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S50Sinner · 07-15-2024, 07:58 AM

I'm quite happy with my Dunlop Direzza ZIII's. I have 17" rims, and run 225/45R17 up front and 255/40r17 out back. The extra 10mm over OEM at the front axle helps with understeer. I'd recommend these mostly if this is a fair-weather weekend car, as tire life will be plenty in that case.

These tires hold up well to hard use, they won't turn into a crayon when hot or pull a one-wheel-peel at launch, so you won't shred them when you flog the car. Should last about 10-15k hot and fast miles.

I commute with mine and have never found them too loud or harsh. I can definitely hear them with the top down, but there's not much that you can't hear in a Boxster. Going over tar snakes at 45 mph sounds like walking on a sticky movie theatre floor. It's kind of cool in a "wow, they even sound sticky" way, but definitely not for everyone. Doesn't bother my wife, though. YMMV with 18" wheels in terms of harshness.

These are handling-centered cars and aggressive rubber makes them absolutely surreal. Steering feedback and precision go up to the next level along with grip. I even get body roll with these tires, it feels like an overgrown Miata in a wonderful way.

They're great in the dry, but just acceptable in the wet. I'd say that when it rains, it feels about like a really wide economy tire.

The nice thing about the Direzzas over most 200TW's is that you don't need to warm them up to get the most out of them, so while they're not ideal for long track sessions as they don't get grippier with heat like their competitors, they're great for the road because you don't get caught out by cold tires when you come up on a nice corner. You don't get a warm-up lap when a moose steps onto the road.

To roughly quantify it, other extreme performance tires are a 7/10 cold and 10/10 hot, while the Direzza is a 9/10 all the time.

That said, if you're more concerned about longevity, wet performance or tire noise, I'd skip the Dunlops, and extreme performance tires as a whole.

edit: I should've read the whole thread first, just saw that you already got tires.

07-15-2024, 07:58 AM	#4
S50Sinner Registered User Join Date: Nov 2023 Location: West Bloomfield, Michigan Posts: 43	I'm quite happy with my Dunlop Direzza ZIII's. I have 17" rims, and run 225/45R17 up front and 255/40r17 out back. The extra 10mm over OEM at the front axle helps with understeer. I'd recommend these mostly if this is a fair-weather weekend car, as tire life will be plenty in that case. These tires hold up well to hard use, they won't turn into a crayon when hot or pull a one-wheel-peel at launch, so you won't shred them when you flog the car. Should last about 10-15k hot and fast miles. I commute with mine and have never found them too loud or harsh. I can definitely hear them with the top down, but there's not much that you can't hear in a Boxster. Going over tar snakes at 45 mph sounds like walking on a sticky movie theatre floor. It's kind of cool in a "wow, they even sound sticky" way, but definitely not for everyone. Doesn't bother my wife, though. YMMV with 18" wheels in terms of harshness. These are handling-centered cars and aggressive rubber makes them absolutely surreal. Steering feedback and precision go up to the next level along with grip. I even get body roll with these tires, it feels like an overgrown Miata in a wonderful way. They're great in the dry, but just acceptable in the wet. I'd say that when it rains, it feels about like a really wide economy tire. The nice thing about the Direzzas over most 200TW's is that you don't need to warm them up to get the most out of them, so while they're not ideal for long track sessions as they don't get grippier with heat like their competitors, they're great for the road because you don't get caught out by cold tires when you come up on a nice corner. You don't get a warm-up lap when a moose steps onto the road. To roughly quantify it, other extreme performance tires are a 7/10 cold and 10/10 hot, while the Direzza is a 9/10 all the time. That said, if you're more concerned about longevity, wet performance or tire noise, I'd skip the Dunlops, and extreme performance tires as a whole. edit: I should've read the whole thread first, just saw that you already got tires. Last edited by S50Sinner; 07-15-2024 at 08:02 AM.