 |
Tires Home |
|
|
|
Taking Performance Tires to the Max
Vehicles used:
Lexus IS300 sport sedans
The Max Performance tire category is reserved for technologically advanced tires that combine highly developed materials with precision manufacturing processes to provide superior dry & wet traction, h&ling & high speed capabilities. & while this description is a bit lengthy, it's important to remember only tires that demonstrate the highest levels of performance have made the grade.
When Kumho Tires USA began promoting their performance tires using the "TurboKumho" nickname, they set their sights on challenging the industry's major br&s by developing a tire for the Max Performance category. & while the Kumho Tires br& is relatively new, Kumho has been producing tires in Korea since 1961 & is ranked among the top 10 tire manufacturers in the world today. Kumho produces Original Equipment, replacement, performance & competition tires for a wide range of vehicles.
In an effort to help develop better tires, Kumho uses a variety of competition venues as proving grounds for new techniques & technology. Autocross, road racing & pro-rally all help develop new ideas that end up improving the tires used every day. Drawing on their race-proven technology & design capabilities, Kumho developed the Ecsta MX Max Performance tire for the street. The question is, "How successful were they at reaching their goals?" Only the performance of the Ecsta MX can provide the answer to that question.
In order to get a better underst&ing of the road & track performance provided by selected Max Performance tires, Tire Rack Team conducted a Real World Road Ride & a Performance Test Track Drive comparing the BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KD, Kumho Ecsta MX & the Yokohama AVS Sport tires. We used Y-speed rated, 225/40R18-sized tires mounted on 18"x8.0" wheels. This Tire & Wheel Package was fitted to three 2001 Lexus IS300 sport sedans equipped with Eibach Pro-Kit Sport Springs & KONI Sport shock absorbers adjusted to their softest setting.
Because the g-Force T/A KD features a tread design that is both asymmetric & directional, specific tires have to be used on the left & right side of the vehicle.
On the outside, a high grip tread compound is molded into a relatively shallow, 9/32-inch deep tread pattern that features small grooves & large tread blocks on the outer shoulder contact area to increase cornering traction & steering response, while slightly larger grooves result in slightly smaller tread blocks on the inside portion of the tread. The tread grooves are directionally aligned providing water evacuation channels to resist hydroplaning & enhance wet traction. Internally, twin steel belts are reinforced by spirally-wound nylon strips to enhance tread stability, ride uniformity & high speed capability. Stiff sidewall inserts help resist lateral deflection for h&ling control & feedback.
On the road, the g-Force T/A KD delivered a firm ride due to its sporty nature. & while it was praised for responsive real world h&ling, its race tire-like responsiveness made it feel twitchy over some of Indiana's road irregularities. The g-Force T/A KD also generated more noise than the other two tires.
On the track in the dry, the g-Force T/A KD came into its element by providing very responsive h&ling, superior cornering & excellent braking traction. Combined, these traits allowed the g-Force T/A KD to turn the fastest lap times.
On the track in the wet, the g-Force T/A KD still provided responsive h&ling, along with good cornering & braking traction, but it couldn't match the h&ling or wet traction of the Ecsta MX.
While expected to provide equivalent real world highway tread life, the g-Force T/A KD's superior performance on the track did come at a cost, as it was the fastest wearing of the three tires in our high stress track test.
On the outside, the Ecsta MX molds a racing-inspired, silica tread compound into a relatively shallow, 9/32-inch deep directional pattern. The design features massive, stable blocks to increase cornering traction & steering response, while four large circumferential & multiple directionally-aligned lateral grooves resist hydroplaning & enhance wet traction. Internally, two wide steel belts are reinforced by spirally-wound nylon cap plies to provide excellent strength, uniform ride quality, & high speed capability while the sidewalls are tuned to resist lateral deflection to provide h&ling control & feedback.
On the road, the Ecsta MX also delivered a firm ride quality but was able to absorb tar strips & expansion joints better than the g-Force T/A KD. & while the Ecsta MX was also praised for responsive real world h&ling, it felt a little less twitchy on the road. The Ecsta MX generated noise level that was rated between the other two tires.
On the track in the dry, the Ecsta MX came into its element by also providing very responsive h&ling, superior cornering & excellent braking traction; but it wasn't able to run quite as fast as the g-Force T/A KD.
On the track in the wet, the Ecsta MX continued to provide responsive h&ling, along with good cornering & braking traction. This made the Ecsta MX easier to drive at the limit & allowed it to turn the fastest lap times of the three tires.
On the outside, the AVS Sport features a 10/32-inch deep, Y-shaped directional tread design which features a massive, center tread block which incorporates a continuous zigzag center rib for uninterrupted rubber-to-road contact that helps enhance steering response, high speed stability & tread wear. The AVS Sport's design results in an evenly-spaced distribution of straight tread grooves (which run at angles to the direction of travel) to improve water drainage to enhance hydroplaning resistance. The AVS Sport features Yokohama's Super Performance Silica (SPS) tread compound to further resist wear while it enhances dry & wet traction. Internally, the AVS Sport's twin steel belts are reinforced by jointless nylon construction to provide high speed capability while minimizing tire weight & maximizing ride uniformity. The AVS Sport features a casing design that uses steel sidewall inserts to enhance lateral rigidity for improved response & cornering stability.
On the road, the AVS Sport was praised for its good noise level, ride comfort, & responsive h&ling. This earned it the highest road ride ratings of the three tires in the test.
On the track in the dry, the AVS Sport offered good traction & predictable h&ling, but couldn't match the lap times of the other two tires. After our day of testing on the track the Yokohama AVS Sport tires showed noticeably less wear than the other two tires.
On the track in the wet, the AVS Sport offered good wet traction & predictable h&ling, but allowed the car to understeer at its h&ling limit. This resulted in slower lap times than the other two tires.
