Cool tire review in cool car at cool place

[HammerheadFistpunch]

Not that I'm biased...

[davesaddiction]

*tyre

[interstate366]

I’m partial to the Potenza RE980AS myself, but then I work for Bridgestone, so...

[ItalianJobR53]

@interstate366 so Oppo gets cheap RE71s? Noice!!

[interstate366]

@italianjobr53 yep. Half price!*

*for me. The rest of you get 10% off.

[interstate366]

Related, when I found out there’s a run-flat version of the RE71:

[Highlander]

@interstate366 When you realize the Firestone Winterforce tires you got for 1/2 price don't work as well as your worn ass 4 year old Blizzak WS80's....
I might have to do a review but blizzaks got some kinds of magic going on.

[interstate366]

@highlander better you than me. i live in a city where it snows at most 3 times a year. I’m pretty sure the Blizzaks and Winterforces we have in the stockroom have been there awhile.

Related: I’ve sold 4 RE980s this week. Finally getting the word out there.

[ItalianJobR53]

@interstate366 run flat?! WHAT¿

[ItalianJobR53]

@highlander blizzaks are indeed magical...

[interstate366]

@italianjobr53 I know right? Like, why would you even make a run flat version of a hardcore track tire?

https://www.tires-easy.com/235-45-17/bridgestone-tires/re71-rft/tirecode/146744

[Highlander]

@italianjobr53 Even with studs in the winterforce tires I really don't see any improvements over blizzaks. I got them super cheap so I'll probably go back to blizzaks when the firestones wear out.

[ItalianJobR53]

@interstate366 makes no sense at all to me lol

[Smallbear]

@highlander said in Cool tire review in cool car at cool place:

@interstate366 When you realize the Firestone Winterforce tires you got for 1/2 price don't work as well as your worn ass 4 year old Blizzak WS80's....
I might have to do a review but blizzaks got some kinds of magic going on.

Second this entire motion. First winters I had on my truck were Blizzaks. They don't make my size anymore so I'm on iPikes... which were the highest rated tire available at the time. They're pretty solid tires when the only thing they have to contend with is low temperatures. But throw anything more.. uh... WINTERY into the mix and they're totally hopeless.

[interstate366]

@italianjobr53 I put a depth gauge on the 71R we have in the stockroom, and brand new the tread depth is 6/32”.

[ItalianJobR53]

@interstate366 huh...thats actually illegal then to race em in SCCA autox and track events... minimum tread depth required is 7/32
This on the run flats?

[interstate366]

@italianjobr53 nah, the regular ones. Maybe it’s 7 and I just can’t read. We don’t have the run-flat ones in stock, just noticed I could get them for my Aristo.

[Jb boin]

@davesaddiction said in Cool tire review in cool car at cool place:

*tyre

It's simpler to call them pneus.

[orneryduck]

@interstate366 I'd love to know more about how Bridgestone brands/markets tires; tire branding is often confusing and Bridgestone is no exception.

When I look at their summer/performance tires I see they are all in the Potenza family, which makes sense, but within that we have S001, S02A, RE05, RE05A, RE040, S007, and RE-71. What fits where for application - street, track, dry, rain; and what longevity comparisons can be drawn? What is the meaning behind the tailing letters/branding like 'A', 'R', and 'Pole Position'?

I had factory S001's on my ND Miata and thoroughly enjoyed them functionally, though felt they were somewhat short-lived for the weight and torque load of the car, with no track/AutoX use and rotations every 7,500miles. I presently have Firestone Firehawk Indy500, which many say is merely a US-branding of Bridgestone's international performance Potenza S03. It seems like a quiet tire, has good straight-line traction, great rain acceleration traction but somewhat scary wet braking traction, and I'm finding limits fairly easy in curves. Overall they still seem good and a value at their price, but I have no idea what their real target of performance is and how they are meant to compare in the Bridgestone Potenza family given the varied names.

As it stands now, my next car is slated to come with Goodyear F1 SC3 tires, which are amazing tires, with a very short life and unknown rain traction. I'm planning ahead with Michelin PS4's to extend tire life on the road and better cope with the frequent rain my area sees mixed into the otherwise warm temperatures. If Bridgestone/Firestone has a compelling alternative to the PS4 that makes sense price-wise, I'd certainly consider it.

[interstate366]

@orneryduck honestly, I’m still fairly new to the company, but in general the Firestone tires are a slightly lower grade compared to their Bridgestone branded equivalents. Slightly lower mileage warranties where applicable, and such. All the different Potenza versions are indeed a bit confusing, but (and this is just with the ones I’ve personally encountered) the S04 Pole Position is the road-focused summer as opposed to the track-focused RE71R. The RE980AS is the top-of-the-line all-season, succeeding the RE970AS Pole Position (you’re right, why did they choose the PP sub-name for two different tires?) while the RE97AS is a bit more comfort-focused. Unfortunately for my piqued interest the Potenza line is of lower priority than the other brands when it comes to actual sales, at least in the area I work. Lots of Firestone All-Season, Transforce, and Primewell sales.

[pip bip]

@interstate366 4 x cheap and nasty 205/55/16 thanks