I am considering purchasing racing tires for use when autocrossing. Any recommendations?? I would prefer tires that would hold up to about 15 miles of driving each way to race site so I could put them on at home. New rims are needed also of course. Should I go with stock rims or are there others I should consider to use with race tires or every day s-02's??. From my conversations with other autocrossers it sounds like tires will make the most difference while still staying in stock class. Any advice will be most appreciated.

 

Kumho Victoracers will definitely get you there and back. And if it's only 15 miles, a few people have assured me that it's even okay to drive Hoosiers on the street for moderate distances.

As for wheels, I don't think that there's much that matches the stock S2000 wheel specs. The only real alternative to the stock wheels for stock class are the Japanese stock wheels. They are forged and lighter, but expensive and from what I have heard, difficult/slow to get. You could get alternate wheels for everyday use instead. Check Tirerack.com for options.

 

Any word on When or If Kumho will start offering the Escta V700's in the proper size for the S2000?

 

The Ecsta 205s and 225s are better, ratio-wise at least, than the Victoracer's 225s and 245s (the Ecstas have a larger difference in width than the Victoracers). Whether the slight difference in width is a detriment is open for testing as is whether the Ecstas actually work better.

I doubt that we'll see another size in the 16" range...

 

Check out the For Sale board. You can usually find someone who has changed wheels and is looking to sell the OEM wheels.

Randy

 

Thanks for the advice, everyone!

 

I purchased an extra set of OEMs and mounted a set of Kumho Victoracers (225 F / 245 R). I thought I was going to have to get a stiffer front sway bar, to balance out the handling, but I think it is perfect the way it is. I had a tremendous amount of oversteer with the OEM S02s (while autocrossing), but the Kumho's seem much more nuetral. They are also more forgiving than the S02s at the limit. I have found that it isn't just an increase in total grip. I can make the car do things now, that I would not even think about with S02s.

 

Thanks for the info. Someone had posted that I should stick with stock sizes 205/225 unless upgrading the front sway bar. Also, Tirerack suggested Michelin Pilot sport cup as alternative to Victoracers. Anyone have any experience with these??

 

The Victoracers work better for autocross, and will fit your needs perfectly. The Michelins are a fun and long-lasting tire most suited to the track.

The Kumhos don't come in a 205 in 16", so 225/245 is the way to go. Driving style can compensate much for a vehicular imbalance, but you would be well served by a larger front sway bar. You can drive the car for a while with the stock bar, it's a good lesson in dealing with oversteer. Then put on the bigger front bar, and you will find yourself with car that is not only more drivable, but faster.

Another option that some claim to have success with but that I don't particularly recommend is to run 265's in the rear.

Have fun!

 

Has anyone considered using the Ecsta V700 205s for the front and Victoracer V700 245s for the rear? I wonder if the characteristics are so different that you just really wouldn't want to do this...