Bridgestone RE-11's: Is the hype worth it?
 

I hate making these threads but I just need some insight.

I'm planning on swapping out my summer tires and the thought of RE-11's came about. As we all know they are the closest thing to god and many other forums more specifically with the track/autoX guys. Granted no passenger vehicle on the street is being driven anywhere near that level its hard not to consider given the price and sizes they are available in. As of now my more ideal choices are:

- Continental ExtremeContact DW
- Michelin Pilot Super Sport
- Nitto Invos

With the research I did on these tires (including the RE-11's) is they all seem to get rave reviews about their performance level with regards to grip (Dry/Wet/Track), road noise levels, and mileage longevity. Surprisingly even the Nitto Invo tires were fairly common among the domestics pushing 500+ hp with no issues in grip even though it would probably considered in the lower tier when compared to the others listed.

The current set up is 225/45 - 245/40/R19 and the plan is for a 245/40 - 275/35 mainly to reduce the OE tire sidewall stretch the G37 comes with and still being able to do tire rotations is a nice bonus too.

What tire would you go with from that list or are there other options I should look into? Stock tires are Bridgestone Pure****enza RE050A

The RE-11 is a good tire, but don't expect it to last longer than the stock potenza's. If you have high Hp car then it's worth it. If you do not then you can get away with the cheaper brands and still be satisfied with their performance

That was my original thought but on further inspection i noticed the RE-11's treadwear rating is at 200 while the RE050A's 140. So in theory the RE-11's should last longer granted my alignment is dialed in correctly.

Might look into Perelli P Zeros, in this link it got 11.2 in the 1/4mile compared to 10.8 on drag radials w/ the 707hp Hellcat

2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat Runs 11.2-Second Quarter - Motor Trend

Regardless of the tire you ultimately choose, do you realize that a narrower and slightly stretched tire will often outperform a slightly pinched, or even neutral, tire of a wider size? (given: same tire type, same wheels, just the size difference) It is a common misconception that running wider tires is automatically better. Due to the pre-tensioning from a little stretch, the sidewalls of a tire will flex less, resulting in a crisper response, more precise handling, and thus to faster lap times on track (or off ;)). Wider tires may look better, but they don't necessarily equate to better performance.

Looking at your list, I'd strongly suggest the Pilot SS (but in the stock size). The Conti's sidewalls are too soft for my taste, and especially so if you plan to run an even wider size. I am not familiar with that Nitto model, so I can't speak to it.

.02

While I do agree how much better will a narrower tire perform compared to a wider tire? In the grand scheme of things I can't imagine much. Maybe i'll find a lightweight set of 18's to downsize (in stock sizing 225/245) to and see how the RE's stack up on the track. I haven't too much info on +0 sizing aside from reducing the OE tire stretch allowing for a more flush look.

I wonder if some of these "traction" issues people were having at stock power levels was simple due to the garbage tires the engineers blessed us with and not necessarily the sizing.

I understand what vqsmile says....

But BOTTOM LINE.....

a 245/40 - 275/35 Michelin PSS setup will MOP the floor with stock sized Sh*tenzas. It will almost feel like a new car, specially going from bald crap tires to brand new yet awesome tires.

There will be no comparison.

Oh I know the Michelin PSS will outperform the RE050A's on any given day of the week even if the PSS were sitting at 2/32 of tread. That's a given haha

The 11's are an excellent extreme perf tire to use if you plan on hard street driving mixed with some lap days or auto-x. If not, they may be a little overkill for a dd tire. That's where the Michelin SS would be an great option. Unless you see some track time, or don't care about trading wear for maximum dry handling, I'd go with the Michelin. No complaints from anyone on those.

I have the Re11 as well and I use it for dd and track twice a year. This year will be my 2nd season on them and I don't anticipate having to buy new tires until mid next season. The RE11s are definitely worth it as they are excellent and they grip really good and traction is the wet is pretty good as well. I would consider only RE11s, PSS, Dunlop Direzzas and Yokohama advan neovas.

I know you're comparing the same tire manufacturer here, but just a reminder again to others that treadwear ratings are only comparable within the same manufacturer. Playing devils advocate, I'm very happy with my Pilot SS.

Keep an eye out for the new B-Stone RE-71R. Already a better performer compared to the RE-11's.

I am interested in seeing how good the Re71r is in the wet.

Sorry for the thread necromancy, but I'm looking at possibly replacing my Michelin supersports with the Bridgestone RE11. Since the RE11 doesn't come in the G37S stock size, which size (or sizes) did you choose, and why? [Think spirited driving, autocross, and limitted track] I had looked at the RE-71R that Neil suggested, but I'm seeing it's TW is 'pending', which means, I'll catch hell if I try to use it in street class.