Dunlop Star Spec for my 06 spec b?

Been going crazy trying to decide which tires to go with on the Spec B. Read lots of posts about people absolutely loving the Dunlop Star Spec. Thought that would be my choice as well but it doesn't come in the 215/45/18 that I would need for my stock rims. Even went on the Dunlop site and no dice. I am looking for awesome grip in wet and dry and hopefully a quiet tire too. Has anybody tried the Kuhmo Ectsa 4x? I looked through the tire thread and only saw a couple opinions on them. Any other tire suggestions would be greatly appreciated too. Thanks for any help on this!

^^^ Just do a 225/40 or 225/45. Keep in mind, though, Starspecs run wider than most tires. I run the 225/45 and will go 235 or 245/45 next round.

 

The Kumhos are nice, but they take more heat to get sticky.

 

Will u dd these tires?

Will u race with them?

Are you okay with low mileage treadwear in exchange for great performance?

Are you okay with the Starspecs being a touch heavy?

Good to know I can play with the size a bit. I was planning on a couple track days but mostly fun drives in the hills and around town. I am used to quick wearing tires so that isn't a big deal. Just simply looking for the best all around performance I can get

Gotcha. I'll just close by saying that I take my DD to AutoX and hillclimb events, and the Starspecs are awesome on anything except snow. Great for dry, cold, and wet. They can overcook and get greasy if you really push them on a very hot day, but I've only done that once. I live in ID.

 

Note: If you're low on coils like me, a 245 will most likely need a slight fender roll. My current 225's fit with no issue though. I just want wider to be more competitive when I race.

I would go with the 235's if I were you. I almost bought the Star Spec's off my son, he had 235's on his R32.

Star Specs would be my choice for a dedicated summer and autox competition tire.

 

I ended up getting BF Goodrich Gforce Sport Comp 2 in 225/45 for STi BBS. 36psi is where it's at on those. Great wet traction as well - we had an awful pounding (think tropical storm downpour) this weekend and they handled like a champ.

+1 vote for star specs

i'm currently on my 3rd specs, and have high hopes for the new Z2s that are supposed to be released next year.

 

I agree they work on pretty much all situations, Autox on a heavy car like the legacy and you'll probably have to spray between runs to keep them from greasing over.

 

But do NOT try them below 40*

Like most summer tires, the compound isn't designed to handle those sorts of temp, and they get really hard and skatey.

Star Specs are great for performance, but awful for noise and comfort. In fact all extreme performance summer tires are like this (within reason). If you aren't racing, go with max performance summers. I had a set of Kuhmo Ecsta SPTs before and they were a nice all around summer tire.

 

But do NOT try them below 40*

Like most summer tires, the compound isn't designed to handle those sorts of temp, and they get really hard and skatey.

 

I paxed 4th overall in a dry, winter series autox event where the ambient was roughly 35F on SSs. I dominated 3 or 4 really fast guys that regularly whooped me at that time.

thats cause the leggy is good at heating up tires.

i guess i should have clarified... i really meant on the street at those temperatures.

at a competition event, yeah, they're going to get enough heat in them to be effective on heavy cars like Subarus, and will do better than comparable tires that require more heat (Kumho XS, Bridgestone RE-11s).

 

But on casual street driving, at low temps they get quite touchy. The WRX tried to come around on me more than a few times commuting to some local events and it was a very uncomfortable experience.

 

On my legacy, i'm planning on a set of Continental Extreme Contact DW, a summer only, max performance (not extreme like dunlop) that will be great in rain, quiet in daily driving, and still be a decent drive should i opt to play with the legacy on any given weekend. it also doesn't hurt i can bring them with me as rains for the WRX

http://www.michelinman.com/tire-selector/category/ultra-high-performance-sport/pilot-super-sport/tire-details#techspec_table

 

lighter, quieter, longer wearing, more comfortable, and they are so absolutely amazingly grippy, with a huge edge to play with, never had them break away unpredictably,

stage 2 2005, WOT in first gear in the rain, and they hook up just fine, on my old tires, it was rev limiter instantly in the wet in 1st gear.

Took them on a trip to eastern Washington state in December just after getting them, and they were a bit slick when cold, but never had any problems after warming them up on the road for a few minutes.

If you regret buying the Michelin tires, I will buy you a beer.

BTW I had almost every other tire listed in this thread on my mazdaspeed protege, these are the best tires ever made.

i guess i should have clarified... i really meant on the street at those temperatures.

 

But on casual street driving, at low temps they get quite touchy. The WRX tried to come around on me more than a few times commuting to some local events and it was a very uncomfortable experience.

 

I can't speak for your experience, but I had no issues whatsoever driving the 45 minutes to and from the event. Not once did the car feel uneasy, whether I was on city streets or driving 80mph on the highway.

 

I did get caught out on the road in a freak early season ice storm last year with the SSs on and the car was fine driving 50mph down the road. Again, not saying everyone's experience will be the same, but that was my experience.

I have had a set of the Kuhmo Ectsa 4X's since November, and I don't have a bad thing to say about them (except my rear passenger side tire is a magnet for picking up screws).

 

Dry traction is great - they are predictable and composed under heavy cornering & fairly quiet road noise. I have not Auto-X'ed them though... just DD commuting.

 

Wet traction is good. No complaints in Seattle's wet season.

 

Snow traction is decent - but I drive like a grandma in winter conditions.

 

Also, the price point is pretty good! I should also note that the only other tire I have had on the Legacy to compare to are the OEM Bridgestones.

http://www.michelinman.com/tire-selector/category/ultra-high-performance-sport/pilot-super-sport/tire-details#techspec_table

 

lighter, quieter, longer wearing, more comfortable, and they are so absolutely amazingly grippy, with a huge edge to play with, never had them break away unpredictably,

stage 2 2005, WOT in first gear in the rain, and they hook up just fine, on my old tires, it was rev limiter instantly in the wet in 1st gear.

Took them on a trip to eastern Washington state in December just after getting them, and they were a bit slick when cold, but never had any problems after warming them up on the road for a few minutes.

If you regret buying the Michelin tires, I will buy you a beer.

BTW I had almost every other tire listed in this thread on my mazdaspeed protege, these are the best tires ever made.

 

Hmm...you've peaked my interest. I'll have to check these out.

 

 

 

One thing to note about Starspecs, and a big part of why they were an instant hit for racers, is the rigidity of the sidewalls. They're the best tires I've personally owned for quickly transitioning left to right turns. Just an FYI.

SuperSports are a great tire. 30k mileage warranty, hold great in the dry & wet, autox-able, track-able. As they approach their limit, you get plenty of warning before they give way.

 

I'm on my second set, as I liked the first set so much. If you track them, be mindful of the wear bars on the outer edge...you'll void your 30k warranty sooner than expected.

 

The ride is quiet for a performance tire.

 

The other reason Starspecs were an instant hit is they are less costly than other options. :-)

^^^ Good call.

 

Here's a quick comparison I just did. Starspecs are cheaper since the last time I bought. I paid ~ $700

 

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x312/kagenmateer/Random/Tires.png

nearly $30/tire more expensive for a lot less grip...

I just mounted star specs on my car. Holy crap. I love them.

nearly $30/tire more expensive for a lot less grip...

 

But are they quieter? Better MPG? More comfortable? Better treadwear?

PLZ tell me more about mpgs with max performance summer tires

^this

 

pilot super sports are so over rated.

PLZ tell me more about mpgs with max performance summer tires

 

Point taken. But let's not forget about advancements in technology. Like a smart phone that runs at amazing speeds AND has better battery life. I'm confident we'll eventually have tires that stick in any condition and that have low friction for MPG/low noise. But we might be in the air by then too.

Another vote for Kumho SPT as a value priced but super competitive summer tire.

 

I'm on my second summer with my set and they are fantastic. Tons of grip, good tread life, well priced.

 

I do not auto-X my car.

I think the toyo R1R's are a phenomenal daily driver. spectacular in the wet, better than the star specs in the wet even, and stickier in some cases.