I want to get the word out (and get some word back) on these tires, which are Dutch (i.e. made in Holland) and they're apparently phenomenal tires.
I post this here because I want to people to see these tires... I was blown away by some test results that place these tires in a higher price segment. I guess it could be moved to the Tire and Wheel section if it really isn't supposed to be here at all.
A friend of mine races a 240Z in Vintage class, and he mounts Ultrac Sessanta's on his G35 coupe (apparently, occasionally on his team's race cars). They are beautifully designed and apparently extremely grippy (performing on par or better than PS2's) and are a very inexpensive option (< $300 per tire!) as an ultra high performance summer tire. Soft tread but stiff sidewalls are what I noted, not to mention a hypnotizing tread design.
It seems that BMW forums (and euro-car forums) have begun to discover this tire as of the past couple years. I will be mounting these on my Z next spring after the winter breaks.
Has anyone had any experience with these tires themselves? I trust my friend because he races, but I'd prefer more opinions than just one. I was initially looking at RE11's but I don't need an extreme performance tire for daily, spirited driving. I'll be breaking out into some AutoX or some mild tracking next year, but it's rather hard to justify spending 400 or more per tire on extreme performance tires which would spend the vast majority of their tread on public roads.
Some more background after significant research:
Popular in Europe, especially among BMW and Aston owners. Seems to be used on Ferraris whenever they're not using Pirelli's.
Many of their tires are redesigned for specific sizes to ensure uniform performance regardless of tire size.
They are non-directional, meaning you don't have to mount them in a specific way. You could actually rotate these tires, although it would mean taking a wheel, removing the tire, flipping it, then remounting.
Treadwear comes to 280, so they last quite a bit longer than the stock RE050A's. They also appear to ride quieter and more comfortably, but not particularly harsher. Their sidewalls are also rather highly rated, indicating a stiffer tire.
Remarkable wet traction and hydro/aqua planing resistance.
The tires are designed with ItalDesign Giugiaro S.p.A, which holds the status of having designed the first M1 in '71, the Quattroporte, and the W12, among others. See here:
Italdesign Giugiaro - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lastly, a video.
Do I sound like a salesman? Probably. Am I wondering why no one has heard of these, seeing as how cost effective they are? Definitely.
Please don't ban me!
