Best tire for summer daily driver that will also work well for occasional track days?

[2015Etrac]

Could anyone recommend a good summer performance tire that would also do well for few track/autocross/HPDE days a season? My car is a daily driver so I need something that will work well in rain. I run Michelin A/S 3+ on my car most of the year, and while they work great year round, I can't really use them for track days. I was looking at RE71R's, but for a daily driver they would probably wear down pretty fast and I'm not sure they would be too safe in the rain. Are there any better options for what I need, and possibly more affordable than an RE71R type tire? Basically, something that's the best of both worlds, a good summer performance tire that can handle some occasional track use? Thanks.

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[Sham_POW]

You may want to check out the Michelin PS4S. I ran mine at a few autocross events, including one in the rain. I was surprised by the amount of grip on damp pavement. Good breakaway characteristics. I also like the ride quality as far as noise/comfort for the factory PP1 sizes.

I can't speak to overall treadwear (I only have 5k miles on mine) or how it stands up to track day abuse, but the PS4S really does seem to hit a sweet spot.

 

[Ewheels]

The PS4S are probably the best street tire that will also be somewhat decent at the track. Though I hate recommending Michelins cause I think they're over priced

Also try S007A or Advan V601

 

[Velgen]

Gonna have to agree with the two guys on top of me PS4S is hands down the best street tire while still being ready to roll.

 

[EFI]

As others mentioned, the P4S is probably your best bet, although they are expensive. Continental DWs will also work just as well and are a bit cheaper.

If you want to move the dial a little more towards track performance and less street durability, the Hanook RS4s will work for you too. Just depends on how many miles you put on the street and track.

 

[K4fxd]

Personally I'd use the A/S 3+

But I'm not looking for a hero lap time. I just try to run consistent laps. If that is 4 seconds slower than a car with a 200 TW tire so be it. I'm still having fun.

 

[NightmareMoon]

MP4S will hold up to novice track use and are really excellent in warm wet conditions. RS4 is a better summer track tire that you can also daily drive but it sucks in the rain. RE71R was fine in warm rainy conditions until the tread got too bald. Firestone

Personally I'd use the A/S 3+

But I'm not looking for a hero lap time. I just try to run consistent laps. If that is 4 seconds slower than a car with a 200 TW tire so be it. I'm still having fun.

I'd never ever recommend all-seasons for track use. Ever. Your point is well taken tho, a tire doesn't have to be fast if you're not competing.

RS4 is a good choice except for wet weather, I hear they suck in the rain.

MP4S may not hold up well on a heavy car with poor camber. If you have more than stock camber they should be a good choice.

 

[2015Etrac]

Thank's for the replies. I was thinking about the PS4s but wasn't sure how capable they were for some light track use and autocross. As much as I'd like to get a dedicated track tire, I don't track the car enough and I want to be able to daily drive it in the summer without worrying about rain or wearing them down every few months. I'll check out the PS4s.

 

[2015Etrac]

MP4S will hold up to novice track use and are really excellent in warm wet conditions. RS4 is a better summer track tire that you can also daily drive but it sucks in the rain. RE71R was fine in warm rainy conditions until the tread got too bald. Firestone


I'd never ever recommend all-seasons for track use. Ever. Your point is well taken tho, a tire doesn't have to be fast if you're not competing.

RS4 is a good choice except for wet weather, I hear they suck in the rain.

MP4S may not hold up well on a heavy car with poor camber. If you have more than stock camber they should be a good choice.

Thank's. I have Steeda camber plates waiting to be installed so I will be able to run more camber. Most of my track days will be beginner to novice stuff.

 

[K4fxd]

The PS4S is a summer only tire so in PA you will need a set of winter or A/S for the Fall Winter and Spring.

 

[2015Etrac]

Personally I'd use the A/S 3+

But I'm not looking for a hero lap time. I just try to run consistent laps. If that is 4 seconds slower than a car with a 200 TW tire so be it. I'm still having fun.

I thought about it but I heard they would wear down pretty quick on the track and they're my everyday tire in the fall and winter so I want to keep the tread for the bad weather. My last track day I ran the stock summer Pirelli summer tires on my factory 20" wheels. They did OK but traction wasn't great and they wheels weigh a ton, which I know isn't a big deal for beginner track stuff but I feel like my lighter wheels do make a slight difference in braking and acceleration.

 

[2015Etrac]

The PS4S is a summer only tire so in PA you will need a set of winter or A/S for the Fall Winter and Spring.

I run Michelin PS A/S 3+ for the fal and winter months.

 

[NightmareMoon]

If you need to drive in ice or snow (or much below 30 degrees) yeah, don't daily drive the MP4S summer tire.

If you want a track tire and need to daily drive in the wintery months, I'd be looking for a cheap 2nd set of wheels for track/summer use.

Tires are consumables and track tires are doubly so, so the only downsides to a second set for the track is the one-time up front cost of wheels. You're going to use up the tires eventually. Your street tires will last a lot longer if they're only used on the street, and your track tires will work better if they aren't hardened from heat cycles on the street as well.

 

[garagelogic]

I ran the Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R on 6GR wheels on my 2016 GT350R and they were great. Only caveat is that, like the MP4S, I would not run them in cold/freezing conditions.

 

[Steve68Cougar]

I run MPS4S on my '08. They've been good double duty tires for me. I autocrossed with them last year and they held up really well. I unfortunately haven't had a chance to get them out on a track yet, but the MPSS they replaced were pretty good. With autocrossing, I was usually 3-4 seconds behind the person that won our local CAM-C class. I ran against him in the rain and was less than 2 seconds behind. He was running on slightly wider RE71s.

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