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      12-20-2018, 11:09 PM   #1
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RE71 v RS4 v NT01 - what track tire do you run?

Hi all, looking for some experienced track rats to give me a steer on which rubber I should go with for next season.

I’ll be running a square Apex 18x9.5inch ET35 track setup w/ Ohlins coilovers and GC camber plates. Will probably run a 12mm spacer front and rear to avoid any clearance issues. This will be my first time running a square setup on the M2 and I'm super excited to see the pros and cons compared to the OEM staggered setup.

I hope to do 6-8 track days next season, probably will all be HPDE and open lapping. So, outright speed/times aren’t as important to me as having a tire that will wear well and hold up to longish sessions throughout the day. The biggest gripe I had with the stock PSS’s were how greasy they got towards the end of sessions!

My M2 is tuned and could do with the most rubber I can fit without rubbing issues, which is probably going to be 275/35/18 according to Apex. Open to suggestions otherwise. I’m told all the options below will fit in this spec, with the right amount of negative camber dialed in. I was keen to run 40's but I'm told it'll definitely rub due to the rolling diameter being too big.

So here’s where I’m at, interested in your thoughts:

NT01: Everyone seems to agree the Nitto’s are super quick… but wear rather quickly and are a bit noisy (the latter not a big deal though given I’m running stock tires and rims as daily option). Priciest tire of the lot, too.

RE71: I read it’s a toss up between these and the NT01’s for outright speed, but the Bridgestones wear the quickest of the lot and I might run through them too quickly with 6-8 HPDE’s. If I was autocrossing I think they’d be the go, but I’m not. A lot of my days will be at HPR in CO and I'm already imagining how destroyed my left front will be even with a heap of camber!

RS4: I am leaning towards the Hankook’s due to their acknowledged performance (which I hear isn’t far off the RE71’s and NT01’s.. and given I’m not being timed, it’s not a huge deal to lose a second here or there) but mostly due to their reputation for durability. I might even get 2 seasons out of these if I can drive them well enough?

Any opinions welcome!
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      12-20-2018, 11:25 PM   #2
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Your analysis is sound bn the three tires.

All I would add is that the 71R is better than the other two in the wet. It’s also faster in the wet than a Michelin 4S, unless there’s standing water. I’d skip the NT01 purely for this reason so you can arrive and drive with the 71R’s or RS4s already on.

Also, you’re running the same wheel setup I did last year. You’ll find there’s no reason to run a 275 on a 9.5” wheel, vs a 265. The 275 on a 9.5” won’t net you anymore contact patch and will increase sidewalk skirm and worsen turn in/steering response. Plus, you’d probably be able to get away with just a 5mm spacer in the front.

Lastly, I’m not sure the impact to longevity by putting the RS4s on the shelf for several months if they last a track season for you. I have to think the grip would diminish quite a bit, even if you kept them in a climate controlled garage after a full season’s use, but I don’t really know.

Last edited by ZM2; 12-20-2018 at 11:31 PM..
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      12-21-2018, 12:29 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ZM2 View Post
Your analysis is sound bn the three tires.

All I would add is that the 71R is better than the other two in the wet. It’s also faster in the wet than a Michelin 4S, unless there’s standing water. I’d skip the NT01 purely for this reason so you can arrive and drive with the 71R’s or RS4s already on.

Also, you’re running the same wheel setup I did last year. You’ll find there’s no reason to run a 275 on a 9.5” wheel, vs a 265. The 275 on a 9.5” won’t net you anymore contact patch and will increase sidewalk skirm and worsen turn in/steering response. Plus, you’d probably be able to get away with just a 5mm spacer in the front.

Lastly, I’m not sure the impact to longevity by putting the RS4s on the shelf for several months if they last a track season for you. I have to think the grip would diminish quite a bit, even if you kept them in a climate controlled garage after a full season’s use, but I don’t really know.
Very helpful, thank you. I had no idea the 275's won't net me any more contact patch. This is disappointing, I guess I'll have to stick to the 265's but makes me wish I opted for a wider wheel to begin with, because the car is putting down a lot of power and something wider than 265 would help! How did you find the setup?

And if what you are saying about storing the RS4's is correct, maybe i just go all out and opt for the RE71's if I'm going to be replacing them after a season... hmm..
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      12-21-2018, 07:09 AM   #4
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Not being able to get more rubber in the back with a square setup is why I switched to a staggered 19” track setup. It’s faster than 18” square, but costs more.

18” square is still plenty fast tho, and should do well for your needs/wants.
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      12-21-2018, 10:03 AM   #5
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I’ve been looking at tires for next season as well. Similar usage. I’m leaning toward Bridgestone S007s. Tire Rack reviews and testing are favorable so far and a friend tried them and liked them this fall.

Looks like they’ll do well in wet conditions like the RE71, but won’t wear quite as fast. They’re also a bit cheaper than the RE71 and RS4.

Anyone else try them yet?
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      12-21-2018, 10:10 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bentom2 View Post
I’ve been looking at tires for next season as well. Similar usage. I’m leaning toward Bridgestone S007s. Tire Rack reviews and testing are favorable so far and a friend tried them and liked them this fall.

Looks like they’ll do well in wet conditions like the RE71, but won’t wear quite as fast. They’re also a bit cheaper than the RE71 and RS4.

Anyone else try them yet?
I’ve never been a fan of the in between Max & Extreme summer tires like the RE11 & S007s.

They just don’t give enough additional dry weather performance on the street to make up for worse wet/cold weather, comfort, noise, and wear performance. And, they’re not nearly as quick on track as the more track focused tires.

I stick with 4S for the street and 71R or R7 for track. Compare the data & tires in these TR reviews using the same car to get a feel for my comments.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=239

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=223

Last edited by ZM2; 12-21-2018 at 11:08 AM..
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      12-24-2018, 10:27 AM   #7
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Just a note, and I hope it's closely enough on-topic: I drive the 4S on street and RE71R on track. I've also driven the 4S on the track a couple times. For completely rainy track weekends, I'll leave the 4S on--they're FAR better in the wet than the 71R. Dry, though, the 71R is in an entirely different league.

I run an 18" staggered setup for track. OEM setup on street.
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      12-31-2018, 09:45 AM   #8
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I’ve used R-S3 on my previous track car and I was vas very happy with them. Not as fast as the RE71 and not as good in the wet, but they wore quite nicely and getting 6 to 8 events was not a problem. I would hope the R-S4 is even better
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      01-02-2019, 01:07 PM   #9
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Of those 3 specifically? NT-01.

Want the fastest RAW times for 1-2 laps? RE-71r might actually beat out the NT-01 but will grease out and wear fast. RE-71r will be a good choice for cooler spring/fall track days though as it's a softer compound. RS-4 will be better on a hot day and takes as they take bit more time/heat to come up to temperature/grip vs the Re-71r. NT-01 will be better than both in the heat imo but come at the expense of tire life (less starting tread as a semi-slick).

Re-71r - autocross, cool weather, time attack
NT-01 - all around HPDE semi-slick
RS4 - Streetable HPDE tire which gives up a bit of peak grip to the NT-01 but lasts longer and gets you a few more miles on the street without hydroplaning in the rain

Last edited by bbnks2; 01-02-2019 at 01:15 PM..
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      01-02-2019, 03:33 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bbnks2 View Post
Of those 3 specifically? NT-01.

Want the fastest RAW times for 1-2 laps? RE-71r might actually beat out the NT-01 but will grease out and wear fast. RE-71r will be a good choice for cooler spring/fall track days though as it's a softer compound. RS-4 will be better on a hot day and takes as they take bit more time/heat to come up to temperature/grip vs the Re-71r. NT-01 will be better than both in the heat imo but come at the expense of tire life (less starting tread as a semi-slick).

Re-71r - autocross, cool weather, time attack
NT-01 - all around HPDE semi-slick
RS4 - Streetable HPDE tire which gives up a bit of peak grip to the NT-01 but lasts longer and gets you a few more miles on the street without hydroplaning in the rain
Really helpful - thanks. Sounds like RS4 will still be the pick given they let me swap out the tires the night before and travel to and from HPDE events in potentially bad early morning / late evening weather. I am very much hoping to avoid hauling tires and swapping at the track...!

Edit: not to mention a lot of my track days were in SEARING hot weather last season..!
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      01-02-2019, 09:32 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dcmac View Post
Really helpful - thanks. Sounds like RS4 will still be the pick given they let me swap out the tires the night before and travel to and from HPDE events in potentially bad early morning / late evening weather. I am very much hoping to avoid hauling tires and swapping at the track...!

Edit: not to mention a lot of my track days were in SEARING hot weather last season..!
Not sure about on the M2 but you can absolutely beat the snot out of the RS4's. When you hear the RE71's scream you have to back off or you will destroy them.
When you hear the RS4's Scream it's saying "NOT HARD ENOUGH". Seriously.
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      01-04-2019, 02:54 PM   #12
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I use the Hankook RS4s on my M2 they are great and long lasting. Ok, but not great, in the wet. They have a super stiff sidewall so the wear rate ends up being very good. On my old 235i I ran the RS3s. Same result - great wear and I used them for more than one season. I did not see any degradation when I stored them over the winter.
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      01-04-2019, 05:28 PM   #13
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Just bought my first set of track tires which were on close-out at Tire Rack. The last 2 seasons I was running street Michelin SS, and Contis on stock M2 wheels. New tires are Dunlop Direzza 11, size 255/35/18 square set-up. Will be installing them on Apex FL-5 18x9.5 ET 28 wheels. My M2 is all stock, and am looking forward to seeing the difference Track Set-up makes.

Last edited by chief1richard; 01-04-2019 at 05:34 PM..
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      01-05-2019, 05:07 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chief1richard View Post
Just bought my first set of track tires which were on close-out at Tire Rack. The last 2 seasons I was running street Michelin SS, and Contis on stock M2 wheels. New tires are Dunlop Direzza 11, size 255/35/18 square set-up. Will be installing them on Apex FL-5 18x9.5 ET 28 wheels. My M2 is all stock, and am looking forward to seeing the difference Track Set-up makes.
If you haven't already done so, you'll want to install track brake pads and fluid. The stock won't hold up, especially with sticky tires.
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      01-05-2019, 08:54 AM   #15
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If you haven't already done so, you'll want to install track brake pads and fluid. The stock won't hold up, especially with sticky tires.
Thanks, forgot to mention that. I do have Pagid Pads and Motul 600 fluid. Other than that all stock.
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      01-05-2019, 09:44 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chief1richard View Post
Just bought my first set of track tires which were on close-out at Tire Rack. The last 2 seasons I was running street Michelin SS, and Contis on stock M2 wheels. New tires are Dunlop Direzza 11, size 255/35/18 square set-up. Will be installing them on Apex FL-5 18x9.5 ET 28 wheels. My M2 is all stock, and am looking forward to seeing the difference Track Set-up makes.
Good extreme performance summer tire will make a huge difference. On a 90s road course you can expect to shave 1-2s of your time compared to Max perf summer tire. Even bigger difference on slicks. You may find yourself needing to adjust your line. I notices that I was able to get on the throttle a lot sooner, even before the apex on R-S3s than on Porenza S04s. So the change i had to make was turn in later, and got on the throttle sooner. Enjoy your new tires this season and good luck!
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      01-05-2019, 03:46 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chief1richard View Post
Just bought my first set of track tires which were on close-out at Tire Rack. The last 2 seasons I was running street Michelin SS, and Contis on stock M2 wheels. New tires are Dunlop Direzza 11, size 255/35/18 square set-up. Will be installing them on Apex FL-5 18x9.5 ET 28 wheels. My M2 is all stock, and am looking forward to seeing the difference Track Set-up makes.
So what did you get for tires? And what was the tire build date? I bought some closeouts from trackdaytire.com (Conti slicks) and their build date is 2017... I was going to do some googling about old rubber...but haven't yet and I have leave right now...lol...so I'll do it later...
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      01-05-2019, 04:00 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by M2guru View Post
So what did you get for tires? And what was the tire build date? I bought some closeouts from trackdaytire.com (Conti slicks) and their build date is 2017... I was going to do some googling about old rubber...but haven't yet and I have leave right now...lol...so I'll do it later...
Build date 1117 so app. 3rd week of March 2017. Tires are Dunlop Dirrezza 11. I researched as much as I could on age of tires before I ordered. I was concerned when I ordered them as to how new they would be. I plan on doing a lot of track days this year, and do not think they will see the end of spring or mid summer.

Last edited by chief1richard; 01-05-2019 at 04:32 PM..
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      01-05-2019, 08:24 PM   #19
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It looks like about 5 years or so then the tire is likely not good to run on after that. How they were treated up to that point (mostly temperature-related) plays a part.

After the little bit of research I did, I am no longer concerned that 2-year-old-at-most tires will be poor - at least not enough for me to notice. I anticipate having to burn through these tires and then trying a different R-compound before I start to get enough experience to know what I am talking about in order to compare or be able to tell age differences (if ever), so, like you, maybe half-way through the year...

Last edited by M2guru; 01-06-2019 at 05:54 AM..
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      01-08-2019, 11:53 AM   #20
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It looks like about 5 years or so then the tire is likely not good to run on after that. How they were treated up to that point (mostly temperature-related) plays a part.

After the little bit of research I did, I am no longer concerned that 2-year-old-at-most tires will be poor - at least not enough for me to notice. I anticipate having to burn through these tires and then trying a different R-compound before I start to get enough experience to know what I am talking about in order to compare or be able to tell age differences (if ever), so, like you, maybe half-way through the year...
Me too. I plan on running my RS4's for at least two seasons hopefully.
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      01-08-2019, 11:54 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chief1richard View Post
Just bought my first set of track tires which were on close-out at Tire Rack. The last 2 seasons I was running street Michelin SS, and Contis on stock M2 wheels. New tires are Dunlop Direzza 11, size 255/35/18 square set-up. Will be installing them on Apex FL-5 18x9.5 ET 28 wheels. My M2 is all stock, and am looking forward to seeing the difference Track Set-up makes.
Interested to hear how you go with the traction on the 255's, especially on corner exit. I am going to be running square 265's but my car is tuned and I'm a bit concerned I'm not running enough rubber. Wish I spec'd 10inch wheels instead of 9.5's but oh well, first world problems
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      01-08-2019, 01:39 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dcmac View Post
Interested to hear how you go with the traction on the 255's, especially on corner exit. I am going to be running square 265's but my car is tuned and I'm a bit concerned I'm not running enough rubber. Wish I spec'd 10inch wheels instead of 9.5's but oh well, first world problems
Would have liked 265 but did not want to take any chances on scrapping. I do not intend to modify my suspension (at this point) as I use this as a DD. It seems that 50% of people who go to 265 on stock suspension do have some scrapping. I expect a big increase with front tires 245 summer vs 255 Track R compound which will allow me to Apex later. The rear, I expect a little more traction with 255 R compound vs 265 summer tire, which will allow me to accelerate out of turn a little faster, but will have to be careful of rear tires braking loose. I have had twelve track days in the last 2 years, and my goal is to come as close to 100% as I can to the capabilities of this car in stock form. Am not near that yet, and want to keep cars capabilities closer to my abilities. I am not competing with anyone, just out there to have fun. Will post the comparisons between the two set ups after my first track day.
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