Quote:
Originally Posted by Seadweller
My fairly-new-to-me '98 currently has Kumho ECSTA XS tires on the factory wheels, and during the cars last service, my INDY told me that I need to "get that crap off the car." 
Thanks! |
I think your mechanic was riding shotgun with me when I first autocrossed those tires.
I bought a set of mint coniditon BBS RK's for a previous car that came with those tires, they were like 80%. I hadn't yet taken my autocross wheel set out of storage. Oh lord those Ecsta's stepped out every time. Slip slip slide. Slip slip slide. That sort of thing does not inspire confidence. Very prone to flat spotting too which made the ride loud and terrible.
For Florida I would concentrate on wet weather performance. Nobody gets a donwpour like the Sunshine state. In the dry, I don't think there's much between the best tire options for this car, not enough to crow about. I have dedicated summer tires (RE-11) since I run winter tires five months a year. Many people track and daily drive the RE-11 or whatever the most current version is. It's the stickiest tire I've had since RA-1's, which I also drove for autocross and street but a true R-comp was a bit too much for my mileage. I was trying to have my cake and eat it too.
p.s.
wash your tires and keep them treated with a good product from Griot's Garage or similar. That cycling of moisture, humidity, blazing hot sun and all the stuff that gets kicked up from wet roads is rough on the side walls. Cars in Florida go through paint, batteries and rubber quicker than most. Except they just keep driving like that anyway.