What is the hot tire choice for the gastropods class?

This may have been covered already but I figured it deserved its own thread.

The gastropods class unique tire tread wear requirements eliminate all the usual suspects.

So what is the consensus?

Interested in the answer to this, as the mileage sponge neon will need new tires in the next few months 

It all depends on whether you're properly baller or not. I suspect something like the Michelin PS4S would be pointy, but it's certainly not cheap. 

Bribing somebody at a tire company to pour the R-compound rubber into the all-season molds, UTQG numbering and all, is probably the best way to do it.

Barring that, I would think whatever you can find in your size from the Max or UHP Summer categories on Tire Rack would be a good choice.  Yokohama S.Drives are pretty reasonably priced, available in "normal car" sizes, and 300TW.

 It seems like OLOA and GTA enthusiast class tires will be the hot choices perhaps. GTA does utilize 220tw so there is one tire they run (Achilles 123S) which won't work on a gastropod due to 220tw but the other usual suspects seem to be fine.

In no particular order the tires on my short list for gastropod contention are:

GT Radial Champiro SX2

Michelin P4S

Continental Extreme Contact Sport (and pray it rains)

Don't be fooled into thinking the 300tw number means you can just buy anything (if speed is the goal and you're willing to pay for it) just like how some 200tw tires are significantly faster than other 200tw tires. The same will be true for 250+tw.

It seems the popular 15 inch sizes don't have a ton of options.  I am leaning towards the 205/50r15 Yokohama S-drives at this time.

The Datsun Wagon was on Riken Raptors last year and they seemed to do well. Not a whole lot of sizes on TR right now. 

mazdeuce - Seth said:

The Datsun Wagon was on Riken Raptors last year and they seemed to do well. Not a whole lot of sizes on TR right now. 

I had a set on the C4, but I didn’t run them at the Challenge. I did autox them once though, and they were very close to the 200tw Nitos. The suspension sucked on that car though, so it might not have been a true comparison of their actual performance. 

Because it might be worth repeating here, what is the gastro tire requirement?

300tw? Anything else?

In reply to Robbie :

I think it was 250TW actually.

Yes, 250. The idea was to eliminate all of the modern 200TW tires and see what else is out there. Is it worth spending money on the Michelins or is there a budget option? If we end up spending 200TW money anyway to be at the pointy end then it's a rule that will very much be up for discussion at the end of the event.

So I wasn't aware Tirerack had this feature until I started trying to find comparisons of the s-drive to other stuff. turns out you can pick a category and a tire size. TR will then spit back testing so you can compare it to other tires they've tested. 

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=UHP&width=205/&ratio=50&diameter=15&rearWidth=255/&rearRatio=40&rearDiameter=17

Another neat feature is that it shows the price of all those tires so you can fine tune how much grip you want compared to your budget.

If I can make it, I'll be running a set of these Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2's in 275/40-18 flavor. Got a great deal on them at the end of last summer stacking hankook and discount tire rebates on top of one of those flash ebay percentage off sales.

They're rated at 320, but they're meant to be my genuine 3 season tires for the truck, so whatever.

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

Yep, those Rikens were pretty decent. I use them as my "rain tires" for autocross now.

I'm bringing them to the Challenge this year for towing purposes, but will be racing on winner tires. Anyone is welcome to borrow my Rikens on Infiniti wheels per the Stampie rule. 

$219.88 budget hit.

25/45R17

17x7 Infiniti wheels 5x114.3 (5x4.5") 66.1 hub bore diameter.

I've got the 15" Continental Extreme Contact Sports on my Golf currently that I had planned to use. 

I've run the V12's on the 911 and like them. Not super grippy but easy to drive. I have the ECS+ on the Accord for One Lap. Another "not quite there" tire but a very real street tire for putting on miles especially in the wet. 

klodkrawler05 said:

GT Radial Champiro SX2

Michelin P4S

Continental Extreme Contact Sport (and pray it rains)

This would be my list as well.

P4S does not come in a 15" size

Conti ECS has a 205/50-15 and Champiro has a 195/50.

I think for any of the smaller cars (pimpm3's Nissan for example), the ECS on an 8" wheel is the ticket.

Is there no spending limit, just treadwear ratting? 

spin_out said:

Is there no spending limit, just treadwear ratting? 

This is correct. 

I'm going on the hunch that the vredestein sportrac5 is going to be a solid choice for gastropod contention. 

Of course then I find a 280TW option, but I've never been impressed by Nittos

Thanks. I thought there was a mention at the town hall meeting of like a $400 cap. 

Forgot about but re-found these today, the RS4 isn't exactly a slow tire.

We used a set on the M3 for lapping days and they feel nice, very consistent with easy to feel limits. They're not re71 pace by any means but, I don't think anything is in this category and that's the point.

In reply to klodkrawler05 :

I may have to price them in the 195/50R15 size, I wish they were available in 205/50R15 

In reply to klodkrawler05 :

If I'm reading that correct (240TW), then these aren't gastropod eligible.  250TW is the class cut off.