15" tire suggestions for SW20, tire help

Today as I was in the water closet and reading GRM I was reading a recent article on track day tires where they compared three tires (I THINK it was bridgestone and nanking and...I dont recall).

It got me thinking - I need tires soon for the 15x7 and 15x7.5 wheels on the MR2

This is, primarily, a street vehicle that I will do a few TNIA and Auto-X in this year. I drive it to work or datenight once a month or so

When Im on TireRack etc and see things like "Extreme Summer Tire" or whatever, what, exactly, does that mean? What conditions will I be safe in?

No, I dont drive much in the winter, almost never in sub-40 temps etc, but it's happened. And sometimes you get caught in a rain storm...like last year when I was coming home from Charlotte after a Track Night in America

Suggestions?

Size ideas?

I was running toyo 888 for a while 

now I am running: 

195/50 and a 225/45 rear 

hankook rs4 on my 93 turbo 

my 95 turbo has same size toyo r1r 

If it's primarily a street car, get the Continental ExtremeContactSports. They wear solid, are very grippy, good in the rain and have good road manners.

mr2s2000elise said:

I was running toyo 888 for a while 

 

now I am running: 

195/50 and a 225/45 rear 

hankook rs4 on my 93 turbo 

 

my 95 turbo has same size toyo r1r 

Thank you for this information

would a 50 series work on the rear, or too tall?

hybridmomentspass said:

mr2s2000elise said:

I was running toyo 888 for a while 

 

now I am running: 

195/50 and a 225/45 rear 

hankook rs4 on my 93 turbo 

 

my 95 turbo has same size toyo r1r 

Thank you for this information

would a 50 series work on the rear, or too tall?

50 perfect in rear.
 

Stock sizes are 

195/55R15. (rear) 225/50R15

I ask because there are a TON of 225/50 options, not as many in 45.

You like 195/55 over a 205 front? No big difference really?

hybridmomentspass said:

I ask because there are a TON of 225/50 options, not as many in 45.

You like 195/55 over a 205 front? No big difference really?

I ran stock sizes for a long  time. When stock sizes dried up I switched to to the sizes I mentioned above 

I prefer a 205 on the front of the car. Then again my Elise had 175s on front before I upgraded to 205. Depends how you like your car set up 

I will throw on some advan a052, next on the mr2 turbo 95, at yesrs end, as thst comes in stock sizes 

both of the mr2 turbos are all stock 

Can you get Firestone Firehawk Indy 500s in that size? If you can, do it.

Just my opinion but I prefer my MR2 with the same size tires front and rear. 

We went to 17s on our SW20, but maybe some of the math will help. Here's the discussion. 

Biggest reason for moving to 17s: lack of choices in the 15-inch size. In the stock 15-inch sizes, yeah, it's just the A052--but a terrific autocross tire. 

You asked what's meant by extreme performance tire. Some talk about that from the Tire Rack site, but here's the take-home point:

Hyper-focused on extreme dry grip, but gives up wet traction, comfort and tread life to get it.

Pretty much all of today's 200tw tires are going to fall into this class. I've been driving on these tires for years (on the street, too) and find that they keep getting more civil. They're still making concessions, but they're not like R-comp tires from back in the day. Note that we don't have to worry about freezing temps. 

I'm sure JG will chime in soon, too, as that is a trick car to reshoe. 

In reply to Appleseed :

Love the Firehawks on my Ralliart wagon, but they're not available in 15 inch sizes. 

NickD said:

If it's primarily a street car, get the Continental ExtremeContactSports. They wear solid, are very grippy, good in the rain and have good road manners.

They also work remarkably well at 20F.  I never got mine to glass over like some tires do.

They do NOT, repeat, NOT work on snow.  At all.

I don't recall them having any 15" options other than a token 205/50.

I tried driving in snow ONCE in the MR2...not successful. One of two times I ever had to call my father to come pick me up because of the MR2...other time was when the timing belt snapped.

So this wont see snow, mostly date nights, some spirited driving here and there to get coffee or a weekend getaway etc

BUT I do plan to do VIR in two months, and hopefully Charlotte a time or two. Then an auto-x a time or two

So, more street than track, but I dont want just another 'all season' tire, but something that's going to grip as I push at the tracks a little.

For reference.

91 turbo. Gen3 swap with exhaust, mechanical boost controller at 15psi, 93 suspension and wheels, and some other things little things here and there, nothing too wild for power or suspension. EBC pads, stainless lines.

I looked into the Continental tires referenced above - yep, just 205/50 in 15

I have thought about 17s for this car - my previous MR2 Turbo I had some Kosei K1s...I miss those wheels. But I havent had luck finding a decent deal on a set of wheels that I liked and could afford. I'll be honest, as a high school teacher, my car budget is limited, so i save save save. I keep looking, and will keep looking. But, for now, with only two months till the trackday, I think Ill just reskin the 15s that I already have with some new quality rubber.

Im hoping to be under 600 for the entire deal. Many of the tires Im seeing for the fronts are around 110-120ish, some are below, some, of course, are above. I have some Falken RT615K on the front now, and like them, so I might just put those back on, they are 111/ea.

For the rear Im seeing some various options between 130-150. Falken, Proxes etc

Anyone know if there are any discounts through tirerack or anything for being a GRM subscriber or by having signed up for a TNIA?

Are you on the TNiA mailing list? In the past, I want to say they have mailed discount codes--can't remember if it was for tires or not. But it's a well run list. 

Unfortunately the offerings in the proper sizes are dwindling to either pretty hardcore 200tw or below track rubber or NOS all-season stuff. And the prices aren't great for any of the non-200tw rubber. And in some tires you can do either fronts or rears but not both. Like, you can get Pirelli P Zeros for both ends, but they're like $350 each. Like David said, this was why we went to 17s. You may want to give some serious thought to a second set of wheels with a street/track setup on each.

FWIW, I ran into a similar situation when shopping for tires for our old 1991 Nissan 240SX--just not a ton of sporty options if keeping the stock 15-inch wheels. I did try some 205/50R15s. For track, they were fine but did lower the gearing a bit too much on the street. It wasn't bad, but it did change the character of the car.