S2000: new OEM tyre vs. newer tyre

[NBRS2K]

Hi all, I'd like to tap the collective Pistonheads brain on this one. Any and all thoughts welcome!

I'm set to replace all 4 tyres on my unmodified 2009 Honda S2000. The tyres on the S2000 are model-specific Bridgestone Potenza RE050s.

My question is as follows: do I go for a new set of the OEM tyre OR a set of something else entirely?

On the one hand:

The Potenza was developed for/with the S2000. Handling characteristics were honed and finalised on this tyre. The OE Potenza is actually quite different from the normal "high-street" RE050, with a much sharper tread/sidewall angle and a very different tread pattern. Being an OE tyre in (relatively) little demand, this tyre comes at a premium, although this is a secondary concern.

On the other hand:

The OE Potenza was designed 10 years ago now - released with the 17" wheel on the facelifted S2000 in 2005. There have been huge strides in the industry regarding compound composition and tread design in the interim. Would a different tyre (e.g. the EVO tyre test winning Conti SportContact5) potentially offer a big leap in all-round performance on the car? I'm worried that a non-OE tyre will disturb the handling balance of the car and be something other than "as the factory intended".

What would the S2000's tyre engineer say today? "No, we developed a tyre for the car, use it"...or..."tyre tech has come a long way in a decade, go for the best, most modern tyre you can"

[johnS2000]

OK I'll bite

There are a lot of people that know a lot more than I do about tyre's but the obvious question is :

What do you use your car for ?

[NBRS2K]

johnS2000 said:

OK I'll bite

There are a lot of people that know a lot more than I do about tyre's but the obvious question is :

What do you use your car for ?

Thanks JohnS2000, well - road only. 80% town/20% motorway. No track work.

I generally drive in a...spirited...fashion...

[johnS2000]

Well I have an 09 as well and when I got to the change all 4 tyres stage went for Goodyear assymetric 2's as the ride is a bit more complient (softer) but there again I'm old .

The very best option (so I'm told) is Yokohama A08's but a tad expensive .

I too drive in a spirited fashion but always, always get stuck behind someone .

Also make sure ,if you go for original bridgestone ,that you get MZ's !!!! No Porche or Merc crap here!!!!

Edited by johnS2000 on Saturday 7th February 21:39

[NBRS2K]

johnS2000 said:

Well I have an 09 as well and when I got to the change all 4 tyres stage went for Goodyear assymetric 2's as the ride is a bit more complient (softer) but there again I'm old .

The very best option (so I'm told) is Yokohama A08's but a tad expensive .

I too drive in a spirited fashion but always, always get stuck behind someone .

I am indeed familiar with that problem!

Thanks, any idea why the Yokohama in particular? Is that in general or on the S2000?

I guess my question is not really "which tyre?" but whether sticking with the OE tyre is of any benefit considering its design age. It feels "right" to stay with it since that is the tyre the car left the factory with and I'm a stickler for originality...but I can't ignore a useful increase in grip/safety/wet weather performance just for the sake of staying OE.

If the consensus is that modern rubber is definitely better then which specific tyre to choose would be step two.

[johnS2000]

The ADo8 was considered to be the best compromise when using your car for track as well as road .
It was touted at the time of its introduction to give "unparrelled " grip on the track as well as lasting longer .

As I said , others know a lot more than I do but if you want to enjoy your car as I do then the assy 2's give a comfortable ride ,give a better wet grip than MZ's ,last as long and ,when I got mine where a tad cheaper if you went 10mm wider!!

[gdaybruce]

My 06 came with the Bridgestones although whether they were the S2000 specific version I have no idea. My friendly MOT tester spotted a little bit of damage on one of the rears so I changed both the rear tyres and went for Michelin Pilot Sport 3s, for exactly the reason suggested, i.e. a much more recent tyre with good reviews.

That was last year and while most of my use is on road, I did a track day last October in mixed wet and dry conditions and the grip from the back end was almost unshakeable. Conversely, it understeered through one corner in particular like a supermarket trolley! I've now just replaced the fronts with two more Michelins but I've not yet had chance to tell if there's much difference. However, I'm hoping for more balance and better turn in. I had thought the Bridgestones might have gone hard but looking at the date stamp on the side walls they were less than four years old so shouldn't have been too bad in that regard. Probably just a reflection of why it's not a good idea to mix tyre brands!

[51mes]

johnS2000 said:

Well I have an 09 as well and when I got to the change all 4 tyres stage went for Goodyear assymetric 2's as the ride is a bit more complient (softer) but there again I'm old .

The very best option (so I'm told) is Yokohama A08's but a tad expensive .

I too drive in a spirited fashion but always, always get stuck behind someone .

Also make sure ,if you go for original bridgestone ,that you get MZ's !!!! No Porche or Merc crap here!!!!

Edited by johnS2000 on Saturday 7th February 21:39

I've been running these for the past year on my S2K, the AS2's have been my favourite tyre for meany a year now and they suit the S perfectly - especially if you get the higher load rated ones as they give you a slightly stiffer sidewall.

My car is totally stock, and I've about 5-6mm of tread left after 8K miles...

Lots of extra Tyre info on the S2K forum...

51mes

[johnS2000]

51mes said:

I've been running these for the past year on my S2K, the AS2's have been my favourite tyre for meany a year now and they suit the S perfectly - especially if you get the higher load rated ones as they give you a slightly stiffer sidewall.

My car is totally stock, and I've about 5-6mm of tread left after 8K miles...

Lots of extra Tyre info on the S2K forum...

51mes

Note to self : make sure to get higher load rating next time .

Thanks for the prompt.

[havoc]

My additional question would be how much do you drive it in the wet - RE050's are probably still good / competitive in the dry, and have the stiff sidewalls that Hondas need, but Bridgestone have never been competitive in the wet.

(I'd still be tempted by Goodyear or Conti - whichever had stiffest sidewall)

[hookedonboost]

Hi Mate, from what I have picked up over the years on S2KI, the RE050 which is designed for our car gives a little more slide in the dry and was designed this way. Goodyear Eagle AM2 gives more grip in the wet and the dry but loses this slip which may or may not be an advantage to you. I stuck with the specific flavor of the RE050 when replacing as I quite like the exciting nature of them but of course the Goodyear would be safer but perhaps less thrilling in the summer on a dry day.

[NBRS2K]

Thanks for all the input chaps - a lot of good thinking here!

Didn't get a chance to call my tyre guy today for options/availability/prices - would potentially make the situation clearer.

Sounds like OE RE050s might have some distinct, but not necessarily welcome, characteristics. I've been happy with their performance in general and, if no other options existed, would be happy to re-purchase a set.

Keep sending your thoughts guys! You've been a real help so far )

[havoc]

As a PS to the above, I ran an '03 (on 16s) for 3 years. When the OE S02's wore out (hopeless in very wet conditions), I went for Toyo T1Rs instead. Squidgy sidewalls, but overpressured by 3-5 psi they worked 'satisfactorily' in terms of retaining most of the steering precision.

What they DID do (aside from giving me more wet-weather confidence) was introduce a little more 'notice' from the back-end - you felt the car loading-up more onto the softer sidewall (I suspect laterally deforming the sidewall a little) before it actually broke grip.

So, undesirable as this normally is, could mixed tyres front-and-rear be an answer? Stiff-sidewalled precise items for the front, 'softer' and more progressive animals on the rear...


The answer from the experts is probably 'no', but thought it worth mentioning...

[Riknos]

51mes said:

I've been running these for the past year on my S2K, the AS2's have been my favourite tyre for meany a year now and they suit the S perfectly - especially if you get the higher load rated ones as they give you a slightly stiffer sidewall.

My car is totally stock, and I've about 5-6mm of tread left after 8K miles...

Lots of extra Tyre info on the S2K forum...

51mes

What he said. Asym 2s but get the XL load ones with a stiffer side wall.

Great wet grip, really good price too!

[NBRS2K]

Lots of love for the Goodyear Assymetrics here it seems. Stiff sidewalls/higher load rating seem to be a desirable trait too.

I got contact details today for my local Bridgestone sales rep, so I'll try sound him out on this issue. Still need to get hold of my tyre guy too.

Will update as and when Thanks everyone!

[cava]

I've got an 06 S2000 with OEM tyres still, and I don't rate them at all. On my other car (E46 BMW) I always fit Goodyear F1 AS2s. The wet grip is amazing compared to anything else I've had. For an every day tyre, I think they're great. I'll go for a hoon in the BMW in any weather and still be able to get a shift on around the twisties. In the S2000 it's just not the case, the OEM tyres don't give me much confidence at all. Looking forward to trying something else!

Edited by cava on Thursday 12th February 23:22

[hookedonboost]

As someone else mentioned earlier on, perhaps stay with OEM Bridgestone up front for steering detail and AS2 on the back for grip. Even in the wet I have never had her understeer but I have had some unexpected over-steer moments that whilst fun not ideal. With the AS2 which I have used on other cars to great affect the wet weather grip might be a good shout. Might try the hybrid setup next time my rears are due a refresh and report back!

[NBRS2K]

Update:

Had a proper look at my front tyres yesterday and decided that this matter has become an emergency! We're still in the tail-end of the rainy season here and I'd prefer not to court any inurance controversy should the worst happen.

There is no stock of the MZ RE050 in this country, Bridgestone don't seem willing to source it. Honda would order them on my behalf from Japan but at GBP550 per tyre! Needless to
say, I declined their offer.

It's important to me to retain correct load ratings and that the front and rear tyres are matched. Not many tyres can provide that OE tyre combination, so the list seems quite short:

- Continental SportContact5
- Bridgestone S-001 (apparently replacement for RE050)

Similar pricing. The Contis won the EVO tyre group test last year, whilst the Bridgestone came last! (the margin wasn't great though...)

Thoughts welcome!