kyle242gt

Hi all - I have a stock C6 Z06 that I drive to/from/on track and not much else; just open track days, not competition, AX, or any sort of competition.

All stock other than DRM Billsteins, brakepads/fluid, tires/wheels.

Currently running 315/30R18 F 335/30R18 R Rival S 1.5. -1.0 front camber, -0.7 rear camber. Planning to go to -1.7/1.0 or -2.0/1.3 next, as I corded the outside front.

My wheels (18x11 + 18x13 Forgestar F14's) came bundeled with BFG Rival S 1.5 200TW. No complaints, but wondering if there's a better or cheaper alternative in 315/30R18. Will of course have to revisit for the rears, but they've got another three or four days left in them, I think.

At Tire Rack and Discount tire I see:
AZENIS RT615K+ $288
AZENIS RT660 $346
Tire Rack only:
G-FORCE RIVAL S 1.5 $377

I kind of like the idea of buying from Discount Tire, as they rebalance for free (or at least used to) and I have a local store that's treated me well. But saving a couple hundred bucks isn't worth the regret of picking a crummy tire.

Not sure if either of the Falkens bear consideration; saving money is great (particularly with the 615), but I ran 615's a lifetime ago on a Miata and recall them getting pretty greasy at the end of a session.

Thank you for any thoughts!

jw1

If you don't care about the time, then I would use the Rivals.

kyle242gt

Thank you

TimbrSS

Not a 200tw tire, (not sure if that was a hard requirement) but any other reason you're not considering Nitto NT01 as they come in those sizes?

kyle242gt

Fair question. The car is still relatively new to me. The Rivals were an upgrade from MPSS and worked really well. My inclination is to keep the 200tw rating to get better tire life, and since I've still got 200tw on the rear, I figure it's a good idea to keep that equal in the front.

wtb-z

Running the same fronts again seems like an easy choice. That said, I don't think the RT660 would pair that terribly with the Rival S. It kind of drives similarly, and has a similar working range in terms of tire temperatures. The 615 would not be such a good tire to pair - less grip, and a lot more on edge than the Rival S

ttx350z

One thing to keep in mind is that a lot of sanctioning bodies for competition use the 200TW rule for tires, which is why you see a lot of discussion on them. It’s a well known fact that there are 200TW (i.e. A052) tires that wear out like a 100TW. While others are known for having really long life (i.e. RS4).

Since you’re just doing non-competitive track days, a endurance focused tire would be better and more consistent combined with longevity.

The new Continental ExtremeContact Force is designed for trackdays and endurance event. Keep in mind that these and brand new and just released, so theres no reviews on them yet. But they sound like what you’re looking for.

acrace

Your local Discount Tire may be able to get tires that aren’t listed on their website. If you’ve gotten great service with them, I’d check with them.

kyle242gt

Thanks all! Looking at sizes across brands, I have a feeling the Rivals were picked because they came in both sizes. IE, the Contis recommended above come (more expensive, but endurance is nice) in 345/35, but not 335/30. I wonder how 345/35R18 compares to stock 325/30R19 and if they'd fit with my offset.

ttx350z

If they last twice as long as the Rivals (not unheard of with tires like the RS4) it’d be worth the slight price increase upfront. Obviously it would save on mounting expenses, if you dont have your own machine/homie hookup.

The 345/35R18 should be about 21mm taller than the 325/30R19, so you would need about 10.5mm more radial clearance. Not sure what your offset is.

kyle242gt

18x13 ET53 on the rear. I emailed the seller (PK Auto Design) who previously said a 345/30R18 would work... but when dealing with such widths, a small change in aspect ratio is serious business!

Canam

NTO1's. there is no substitute especially for the price.

kyle242gt

Thank you for the recommendation. Reading around, I've seen the Rival S 1.5 referred to as an AX tire, not suited to track use and abuse. I also get the idea it's kind of a cheater tire, IE might be 200, but really wears more like a 100. I'll look at the 01's, thank you!