I don't see any problem with driving over 100 in the rain with S03's. I've used S03's (and s02's) on My SupraTT, and my WRX, and I think they are awesome tires. I've never been able to get more than 10 - 15K miles out of a set though (must be my driving style...)

The S0'3 have ungodly grip in the rain. I can't say they have the best dry grip, but I have never driven on a tire with more grip in the rain.

So far I think the advans suck in the rain, but I haven't had a chance to really test them. And I have my own dilemma now... I don't know if I want s03's because I don;t want to give up any dry grip... Maybe I'll just have to get some A032r's next summer

 

What makes the S-03 such a great tire-

The Potenza S-03 Pole Position features Bridgestone's UNI-T AQ II Technology that uses advanced compound and construction features to enhance and preserve wet traction through the tire's life.
On the outside, the Potenza S-03 Pole Position molds a Super Long Link Carbon Black, Dual Layer Tread II compound into a directional tread design that features notched shoulders, large "High Nose" intermediate tread blocks (that are shaped like the side view of a "high nose" F1 car) and a continuous center rib to provide quick dry road response and handling. Super Slant 3D grooves help direct and evacuate water through the tire to resist hydroplaning. The continuous center rib also helps reduce noise while providing constant road contact to enhance straight-line stability. Internally, the Potenza S-03 Pole Position features Bridgestone's Computer Optimized Component System which blends twin steel belts with spiral-wrapped Jointless Cap & Layer Construction which stabilize the tread area to enhance handling, high-speed capability and ride quality while minimizing weight.

 

hmm, it seems like everyone is in agreeance with these tires, but how about the goodyear eagle f1 gs-d3? i had those on my last car and they are also on my dad's, they were great in the rain and had excellent dry grip....how do they compare to the s03's?

 

Not a bad tire at all actually. It is the newest tire in its class, I would say its one of the top three performers. However, for overall performance, I would still have to stick with the Bridgestone. We did a tire test between the S-03, GSD3, and Pilot Sport. Check it out here:

S-03 vs GS-D3 and Pilot Sport

You can see how well the S-03 did in the tests below:
Results In Chart Form

 

anybody out there ever use Nitto nt-555"s?
I've got a set of these on order after reading amany favorable reviews of them in various places on the net....

 

When I bought my Supra the tires had just been replaced with those POS. They gave me so little grip that I had ordered s02's before putting even 1000 miles on them. But then I like taking turns very fast so it might just be me. For those of you that don't try to drive your car near its limits it's not a bad tire, and it will last quite a while

 

well damn, that article you posted made things a little difficult, ive had experience with both the michelin pilot sport and the goodyear eagle f1 gs-d3 but none with the s03's. well now im torn between the s03's and the eagle f1's damn, well its good that i have a good 10,000 miles left to make my decision...do you have any favorites between the two neal? any1 have any suggestions? thanks.


-majesty

 

I cannot comment on the S0-3's, however, I have tried the F1 GS-D3s as a summer replacement for the stock A046's. In what appears to be the case with other replacement tires, they compared unfavorably to the Advans. I was very disappointed, especially (with due respect) considering the F1's are classified as a "Max Performance" tire vs an "Ultra High Performance" rating for the Advans. The handling of the Evo was drastically transformed for the worse. The Evo lost it's intuitive handling, crisp turn-in, and overall grip. One plus, they were noticably quieter than the Yok's. I did not have the opportunity to run the F1's hard in the rain. If I were to try another tire again, I guess I would give the nod to the S0-3's over the F1's.

 

One thing to remember when comparing old to new tires is tread size.

As you wear down old tires, they approach the tread of racing slicks. While that makes them treacherous in the wet, it does give crisp response in the dry. New tires have fresh (soft) new tread blocks, so there's going to be a little loss of steering responsiveness, even staying with the same type of tire. (That's why racing tires are available in "shaved" versions, for when responsiveness is more important than longevity.)

I wouldn't put too much stock in tire "categories", as they're mostly marketing, rather than design goals. The A046 may have been lumped into the UHP "box", but that just means that the AVS Sport is the tire that is being marketed as Yoko's top "street" tire. The A0xx series started with the old A008 (and A008R shaved) racing tires, way back in the '80s. The A046 today is more like an "intermediate" race tire -- for conditions too wet for the A032s. (Okay, so there are some compound differences.) Their not being in the "Max Perf" category just means that they're a "niche" market.

 

 

Well i just bought Goodyear Eagle F1's for my evo i had potenzas
but i thort they just didnt feel to comfortable on a really wet road
as i had a few to many hydroplaning moments. Although i have only had my new tyres for a sort time they feel a lot more stable on the road and i have a lot more difficulty trying to get a little drift when cornering under exceleration. Where the potenzas let go the goodyears bit in. Plus all wide tyres are noisey it goes with the teritory would you buy an evo if you wanted a quiet ride?

 

I know what your saying, but, I can't say I agree with you completely. I understand new tires will "squirm" more than cycled tires, however, I am drawing a comparison between the way the Evo felt as I pulled out of the dealer's lot for the first time
and throughout their lives (incidently, my Advans are not completely worn, I swapped because I wanted to try a less expensive "Max" tire with superior dry and wet capabilities), compared to the F1's initial impression and thoughout it's life. After "broken in" the tire exhibited less grip in corners and in hard braking--the ABS engaged more frequently and sooner, and the tires skipped, which, to me, is a couple ways to confirm less traction/grip. In addition, as a tire wears the rubber compound breaks down, internally as well as externally. Thus, although a tire may appear to be more slick-like, it's rubber isn't as sticky. You may recall the S-02 Pole Position's dual layers were developed with that in mind.

 

The thing that people consistantly forget is the Advan is pratically a street legal race tire. All that tires focus is to provide maximum dry weather grip and steering response. It does not focus on treadwear, ride comforts/noise, or wet traction. The Advans might be an excellent tire for people only looking for this, but the majority of people want more versatility out of their tires.

This is where the S-03, GS-D3, or any other tires other than the Advan come in. Of the tires available, the S-03 offeres the best balance of overall performance. Its really not fair to compare the stock tires to others in the Max Performance class because its a specialty tire built for the EVO.

 

I forgot to mention, the F1's handling deficiencies are much more apparent when driven back-to-back. I have driven in my friend's Evo, immediately after driving in mine, and as I wrote above, they compare unfavorably to the Advans. I'm not saying they're a bad tire, they're just a bit shy of the higher limits of the Advans.

 

Very nice explanation...