Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta - looks cool, but any good?

Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta - looks cool, but any good?

Author
Discussion

HJMS123

988 posts

132 months

Tuesday 3rd June 2014
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Silverbullet767 said:
May have just been a manufacturing issue with mine, but this happened to two of mine a few years ago, both had around 3mm left and both failed on the inner edge, Car was an Audi A6 quattro 3.0TDi

Vredestein customer service didn't want to know. I'll never buy them again!

A colleague had this happen to both rear tyres on his cupra R a few weeks apart, used these for years religiously on his e46 m3 but couldn't risk it again.

Silverbullet767

10,680 posts

205 months

Tuesday 3rd June 2014
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HJMS123 said:
A colleague had this happen to both rear tyres on his cupra R a few weeks apart, used these for years religiously on his e46 m3 but couldn't risk it again.
Not an isolated case then, I wish I took down the manufacture date. I bet it was a bad batch.

Fastdruid

8,623 posts

151 months

Tuesday 3rd June 2014
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Another vote for them. Running them on a Mazda 6 MPS (which came with ditchfinders on) and made a world of difference to handling (helped too by fitting a different size to the awkward OEM).

HJMS123

988 posts

132 months

Tuesday 3rd June 2014
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Silverbullet767 said:
Not an isolated case then, I wish I took down the manufacture date. I bet it was a bad batch.
Doesn't look like it. One was very similar to yours and one exploded completely. Both on the inner side as well .... although he still recommends them to people he just couldn't risk it happening again so put OEM Bridgestones on.

SwankBaton

763 posts

171 months

Tuesday 3rd June 2014
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Had them on my Z4M , Better than Conti Sport M3, didnt like the performance as much as Pilot Sport 2 (this was in 2007).

scarecrow

2,950 posts

234 months

Tuesday 3rd June 2014
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I had two sets on my E39 M5. Excellent tyre in dry, wet or snow. Even good on track!
Now have them on the wifes Jag and will use on future cars.

I fail to see any advantage in going for a more expensive brand over these. I always used to go for to range Michelins or Yokohama's but will not bother any more.

Not only excellent value for money but damned good as well.

8bit

4,846 posts

154 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
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HJMS123 said:
Silverbullet767 said:
Not an isolated case then, I wish I took down the manufacture date. I bet it was a bad batch.
Doesn't look like it. One was very similar to yours and one exploded completely. Both on the inner side as well .... although he still recommends them to people he just couldn't risk it happening again so put OEM Bridgestones on.
I'm sure if you spent a bit of time on Google you'd probably uncover similar stories of most brands of tyre.

CO2000

3,177 posts

208 months

Wednesday 4th June 2014
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8bit said:
HJMS123 said:
Silverbullet767 said:
Not an isolated case then, I wish I took down the manufacture date. I bet it was a bad batch.
Doesn't look like it. One was very similar to yours and one exploded completely. Both on the inner side as well .... although he still recommends them to people he just couldn't risk it happening again so put OEM Bridgestones on.
I'm sure if you spent a bit of time on Google you'd probably uncover similar stories of most brands of tyre.
Or anything ever made or created!

g3org3y

Original Poster:

20,606 posts

190 months

Friday 11th July 2014
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Have been running these for a couple of thousand miles so thought it worth doing an update.

Overall, very impressed tbh. As expected, a notable deterioration in ride comfort (going from 16s to 17s) and more tendency to tramlining. Also some more road noise especially at motorway speed. However, turn in is much sharper as is overall lateral grip. Tyres feel very very planted in the dry, you can really push on them. Rears quite progressive. Yesterday drove in absolutely torrential rain on the A13, plenty of standing water. Tyres were exceptional. Very very impressed so far. I'll be interested to see how they wear.

Recommended. yes

g3org3y

Original Poster:

20,606 posts

190 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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Update:

The rears are now on the limit so will be replaced. Lasted 25k which I think is pretty decent. I've been very impressed with the performance though they are a bit noisy. £56 each seems good value to me so I'll be buying the same again. smile

ZX10R NIN

27,494 posts

124 months

Saturday 28th May 2016
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I have them on all my cars & can't fault them I always fit them their dry & wet grip is always predictable when reaching the limit.

Dodsy

7,172 posts

226 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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Cant get them in my size any more so tried their replacement Vorti's but not impressed , now move on to continental sc2's which are rather good , better the the ultracs

GrumpyTwig

3,354 posts

156 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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Dodsy said:
Cant get them in my size any more so tried their replacement Vorti's but not impressed , now move on to continental sc2's which are rather good , better the the ultracs
Been working through a set of Vortis for a while now, mostly pretty good but I find they lack out and out grip and don't quite handle 340ftlbs and 300hp through front wheels, tending towards power understeer :\

Might look at the new Michelin PS4s next but the other problem with the Vortis is they seem to last so long....

8bit

4,846 posts

154 months

Monday 30th May 2016
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Dodsy said:
Cant get them in my size any more so tried their replacement Vorti's but not impressed , now move on to continental sc2's which are rather good , better the the ultracs
Interesting, my rear Sessantas will need replaced in a few months' time, I was going to go for the Vortis. Which car are you talking about here?

GrumpyTwig said:
Been working through a set of Vortis for a while now, mostly pretty good but I find they lack out and out grip and don't quite handle 340ftlbs and 300hp through front wheels, tending towards power understeer :\
That's a lot of power and torque through the front wheels, particularly if you're steering at the same time. I'd be tending to think you were pushing the limit of the chassis rather than the tyres personally.

Dodsy

7,172 posts

226 months

Monday 30th May 2016
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8bit said:
Dodsy said:
Cant get them in my size any more so tried their replacement Vorti's but not impressed , now move on to continental sc2's which are rather good , better the the ultracs
Interesting, my rear Sessantas will need replaced in a few months' time, I was going to go for the Vortis. Which car are you talking about here?

GrumpyTwig said:
Been working through a set of Vortis for a while now, mostly pretty good but I find they lack out and out grip and don't quite handle 340ftlbs and 300hp through front wheels, tending towards power understeer :\
That's a lot of power and torque through the front wheels, particularly if you're steering at the same time. I'd be tending to think you were pushing the limit of the chassis rather than the tyres personally.
Jag XJR 400bhp to the rear wheels

GrumpyTwig

3,354 posts

156 months

Monday 30th May 2016
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Nanook said:
GrumpyTwig said:
Been working through a set of Vortis for a while now, mostly pretty good but I find they lack out and out grip and don't quite handle 340ftlbs and 300hp through front wheels, tending towards power understeer :\

Might look at the new Michelin PS4s next but the other problem with the Vortis is they seem to last so long....
My Vortis (245 on the back, 225 on the front) are dealing with my RWD 300bhp just fine.

Do you have a helical/viscous/clutch pack differential on there? 300bhp through the front wheels is going to tend to understeer pretty much regardless of what tyre you use I'd think.
It's a torson/helical diff on the Meganes, maybe it is just at the limit of what fwd and normal road tyres can handle (comparing it to rwd it's inevitable under weight transfer/steering conditions they handle more) though I'm sure they should/could be more progressive they do seem to just let go which is maybe why it feels a bit dramatic to me.
Like I say it's a good tyre still, and don't regret having them.

8bit

4,846 posts

154 months

Monday 30th May 2016
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Dodsy said:
Jag XJR 400bhp to the rear wheels
Interesting to know, thanks. What was it about the Vortis that you disliked?