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I picked up a set of these tires in the spring and they are fantastic! I run 245/275 19's F/R.
DISCLAIMER: Keep in mind you only want to consider these tires if you are going to be doing some track days. They are complete overkill for just the street. As a result, they will be a bit louder than most street tires. This is to be expected of all "ultra high performance tires" and they are no louder than any other tires I have had in this category. For me, the additional noise and slightly harder ride due to shorter and stiffer sidewalls is just fine for a daily driver. Those of you who want a quiet luxury tire, this is not it- stop reading.
That being said, these tires are just fine on the street for me and really help bring out the handling on twisty roads and curvy on/off ramps. I just switched back to snow tires and it is amazing how much grip I had. I can now break the tires loose in the first 4, yes 4 gears!?! The RE-71R's are very sticky and very rarely would you see the traction light. They are also decent in the rain.
They do not come with very much tread. Tirerack says they come with 8/32's. Not true. They come with barely 7/32's. Not to worry, they wear well. I do not put on a ton of miles, but I have done a number of track days and they held up great. One track I drive at is extremely technical and shreds tires like no other. These wore better there than the old RE-11's, Dunlop Star Specs, Hankook RS-3's, etc. Keep in mind I also have Tein Basis Coilovers and Hotchkiss sway bars so they should wear fairly evenly.
Where these tires really shine is on the track. The G37S sedan I have is not light by any means. However, the handling is set up pretty neutrally now with my upgrades and I like to think I am a pretty smooth driver. I still make mistakes and the amount of grip these tires provide is nothing short of amazing. I usually catch cars in corners that I have no business catching and I believe it is due mostly to the grip of the tires which greatly affect cornering, but also braking and acceleration.
These are definitely the best track/street tires I have had on any of my cars and I have tried lots of different tires over the years. It is funny to me to see most of my friends at track days switching to these tires as well because of what I can do in my car. I like to think it is due mostly to my capabilities as a driver, but I know a good deal of credit goes to the tires.
11-26-2016, 11:26 AM
