Recommended Tyres

[monkeymagic]

Help,

I keep getting told that my S2 tourer should as standard should have Bridgestone Potenza RE040 tyres that have been specially designed for the Lotus, but no one seems to be able to tell me exactly what makes these specifically designed!

I was looking to get some straight replacements as i might be getting rid of it soon. Are they the standard 225/45/17 or should i be looking for a specific spec on top of this???

Can anyone help??


thanks

[Davey S1]

Sorry mate no idea.

Try posting in the technical section on SELOC

[dannylt]

Buy from a Lotus dealer?

[zebedee]

special tyres for the elise accomodate the cars unusually low weight - a standard tyre may not have enough weight on it with an elise, so the footprint on the tarmac is compromised which means less grip.

[thub]

Have a look here - the comments were written for the S1 but most will apply to the S2.

www.elise-faq.info/content/tyres/index.php

[bogie]

you need to state Lotus specific fitment - rear tyre code I think is DCK

[monkeymagic]

thanks for the tips so far, i have now been told that Bridgestone are ceasing production of the special tyres!!

not sure how true this is but it has been suggested i should get some Toyos instead. However it appears you can get the 175/55/16 front tyres from toyo so is it ok to mix brands and stay with the bridgestones on the front???

Alternatively i have been offered the RE040 with a WR rating and told that the load index is the same as the lotus designed tyre.

Any views anyone??

this is getting a bit confusing

[DanH]

monkeymagic said:

thanks for the tips so far, i have now been told that Bridgestone are ceasing production of the special tyres!! not sure how true this is but it has been suggested i should get some Toyos instead. However it appears you can get the 175/55/16 front tyres from toyo so is it ok to mix brands and stay with the bridgestones on the front??? Alternatively i have been offered the RE040 with a WR rating and told that the load index is the same as the lotus designed tyre. Any views anyone?? this is getting a bit confusing

Toyos are different, but that would mean all round, and there are mixed reviews of them.

Personally I reckon the WR rating one will be fine, its just means that it can run at higher speeds (apparently due to the higher top speed of the 111R). (Just confirm that is the 111R tyre and not something else in case I've got my codes mixed up).

[monkeymagic]

im gonna go with the wr i think. bit concerned over mixing and the guy offered me all the numbers i needed to check out what he had found out so im staying with the re040 this time and see how it goes.

get them fitted in the morning to replace my near slicks!!!!

spend my money on some more poke if i can find out whats worthwhile doing first

:thumbsup:

thanks all

[DanH]

monkeymagic said:

im gonna go with the wr i think. bit concerned over mixing and the guy offered me all the numbers i needed to check out what he had found out so im staying with the re040 this time and see how it goes. get them fitted in the morning to replace my near slicks!!!! spend my money on some more poke if i can find out whats worthwhile doing first :thumbsup: thanks all

If you are replacing all 4, then you could go to toyos and step up to a 185 front. It will counter some of the understeer and should improve braking a tad. Dunno what the tyre pressures would need to be though, but Walshy of 1stlotus used to run these or even 195s. 195s look like tractor tyres on the front though, they overhang the rim so much.