Steve (Ft. Worth)

If they can afford THAT car, they can afford the tires every 10k miles (or less, I would suspect).

Anyway, my Dunlop SP Sport 2000's (OEM) on my SLK230 barely lasted 15k miles (with 2 AutoX's on them). If I remember correctly, they had the same wear number (140) as the RE040's.

I don't mean to poke any fun at you (if you take it that way). I don't like to pay for new tires either...that's why I'm trying to take it pretty easy on the tires I've got.

Havin' fun anyway,
Steve

Larrytt

Not a problem with you poking fun at me.

I can understand Audi or any other car company putting on Max Performance Tires on a car with a wear number of 140 or lower . . .usually those types of cars are over $60k and are driven MAYBE 10-20,000 miles in a 3 year period! Not a 5 month period!

I have only had my car since Nov 3, 1999! I put on 11,500 miles split around 3500 driven with snows during the winter! this is NOT high mileage for me. Most people that buy a Z8 for $120k will not wear the tires out before they dry rot!

I am not one of those people. I am going to order RE730 tires tomorrow and get them installed this week.<p><a href="http://registry.audiworld.com/audi/registry/details.asp?car=3285"><img SRC="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/ttsig.jpg" BORDER=0 alt="Click for Mods"></a>
<a HREF="http://larrytt.tripod.com">Larry's TTQ WebSite

DaveC4S4

Handling, safety, braking etc. Audi could have put on a tire with a rating of 320 like on my wifes A4 but then you wouldn't be pulling those same Gs on the turns. I'm thinking about the Potenza S02 Pole Position or AVS Sport when those nasty wear bars showup. Just my 2$<p><a href="http://registry.audiworld.com/audi/registry/details.asp?car=4741">
<img SRC="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/DaveTT_thumb.jpg"BORDER=0></a>

Lone Starr (Ivan)

So what does that mean? It sure as hell doesn't mean cheaper prices on RE040's since only 5000 Z8's will be built over 4 years with only 1600 of those to the US.

Frankly, I don't think this tire has enough dry traction for a 400hp car. The limiting feature of my TT on the track (once the driver improved, that is!) was the tires. They did not stick but the TT begged for more speed in corners. If the TT suspension is set up to take more speed, then this $128,000 retro-raunch roadster is gonna be sorely lacking in the rubber department.

Just my $.02.

And the BMW gushers at Automobile and Car and Driver can pay me $1.00US for each time the use the term "retro-raunch roadster."

Anyone get the impression how I feel about the Z8? The styling is BO-RING!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled TTv program!<p>Ivan
<i>Jacksonville, Florida<i>
<img SRC="http://www.geocities.com/y2ktturbo/tinytt.jpg" BORDER=0>
"Zorro" 2000MY, 180hp, Fronttrak, Silver/Ebony
K&N, Garmin EMap GPS, Audi "mask", Cobra R/D

Marius

I'm amazed that rears are more worn than fronts. Any explanation for that?

MichaelTT

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/tire.jpg"></center><p>Even though I am NOT expecting wear on the RE040s anywhere close to immediate
south of 15K miles, I still grit a little at $227/tire (TireRack price)...price one pays to
play with the good toys.
As an aside, my son just purchased a 2000 Celica GT (for its price break one nice car and
Toyota finally got out of vanilla design mode...thanks to the California design team) and
we decided to replace 16" stocks with 17 inchers. Purchased Miglia Spyders with
Sumitomo HTR Z IIs (see pic).
Maybe some of you are doing what I did...SUMITOMO??? Well, found out Sumitomo
owns Dunlop and has part interest in other tire manufacturers and they are well
established in the Euro and Pacific markets and make very excellent performance tires of
which the HTR Z II's are an example. Have 220 AA A ratings but due to compound used
have highly rated wet/dry traction characteristics. Here is the interesting part...225 45
Z17 is $120/tire and to those of you that are tire aficionados...yes it looks just like the
Dunlap SP Sport 9000 and it IS basically the same tire (the Dunlap SP 9000 is a
Sumitomo designed product), but the Dunlap for the same size is $181/tire (all prices
quoted are from TireRack). I think Sumitomo will become a key performance tire player
and will be interesting to see what they come out in the Y rated range and at what price
break. Right now Z rated only and not appropriate to the 225 TTs (assume also the 180s
but I am less familiar with this model...going to meet Cliff and other TTers this coming
weekend and I quite sure my ignorance of 180s will change:>).<p>2001 Amulet Red 225TTQC
aka 20 TTQ 01

Larrytt

I had the tires on from new to when I put on the snows at around 5500miles. The snows were removed at 9k. I rotated the tires front to back when I reinstalled the RE040. Then the 10k service was performed and I told them NOT to rotate the tires as I had just done so. Maybe they DID rotate them!

I now have 15,200 miles on the car and about 11k on the RE040.

Maybe the back of the car slides around a little more than the front does through mountain roads. I did about 200+ miles of that kind of driving in NC.<p><a href="http://registry.audiworld.com/audi/registry/details.asp?car=3285"><img SRC="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/ttsig.jpg" BORDER=0 alt="Click for Mods"></a>
<a HREF="http://larrytt.tripod.com">Larry's TTQ WebSite

Hamakua_Boy

Easy, When braking weight shifts to the front, most of the breaking surface is there.

Marius

Not much left-foot braking or hand-brake turns? Just incomprehensible.