Replacing Stocks with Hankook's... now or later?
 

So I've basically decided on getting the Hankook Ventus V12's, I guess in sizes 245/40 and 285/35. I probably have about 2000-4000 miles (2-3 months) left on the stockers. Should I bother waiting until I run the stock tires down more? Or would it be worth doing the upgrade now?

If you think your Bridgestones are fine for another few thousand miles keep them on the car... no point in throwing away 2-3k of tread.

Yeah, I kind of feel the same way, but I wasn't sure if it would be worth doing the upgrade now rather than later.

Upgrade ?
 

I realize the Bridgestones are not the best bang for the buck tire. However, I do not see the Hankooks as an upgrade. They are a better value but I would be surprised if there was not a slight drop in performance. The Hankooks will ride a little smoother and be quiter but they are are performance downgrade.

And why do you say that?
Minus the high heat track situations, the V12 have shown to be on par or better in many fields.

That was also my understanding. I figured at least the reduced tire noise and (slightly?) smoother ride would be enough of a reason.

This was my view before I ordered them, but after having talked to a couple friends that have experience with them I decided to pull the trigger.

After having them on for a while I definitely feel like they are better performers than the Bridgestones not only in terms of overall ride quality (noise mostly), but in cornering performance as well. These are surprising tires to say the least, and I'm completely satisfied with them!

The RE050As are just a waste of money.

No Nitto NT05's?

I only have 5,000 miles on them so too soon to say how long they are going to last, but damn they are sticky! And they are a lot quieter then the Bridgestone’s. Very very predictable at the limit and high speeds plus they look really cool. I remember comparing the V12s and the Nitto NT05 and the price difference was about $300.00 dollars so the Hankooks are a good buy.

If you have the $$, get the RE11. They are quieter, grip better and ride nicer than stock

Didn't seem like there was a good size for the stock sport rims on the RE-11's.

I was thinking of getting the NT05's at first, but between treadwear, wet traction, and price, I decided not to, replacing my tires possibly more than once a year is not something I'd like to do.

agreed... mostly. i went with the Hankook V12s for my first replacements solely due to cost. they are not quite on par with the stockers perfomance-wise, but they were about $100.00 a piece cheaper than the stock Potenzas.

they ride way more quiet than the Potenzas, but i can definitely tell a difference in performance when pushing the car. for now, the price difference was worth a small drop in perfomormance but for the next set i think i will try something different. no other way to find the perfect set for your specific needs.

My guess is once you get enough heat in the tires (i.e. track situation) the RE050As will outperform, but as far as I've been able to tell (spirited street driving at the most), the V12s are as good or better than the Bridgestones.

I will probably see at least one track day with these tires so I'll be sure to report back.

good point there.. i havent driven with the V12s on a good warm day yet. they may be better when hot... :tiphat:

the main difference i feel grip wise between the Potenzas and the V12s is minor.. almost like there is a bit of squirm in the rears when coming through a corner at the limit. the potenzas just felt solid. for now i am just happy that the V12s are so much quieter!

How many miles did you have on Bridgestones (more specifically, how much tread did you have left) when you switched?

I noticed the V12s felt a little less responsive on turn-in and possibly a bit more flex under lateral load, but I quickly equated this to going from virtually no tread on my Potenzas to full tread on the V12s. That feeling is most likely due to the extra tread. I'm sure if I had replaced the Bridgestones with a new set of the same tire I'd have noticed a similar effect.

yeah.. the bridgestones were bald in back when i switched them out. your theory may be correct.