Friday, March 1, 2013

Thread of the Day: Low-Grip or High-Grip Tires – Which are More Fun?

Thread of the Day: Low-Grip or High-Grip Tires – Which are More Fun? We may sound like a broken record when we say tires are one of the easiest ways to improve your car’s performance. The common route is to upgrade to stickier and/or wider rubbers, but forum member wonders if the opposite is worth considering, too: Could low-grip tires be just as fun?

Thread of the Day: Low-Grip or High-Grip Tires – Which are More Fun?


Thread of the Day: Low-Grip or High-Grip Tires – Which are More Fun?
Thread of the Day: Low-Grip or High-Grip Tires – Which are More Fun?

Thread of the Day: Low-Grip or High-Grip Tires – Which are More Fun?





Thread of the Day: Low-Grip or High-Grip Tires – Which are More Fun?

He proves his point with a rather extreme example. About a year ago British automotive journalist Chris Harris had an entertaining experiment with a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG coupe, which in stock form sends nearly 500 hp to the rear 18-inch wheels wrapped in wide 255mm width rear tires.  Not surprisingly, the C63 stayed relatively glued to the track. Next, Harris swaps in a set of space saver spare wheels with a width of just 125mm. Needless to say, he had much more fun lapping the same track, with the C63 losing traction and sliding into oversteer at lower speeds.
That said, could low-grip tires be more fun in certain situations? The Toyobaru twins – the Scion FR-S and the Subaru BRZ – were mentioned in the discussion, with forum members pointing out the skinny Michelin Primacy tires that allow the FR-S coupe to easily slide around the corners.
Do you think low-grip tires deserve more consideration? Sound off in the comments below and thanks again to –ChaiLatte- for today’s Thread of the Day!