Honda S2000 Demonstrates Differences Between Old and New Tires
It’s hard to fathom just how far tire technology has come in four years. Until you see this Honda S2000 in action.
Years ago, technology didn’t change all that fast. If you bought, say, a new computer, you were probably good for a few years. But these days, technology evolves at an incredibly rapid pace. This is true in the automotive industry, where cars built just a few years ago pack display screens with graphics that look straight out of an 8-bit video game. This is also true of tires, which have evolved tremendously in just the last couple of years. To demonstrate those advancements, Speed Academy recently conducted a little scientific test on their very own Honda S2000.
Their Honda S2000 build, dubbed “BADASS2000,” is currently wearing a set of four-year old Hankook RS3s. And they were already hanging out at Toronto Motorsports Park for a huge Honda S2000 meet recently. Which, of course, involved making a bunch of hot laps. The crew managed a best lap time of 1:21.5 on the old tires. And as they were thinking of ways to shave some time off, new tires seemed like a surefire way to do it.
Thus, they “borrowed” a set of new Yokohama ADVAN A052 200 UTQG, the latest and greatest in performance street rubber, to find out. It’s pretty evident from the in-car “before” hot laps that the old tires have long lost their stickiness. But the new tires are wider, despite carrying the same size rating. And their tread pattern is much more aggressive and advanced, with a better compound to boot.
None of that means much if it doesn’t translate to faster lap times, of course. And the Honda S2000 delivers with a much better feel right off the bat. That seat-of-the-pants feel also carries over to a much improved 1:19.1 lap time. So if you’re stuck on the same old results (and the same old tires), maybe it’s time for some new rubber!
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