Thanks, guys. This is shocking news to me, but it's good to know. Why a company would shell out to be title sponsor of a series and then get someone else to make the tires is beyond me. That just seems too pathetic for words. It would be like Gatorade being the title sponsor for, say, a triathlon, but then serving Powerade in Gatorade bottles. Yeah, the stuff is better (just as Hoosiers are better than Contis), but as soon as you learn what's going on, you just have to laugh.

ps. my Evo's engine is a really a Hyundia; I just like having the name "Mitsubishi" on the valve cover in case I get divorced and some chick get stuffed in my hood-scoop

 

Its all about selling street tires. continental makes most of their money on street tires and porsche owners etc watch the grand am races. they equate race cars with continental tires to good street tires so it is likely a good target race to support. they may not be set up or want to invest to produce these specific tires for a limited use market (grand am series} so it was likely just a make or buy decision

 

Yeah, but as soon as I hear that those tires with "Continental" in yellow on the sidewall are actually Hoosiers, I think even less of Continental than I would if they had nothing to do with the series.

If you've been around a while, remember the reaction of NASCAR fans when the cars switched from being modified stock cars to tube-framed monsters with nothing in common with street cars. Many fans actually took their feelings out against their previous favorite brand.

 

What about Michelin super sport? They are lighter than the Dunlop star specs too.

 

The SS is a bit more every dayable, but the Dunlop will be a tad better in dry and response being an extreme performance tire.

 

Op, I'm in the same boat. I'm looking for a great all around tire with great steering feedback IE no marshmallow sidewalls and great dry/good to average wet traction. Looking at the potenza S-04 PP. I have Hankook all seasons on my oem wheels, but looking for something to shed my new 9.5 rays wheels with once the stock advans wear out.