If you're looking for a good performing summer tire on a budget, take a look at the latest offering from Sumitomo. Their HTR Z III features an asymmetrical pattern that provides noticeable noise reduction when compared to the directional, previous generation HTR Z II.
While this tire may not be the top-ranked option in the Max Performance Summer category, it has one of the most attractive price points in the group. Developed for sports cars, sporty coupes and high performance sedans, the HTR Z III showcases Sumitomo's technical resources by providing high speed handling stability along with traction on dry and wet roads. The inside shoulder is linked by a continuous circumferential rib that enhances wear quality to help reduce noise throughout the tire's life, especially on vehicles with independent suspensions and alignment settings that specify negative camber. Straight and wide circumferential grooves along with long, sweeping lateral grooves evacuate water from under the tire's footprint to increase hydroplaning resistance and wet traction.
Through May 31, 2013, when you purchase a set of four Sumitomo HTR Z III tires you may be eligible to receive a $50 Tire Rack Prepaid MasterCard by mail. See special offer details here.
Looking to get rid of the empty space between the tire and fender arch? Many people think they need to use taller tires to fill the space, but the right way of doing this is with lowering springs. A well tuned set of lowering springs will make the car look better, handle better and unlike oversized tires, it will not make the speedometer, odometer and other systems overestimate vehicle speed and mileage.
The good folks from Eibach dropped by to visit us last week and reminded us of all the wonderful things they do. All Eibach springs, from the popular Pro-Kit springs for street cars, to the special titanium springs they make for the Bugatti Veyron, to the custom springs they manufacture for the premier professional racing series are built to the same standards of quality and durability.
If your car is a daily driver, the Eibach Pro-Kit Spring Set is one of the best options available. It gives a nice boost to performance without compromising ride quality. The lowering is usually between 1" and 1.5" depending on the application. This amount of lowering generally doesn't require any special alignment parts to be added in order to obtain a proper alignment. It's recommended to have an alignment done after the springs are installed.
View all Eibach products and choose the one that best fits your vehicle.
With it starting to feel a little more like spring, many people are starting to bring out their toys. By toys, I mean: RVs, campers, ATVs, boats, personal water craft and motorcycles. While Tire Rack doesn't carry motorcycle or ATV tires, we do have a line of trailer tires and even some options for RVs. If you're concerned about your old, cracked and weathered trailer tires, now is a good time to consider replacing them.
Why use trailer tires instead of normal passenger car tires on your trailer? Simple, trailer tires are produced with heavier-duty materials and are constructed to be tougher than your typical passenger vehicle tire. A trailer will also be more stable on tires specifically designed for trailer use. For more information, read "Trailer Tires vs. Passenger Vehicle Tires."
The two tires we carry that are specifically designed for trailer use are the Power King Towmax STR and Goodyear Marathon Radial.
The following sizes are available for the Power King Towmax STR:
The Goodyear Marathon Radial is made in the following sizes :
Be sure to check the condition of your trailer tires before head out on your first spring adventure. If you find you're in need of replacement tires, Tire Rack has you covered.
An easy and inexpensive way to increase the performance and handling of your vehicle is to add lowering springs. By lowering the vehicle's center of gravity, you can reduce body roll in the turns, dive under braking and squat during acceleration. Eibach offers two different kits, the Pro-Kit Spring Set for performance street use and the more aggressive Sportline Spring Set for autocross and track use.
A key to choosing the one best suited for your needs is the amount of drop the kit can provide. The lower the drop from the spring kit, the lower the center of gravity - which provides the best performance. However, the lower the spring kit drops, the stiffer the ride for everyday driving will become. It's important to choose the Eibach Spring Kit with the appropriate amount of drop for your driving needs.
Eibach's Pro-Kit Spring Set is designed to provide improved handling and improve the look of the vehicle. It's the perfect balance between performance and handling, while still maintaining the original ride quality of the vehicle. Eibach Pro-Kit Springs minimize the fender gap that makes a car look lifted. The Eibach Pro-Kit typically lowers the vehicle 1.00"-1.25" depending upon the application.
If you're looking for the ultimate in track performance, the Eibach Sportline Spring Kit will give your car a low, race-replica look. A radical reduction in wheel well gap and improved handling is achieved for serious track and autocross enthusiasts. The Sportline Kit provides a drop typically between 1.50"-2.00" depending upon the application. This kit is for someone willing to give up some ride quality in exchange for the best cornering grip and turn-in response.
Shop by vehicle to see if an Eibach kit is right for your application. Also, be sure to read "Altitude and Attitude Adjustment" for more information on properly lowering your vehicle.
2013 is a great year for enthusiasts of high performance cars looking for street tires that are trackable. This year we are excited to offer three new Extreme Performance Summer tires. These tires primary focus is going to be on extreme dry grip for spirited or competitive driving such as autocrossing. We can't wait to get a chance to test them at our facility this spring!
While we haven't had a chance to test the BFGoodrich g-Force Rival on our track, we did have the chance to drive on it at NOLA Motorsports Park near New Orleans and the feedback was very positive. The tire was very easy to drive on, had excellent responsiveness and is designed to wear very well over the course of a competitive event. It has the 200 UTQG treadwear rating that is required by many sanctioning bodies.
The next new tire for 2013 is the Dunlop Direzza ZII. This tire is replacing the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec. Compared to its predecessor, it's designed to have better responsiveness, as well as an improvement in wet and dry grip. Also offered with the 200 UTQG treadwear rating, the Direzza ZII is available in a variety of hard-to-find smaller sizes. Last fall, we tested a production-spec set of Direzza ZII tires against the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec and found that Dunlop hit the mark with this new offering as it was faster and more predictable in the dry and wet. For a complete recap of our test, read "Dunlop Direzza ZII Introductory Track Drive."
Bridgestone's Potenza RE-11A is replacing the previous model, the Potenza RE-11 in 10 sizes. This newer tire has an updated rubber compound designed to improve wet and dry traction. While sharing the same tread design, the Potenza RE-11A adds an exclusive tread compound that combines silica with a new long-link carbon black that increases road contact and abrasion resistance while promoting tread rubber flexibility across a range of cool to hot temperatures. The internal construction includes a custom asymmetric shape that helps distribute footprint pressure more evenly.
Are you a serious driving enthusiast looking for dry road response, traction, handling and high speed capabilities? If so, take a look at our Extreme Performance Summer tires and find the one that's right for your vehicle.
As spring turns the corner, you may find yourself looking to upgrade your vehicle's suspension. The snow is clearing and soon non-winter Tire & Wheel Packages will find their way back on performance vehicles across the country. If you have already upgraded your vehicle with a Tire & Wheel Package, or are simply looking to upgrade the handling characteristics of your car, we have the parts from KONI to help.
KONI's vast experience has earned them a worldwide reputation for being able to optimize their products for any specific application. And by focusing on high quality shock absorbers, the manufacturer's no-compromise philosophy results in superb product performance and enhanced car control.
In fact, KONI's suspension experts recognize that all vehicles have unique dampening needs, and rather than build one type of shock absorber, they utilize three technologies (twin tube hydraulic, mono-tube high pressure gas and twin-tube low pressure gas) from which they choose the best solutions. KONI shock absorbers are designed for a specific car and even its specific driving conditions. They aren't a copy of the original, but a tailor made design to get the best handling and ride characteristics from your vehicle.
Now is the perfect time to upgrade your vehicle's suspension as select KONI products are now 20% off until June 30, 2013. View special offer details here.
The snow is beginning to melt and the sun is starting to shine a bit longer each day. To most of the country, this marks the beginning of spring, however if you're a car enthusiast, it's the beginning of autocross and track season. Now is the time to remove the car cover and start planning for the race season ahead. With each race season comes a host of new track products and this year is no exception. We have three of the biggest names in the autocross and track tire market introducing new tires for the upcoming season. New this season are the BFGoodrich g-Force Rival, Dunlop Direzza ZII and Bridgestone Potenza RE-11A.
All of these tires are new to the Extreme Performance Summer category, which means they're intended to be streetable track tires. If you require a tire that has near R-compound performance, but need it to be durable enough to be driven to and from the track, the Extreme Performance Summer category is for you. For additional tire category information, view "Looking for the Best Autocross Tires?"
g-Force Rival tires feature a silica-infused compound molded into asymmetric tread designs that are performance-tuned to match tire width (265mm and narrower sizes feature a 3-rib design, while 275mm and wider sizes use a 4-rib pattern). Large, solid outboard tread blocks and BFGoodrich’s Extreme Tread Edge (ETE) shoulder design wrap the tread compound farther down the sidewalls for predictable feedback and maximum cornering grip from start to finish. Also, the g-Force Rival has just been approved for SCCA use!
Direzza ZII tires have a high-grip tread compound that's molded into a directional design with a continuous center rib flanked by massive shoulders that form a highly rigid tread delivering high levels of dry grip and handling. Two wide circumferential center grooves channel water through the center of the tread design while angled independent grooves help direct water to the sides of the footprint for improved wet traction.
Sharing the tread design of the popular Potenza RE-11, the Potenza RE-11A adds an exclusive tread compound that blends silica with a new long-link carbon black to increase road contact and abrasion resistance. An asymmetric tread design features Bridgestone's 3D Seamless Stealth technology that combines massive independent outboard shoulder blocks interlocked with notches in the circumferential intermediate rib to deliver lateral tread stiffness that's needed to enhance steering response and cornering traction.
To view our full range of track and autocross tires, shop by size and choose an option that best suits your specific vehicle needs.
Recently, I returned from a two-day training session at Bridgestone's Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Having grown up in the Midwest and driven through many winters, I thought I knew pretty much all I needed to know in terms of safe winter driving habits. Like anything else, there's always more to learn! Using several purpose-built tracks that have a variety of elevation changes and turns, the expert instructors put me through a variety of exercises in both front-wheel (using Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 tires) and all-wheel-drive vehicles (using Blizzak DM-V1 winter tires).
The Blizzak WS70 features Bridgestone's most aggressive Tube Multicell compound to offer the drivers of coupes, sedans, minivans and crossover vehicles the best ice traction. This fourth generation of Bridgestone WinterBiter tire is designed to deliver wintertime traction and control that inspires driver confidence. They were installed on the school's fleet of Lexus ES 350 sedans and proved to make the most of the car's front-wheel-drive system and lighter weight.
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1 tires use a Multicell Z compound that features microscopic bubbles and tubes to absorb the thin film of water that forms as tires run over packed snow and ice. Designed for pickups, crossovers and sport utility vehicles, the tire focuses on ice traction and braking, as well as wet road handling and hydroplaning resistance to provide winter tire driving competence. Installed on a Lexus GX 460, the Blizzak DM-V1 provided a real solid feel in cornering despite the vehicle's high center of gravity.
The intent was not only to highlight the enhanced traction that winter / snow tires provide, but also show us some basic, and often overlooked tools to make us better drivers in winter conditions. Of the multitude of exercises we performed, the key lesson I took away from the school was to always pay constant attention to availability of grip and modify your driving to utilize what grip you have to maximize braking and modulate speed. Too much of either can spell disaster when the grip disappears.
For more information on the Bridgestone Winter Driving School, read "Winter Driving Tips."
The Verde Parallax has been added to our lineup of aftermarket wheels for 2013. This wheel has an attractive, clean five-spoke design, with each spoke divided into two parallel spokes. All Verde Parallax wheels feature a machined face with black accents. The machined spokes are highlighted against the black background, making them the visual focus of the design.
Verde, established in 1981, has committed itself to excellence throughout the production process, from research and design through final production. This dedication has resulted in both ISO/TS16949 certification and recognition internationally via certification by the International Standards Organization. Their factory was built in 2002 as a fully integrated production line with R & D, tooling, casting, CNC machining, polishing, chrome plating, painting, packaging and warehouse logistics capabilities.
While this wheel is listed as new for the spring of 2013, there are already a few in stock. Pricing for the Parallax currently ranges between the $170 to $200*. The wheel is available in rim diameters of 19" and 20". You can shop by vehicle to view the offerings available for your car.
* Prices subject to change
2006 BMW X5 4.4i
2008 Pontiac G8 GT
