. Could be more of a problem without a sport suspension. So if that's a concern for you, a 235/45/17 would probably totally eliminate that. Of course the trade off would be a slightly smaller tire. Hope this helps you. Read All Reviews for This Tire | Write a Review for This Tire | ||||












After a few break in miles, Project STR driver Chris Harvey joined the fun with the Windy City Miata Club to get an initial read on how the freshly installed OS Giken limited slip differential works. The competitors enjoyed great courses and lots of runs as they battled to reduce time throughout the day. Chris piloted the Project STR MX5 to the quickest time of the day for all Mazda's entered and 2nd overall for the event, just a few tenths behind a well prepped and driven BMW M3 running on ultra-grippy Hoosier autocross tires. 



At the National Tour event, rain was the story on day one, as the first two heats were run in soaked to just wet conditions. A drying course for our heat meant it would come down to the third and final run to get it done. Adding to the challenge was the sheer size of the course, lasting 75 seconds per run and covering the entire area normally devoted to two courses. Rogers struggled to find his rhythm in several of the four long slaloms on the course, slotting into the 16th spot out of 26 drivers. Harvey fared better, posting the 7th fastest time in the class, and the quickest for a 3rd gen Mazda MX-5 as the field tried to chase down the gaggle of Honda S2000s that lead the pack. Hot temperatures and high winds greeted our drivers on day two. In the end, our team wasn’t able to find enough speed to catch the leaders, with Harvey taking the 8th and final trophy spot and Rogers moving up one to 15th overall.









