Nissan 370Z Forum - View Single Post - Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Specs and Review

BanningZ · 12-23-2008, 08:04 AM

As most of you know the 370Z with optional sport package comes with 19-inch forged-aluminum RAYS wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Tires (245/40 front and 275/35 rear). Like some of you, this will be my first Z, and I am opting for the Sports package. We all know RAYS Wheels (See: Mackin Industries) are known for their quality, but I knew very little about the tires that will be wrapped around them. So I did a little online research about the Bridgestone Potenza RE050A, and I hope it might give some others, some insight. Cheers!

Descriptions:

Bridgestone Potenza RE050A

Quote:

The Potenza RE050A is a Max Performance Summer tire designed to complement the performance of sports cars, sports coupes and sport sedans. While the Potenza RE050 is used as Original Equipment on the supercharged Mercedes-Benz S55 AMG sedan, a Potenza RE050A Scuderia version is used on the 12-cylinder Enzo Ferrari supercar, and a Run Flat version is used on the BMW Z4 sports cars and 5-Series sedans. The Potenza RE050A was developed to provide good traction along with responsive and predictable dry and wet road handling. It is not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice.

On the outside, the Potenza RE050A features a high grip tread compound molded into an asymmetric tread design. A continuous center rib, large tread blocks and stable shoulder elements provide responsive handling, high-speed stability and traction on dry roads, while circumferential and lateral tread grooves are aimed to pump water out from under the tire's footprint to minimize hydroplaning and aid wet traction. A continuous circumferential rib adjacent to the inside shoulder blocks enhances wear quality to help reduce noise throughout the life of the tire, especially on cars with alignment settings that specify negative camber. Internally, the Potenza RE050A features twin steel belts reinforced by spiral-wrapped nylon to stabilize the tread area and enhance handling, high speed capability and ride quality while minimizing weight. The fabric cord body and hard rubber sidewall filler help blend uniform ride quality with steering response and lateral stability.

Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Tires - Tire Size & Price Details - 1010tires.com

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Original equipment on many high-performance vehicles, the Potenza RE050 is built for the pleasure of driving. This tire comes loaded with race-proven technology: UNI-T for outstanding wet and dry traction, a tread pattern that promotes rapid water evacuation, variable dimensions in the tread blocks, and the smoother shape to reduce road noise. An asymmetrical pattern in the RE050A tread increases surface contact to enhance acceleration and cornering. Put this Potenza through its paces and discover what ultra-high performance really means.

Some Reviews: From tirerack.com

Quote:

Initial Review, 3,000 Miles on Tires
December 01, 2008

1997 Aston Martin DB7 Volante
Miles driven on tires: 3,000
Location: Leesburg, VA
Driving Condition: Mostly Highway
Driving Style: Spirited

"Perhaps the worst tire I had since the Pirelli 4000 on my XJS. The Potenza RE050A is the current OEM recommended tire for the DB7 and when I purchased them 2 years ago they were rated well in the survey. Even though the tires are extremely sticky soft, they tend to break too easily on the off ramp turns and they do not provide any confidence in light rain/hydroplaning conditions. It's also the OEM tire on the Ferrari Enzo, which explains to me why so many have been wrecked by wiping out. On the DB7 I would probably go with another tire if you aren't concerned with keeping it original (I'll still probably replace them with the same tire). Otherwise, take turns slowly and don't drive in the rain."

Quote:

Initial Review, 400 Miles on Tires
December 02, 2008

1995 BMW M3
Miles driven on tires: 400
Location: DUNEDIN, FL
Driving Condition: Combined Highway/City
Driving Style: Spirited

"Very round and smooth at speed. Required almost no balance weight."

Quote:

Initial Review, 12,000 Miles on Tires
December 12, 2008

2005 Pontiac Grand Prix GXP More Tire Reviews for This Vehicle
Miles driven on tires: 12,000
Location: Selkirk, MB
Driving Condition: Combined Highway/City
Driving Style: Average

Tire wears quickly but overall am pleased with the performance. I use it for winter driving as well and it does quite well from a traction perspective as long as you watch your acceleration rate.

Quote:

Based on 312 reviews/submissions:

Would You Buy This Tire Again?
Most said: "Probably" (Average of 6.7 out of 10)

How Did This Tire Rank In Its Category?
9 out of 26 tires (Score of 8 vs best tire in category score of 8.7)

A review from epinions:

Surprising Grip, No Squeal - Bridgestone Potenza Tire RE050A - Epinions.com

Quote:

Surprising Grip, No Squeal

Written: Jul 07 '08 (Updated Jul 07 '08)

Product Rating: Product Rating: 4.0
Handling and Control: 4.0

Pros: Very grippy, good wet-weather traction, quiet and smooth

Cons: Expensive, bad in snow (not really their fault).

The Bottom Line: Almost as good as the Falken Azenis, but cost much more.

nad_masters's Full Review:

Bridgestone Potenza Tire RE050A

With the Mazdaspeed 3 in tow, I was acquainted with the Bridgestone Potenza RE050A since they were the OEM tires of choice. The stock Mazdaspeed 3 wheel size is 18x7 with an offset of +52.5 mm. It is an odd wheel size, but the RE050A fits as a stock tire with the size at 215/18R/45.

Unlike the 2001 Nissan Sentra SE I had before, which came with the nasty Firestone Firehawk GTA tires as the OEM tire of choice, Mazda seem to be in tune with the overall package. A car like the Mazdaspeed 3 should come out of the gate with a good impression. There’s nothing like a bad tire choice to ruin a fine handling car.

With the Sentra, I had to quickly purchase a better All-Season tire, since I didn't plan on having a separate set of summer and winter tires. I compromised on the Falken Ziex ZE-512, which is an excellent tire. However, they are no match for the Falken Azenis series of tires on the autocross. My brother have the Azenis on his 2004 VW GTI, and they were simply amazing on the wet and dry.

The 18 inch wheels on the Mazda made me seriously worried about finding good All-Season tires for both summer and winter. Add to the fact that I am now more interested in competing in the SCCA in D-Stock means that I need a good set of summer tires on the stock 18s. What to do? Well, before I even thought about replacing the tires, why not try running them at a few autocross events?

On the Road
Riding on the Bridgestone Potenza RE050A didn't feel much different from any other all-season tires on daily drives. That's a good thing, since that also means that there isn't much road noise to speak of. The ride is a little more harsh over bumps than other cars, but then again, the Mazdaspeed 3's suspension had much to do with this as well as the low profile of choice by Mazda engineers.

Even in rain, the car was well composed and act as if it was on dry asphalt. There is a bit more noise when driving on wet pavement, but that is to be expected. It's mostly from the sound of the tire cutting through water.

I was in an unfortunate circumstance where I had to drive my Mazdaspeed 3 in the snow. It was just starting to snow and there was less than a half-inch of snow layered on the ground. I was coming up to a car at a red light and the tires just locked up, causing me to slide! I was able to steer clear of the car in front of me, but it was a scary experience to say the least. The speed I was approaching upon my stop point was only about 15 MPH! Trying to start up and steer is also a slippery situation.

Of course, the RE050A are summer tires, and as such, shouldn't be driven in the snow. But living here in Chicago, snow can come unexpectedly sometimes. This was around March, so after braving that freaky day, we had clean roads ever since. I was ready to purchase winter tires, but realize it may not be a good time to do so.

Even then, I like the fact that I can now purchase a winter wheel and tire set at my leisure during this summer season.

At the Limits
Having much experience with the Falken Azenis, I didn't know if there were any tires out there that would produce similar or better grip. Since I already have the tires on, I figured it wouldn't hurt to try the OEM tire choice, the RE050A.

From the factory, the tire pressure was set to 34 psi in the front, and 32 psi in the rear. At 40 psi all around, the front end seems to chatter and I felt the sidewalls roll a bit. This caused a tendency for the MS3 to under steer in severe cornering.

However, at 45 psi all around, we found the sweet spot! The MS3 holds on the pavement much longer than my brother and I expected, feeling just as grippy as the Azenis. The MS3 feels more neutral, and better yet, feels much more composed. The under steer feel that came about from the sidewalls rolling did not exist at 45 psi. In fact, the car was able to rotate much better at the extreme limits.

Best of all, the car felt predictable in hard corners. The RE050As communicate very well, letting you know when they are about to give out and slide. They are able to do so without making a peep. Well, that's over dramatic, but yes, they are pretty quiet. The communication comes from feel, and these tires are not numb. Of course, I'm pretty sure you would have to have a nice suspension as well. The stock MS3 suspension is already pretty taught, so this is probably a major reason why you can feel the road. Most cars that have a sport-tuned suspension will make good use of these tires.

Needless to say, I was impressed at how the RE050A performed.

The Upshot
If your car came with the Bridgestone Potenza RE050As, there is no reason to get rid of them right away unless you just bought the car in the middle of winter. The daily drive is quiet enough to be comfortable while keeping you competitive with its grippy attribute.

Once the tread runs out (many people say around 20-50k miles, depending on how you drive an how often you rotate the tires), you may not want to purchase them again, however. Not that they aren't good tires (as you know, I sure as heck love them), but they are EXPENSIVE compared to the Falken Azenis. At around $210 a tire at my size (215/18/45), it will make you do a double take! The Falken Azenis cost "only" around $150 each at a comparable size (225/18/45).

In the end, you'll love these tires for as long as they last, but they may not be worth purchasing on your own.

Recommended:
Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 210

Hope this helped some people.