5.M0NSTER

As promised, here is an update on these tires after 5 track days and ~4000 street miles so far.

Thread is down to 40% or so, and the outside shoulders are worn, but they did clean themselves off the molten rubber . They have rolled over as you can see in the photo below. I expect maybe 2-3 more track day from these and they will start showing cords in the sidewall, well before I run out of thread depth.

But even so, I was able to improve my lap times at my last outing at Grattan Raceway by 1.5s compared to last year, where these tires made their track debut on my car. So even though the are hear cycled to all hell and down to 40% thread, they still grip

Still pretty impressed with the Potenza S-04s. I'll provide one more update as they wear out completely next season.

V6 Driver

I have been following this thread with interest, as I am planning on tracking my V6 next season at Road America. What i would like to know is does the tire wheel combo protrude past the fender in the front being 9.5" rims with a 35mm offset? I cannot really tell from your photos.

ElkGroveFordGuy

I have the same tire size and rims!
They sit pretty much flush to the well openings!

5.M0NSTER

I think they sit just a tiny bit out, like 1/16" if that. It does look pretty flush with the wheel, but you certainly notice the extra 20mm of width looking at it from the front.

Wow, your Pro charged V6 makes more power than my V8! Should be a blast at Road America, good luck an please post some pictures and vids!

P.S. The big brake kit you have planned will make HUGE difference at a track like Road America. Well worth the money!

Hey ElkGrove, I was going to ask how your steeda suspension with Koni Yellows is working out after some time. What's your impressions now? Do you have the GT500 mounts with the arrows facing the engine? How has the camber been working out?

I'm planning on doing basically your mods but with CC plates and front sway bar next spring, so I'm curious.

5.M0NSTER

So this will be the last season at the track with my S04s. I have 4 days planned this year. One each at Grattan, Gingerman and Mid Ohio, plus a second day at Grattan or Gingerman.

I have a lot of suspension mods geting ready to be put on the car (Steeda Sport Springs, Steeda PH bar, Steeda HD strut mounts for Camber adjustment, Steeda competition front adjustable sway bar and Koni Yellows). This will help maximize tire grip, and extend life a little.

Anyways, I will provide at least one more update on the S04s as they cycle out of usable life. But I have already decided on the tire that will replace them next season. I am planning on stepping up to the Potenza RE71R in 285/35-19. That's the largest and stickiest tire I can get with my 19x9.5 rims without going to slicks or $400+ tire

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes

redonblackpony

Looks like a pretty good tire.
I'm running Toyo proxes with a 240 treadwear. It's a pretty decent tire. I'm looking to step up to Toyo R888 with the 100 treadwear soon

5.M0NSTER

I hear good things about R888. I can't find it in the sizes I'm interested in unfortunately (275/40-19 or 285/35-18).

Rog13GTCS

I picked up a set, and I'm still breaking them in. Only 100 miles on them so far. But they seem really good for their price. They do seem a lot more grippy than my Cooper Zeon's. I dont know if that is because my new tires are wider, or a combination of wider and sticker compound.

My early review on ride quality they seem more firm, I feel like I can feel the road more.

5.M0NSTER

Good deal Rog, looking forward to more of your feedback as you get more miles on the tire.

EF1

Very helpful review. I came across it when researching tires for my 2011. I have worn through a couple of sets of Pirellis and was looking for an alternative. Changed them 2 at a time after a couple of punctures and didn't want to mismatch the tires. Finally in need of 4 at once in preparation for my first track day, so time for a change. It is good to know that the 275's will fit the stock brembo wheels and Steeda sport springs without rubbing. I have a set on order and should have next week.

Dmagil01US

I went through the Pirelli's as well and put Michelin Pilot A/S 3's on my 2011 and won't use anything else now. This tire is awesome, the grip is fabulous. Even in wet roads the tires grip the road which was a major issue with the Pirelli's.

EF1

I considered the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, but not the A/S 3. I wasn't looking for an all season since I do not drive the car in bad weather. I went with the Bridgestone since it was rated nearly as well as the PS2 and was $75 less per tire.

Dmagil01US

I went with the A/S mainly because of the amount of rain Charleston SC gets and how bad the Pirelli's were in the rain, also got lucky with the tire installer only paid $205 a tie for the P245/50 ZR18's Y rated

EF1

I think that we had different Pirelli's since I have 19 inch wheels. The ones I had were okay in the rain, but didn't last very long and were pretty expensive compared to other tires that received higher ratings.

5.M0NSTER

The S04s are a big step up from the stock 255/40-19 Pirelli particularly when you go 275 wide. You'll like your straight line launches better too.

EF1

I am looking forward to the improvement. They are scheduled for delivery tomorrow and then I need to find time for installation and an alignment. Current front tires both have cords hanging out of the inside shoulder, but still have some tread. It looks like the toe in is off somehow. Not sure what happened since I just had aligned a few thousand miles ago.

Dmagil01US

if your roads and highways are anything like the ones here in Charleston SC it's not surprising to wear out tires and have the alignment go out. Road repair is apparently a thing of the past everywhere these days.

EF1

I am in Knoxville and the roads around here are not any better. I had the car aligned yesterday and it was toed out resulting in the chewed up front tires. It had only been 5,000 miles since the last alignment and rotation. Since the two back tires have a bit of life in them, I decided to put two new Bridgestone 275's on the rear and move the 255 Pirelli's to the front. I have never had the desire to run a staggered set up, since I didn't want to lose the ability to rotate, but since I couldn't fit all 4 tires in the car at once I thought I would give it a try for a few weeks. This also gives me a chance to make sure the alignment is right before putting new tires on the front. I have only driven a little, but the Bridgestone's seem quieter and ride a little softer than the Pirelli's on the front. I also notice a little under steer running this set up. I will switch back to the square set up in a few weeks with 275 Bridgestone's.

5.M0NSTER

Final season for the S04s. I have them back on the car from now til...we'll see, and one track day at Grattan this weekend, followed by another at Mid Ohio on June 6th. I'll post feedback and pictures from both days.

I'm tempted to leave them on till September. They will be done this fall anyway, and yet they ride and grip so much better than the 255 Pirelli's.

5.M0NSTER

I got 2 full hours of track time yesterday. The S04's delivered their typical performance. I had them at 36psi hot, and they didn't feel greasy most of the day. Once the ambient temps got into the upper 80's with high humidity I felt just a smidgen of greasy feeling well into the session as I was trying to push it.

I got a new personal best at grattan of 1:32.7. The new suspension lets me use more of the tire in turns, so I got better lateral accel numbers too. According to Tack Addict app max lat was 1.31g peak (compared to last years 1.12) so good improvement.

Next track day is at Mid Ohio in 8 days!