215/40-R16 Yokohama S.Drive tires
 

on 16x7 or 16x8 rims.

The tires are 19 lbs., and I'm looking for rims that weigh less than 15
lbs--preferably less than 14.

Why the S.Drives? They seem very well regarded as all-around performance
tires, but are rated particularly well in wet traction...

....and I do live in Vancouver.

What do you think?

--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
<http://gallery.me.com/alangbaker/100008/DSCF0162/web.jpg>

215/40-R16 Yokohama S.Drive tires
 

In article >,
Alan Baker > wrote:

> Why the S.Drives? They seem very well regarded as all-around performance
> tires, but are rated particularly well in wet traction...
>
> ...and I do live in Vancouver.
>
> What do you think?

You're obviously not going to drive in snow, and the Toyo T1R is a
better tire. Especially in the wet.

--
Lanny Chambers
St. Louis, MO
'94C

215/40-R16 Yokohama S.Drive tires
 

In article >,
Lanny Chambers > wrote:

> In article >,
> Alan Baker > wrote:
>
> > Why the S.Drives? They seem very well regarded as all-around performance
> > tires, but are rated particularly well in wet traction...
> >
> > ...and I do live in Vancouver.
> >
> > What do you think?
>
> You're obviously not going to drive in snow, and the Toyo T1R is a
> better tire. Especially in the wet.

Really?

I've done some checking and a lot of people seem to think a lot about
the S.Drive's wet weather performance.

--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
<http://gallery.me.com/alangbaker/100008/DSCF0162/web.jpg>

215/40-R16 Yokohama S.Drive tires
 

"Alan Baker" > wrote in message
...
> Really?
>
> I've done some checking and a lot of people seem to think a lot about
> the S.Drive's wet weather performance.
>
> --
> Alan Baker
> Vancouver, British Columbia
> <http://gallery.me.com/alangbaker/100008/DSCF0162/web.jpg>

Both are considered quite good but since you didn't ask about tires, I won't
espouse the virtues of my favorites ;-). I will throw out for
consideration, my wheels which, imo offer the best combination of looks /
weight / price and, not necessarily in that order. I bought the Ultraleggera
by OZ Racing. They are 16x7 and a few years ago they were $210 each.
Actually I have had in my head that they were ~$180 each but since I don't
'trust' my head, I went and checked the receipt ;-). They are a little bit
of a pain in the a_s to keep clean but after having the super light BBS
Miata wheels for 5 years, these seemed a breeze in relative terms ;-). You
can see them he
http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/Wheel...Si lver+Paint

I believe these are 14.5lbs each. There are a few lighter / cheaper wheels
out there but I definitely factored in looks. These are made in Italy and
they are quality items.

Good luck,
Chris
99BBB

215/40-R16 Yokohama S.Drive tires
 

In article >,
Alan Baker > wrote:

> I've done some checking and a lot of people seem to think a lot about
> the S.Drive's wet weather performance.

Lots of summer tires are very good in the wet. The T1R is a notch or two
better than that, with significantly more grip under all conditions. In
addition, it's very lightweight and has an amazingly-plush ride.
However, its turn in is not very crisp, which bothers some folks.

I've used up three sets of Toyos, and was always quite happy with them.
Now I'm trying the Bridgestone RE-11, which is more of a track tire.
It's completely different, and won't be everyone's cup of tea, but its
grip and predictability are astonishing.

Every tire is a set of compromises. If you list your priorities, we can
offer better recommendations. How many miles per year do you drive? What
temperature range? How hard do you drive? What's your budget?

--
Lanny Chambers
St. Louis, MO
'94C

215/40-R16 Yokohama S.Drive tires
 

In article >,
"Chris D'Agnolo" > wrote:

> "Alan Baker" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Really?
> >
> > I've done some checking and a lot of people seem to think a lot about
> > the S.Drive's wet weather performance.
> >
> > --
> > Alan Baker
> > Vancouver, British Columbia
> > <http://gallery.me.com/alangbaker/100008/DSCF0162/web.jpg>
>
> Both are considered quite good but since you didn't ask about tires, I won't
> espouse the virtues of my favorites ;-). I will throw out for
> consideration, my wheels which, imo offer the best combination of looks /
> weight / price and, not necessarily in that order. I bought the Ultraleggera
> by OZ Racing. They are 16x7 and a few years ago they were $210 each.
> Actually I have had in my head that they were ~$180 each but since I don't
> 'trust' my head, I went and checked the receipt ;-). They are a little bit
> of a pain in the a_s to keep clean but after having the super light BBS
> Miata wheels for 5 years, these seemed a breeze in relative terms ;-). You
> can see them he
> http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/Wheel...loseUp&wheelMa
> ke=O.Z.&wheelModel=Ultraleggera&wheelFinish=Bright +Silver+Paint
>
> I believe these are 14.5lbs each. There are a few lighter / cheaper wheels
> out there but I definitely factored in looks. These are made in Italy and
> they are quality items.
>
> Good luck,
> Chris
> 99BBB

Yup. Like those. I like their Alleggerita even better and it's lighter
by about a pound (and about $20 more, of course).

See my other post for a few more. :-)

--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
<http://gallery.me.com/alangbaker/100008/DSCF0162/web.jpg>

215/40-R16 Yokohama S.Drive tires
 

In article >,
Alan Baker > wrote:

> I do some winter driving on snowy roads, but I managed
> that alright when I as on my last set of 205/40 tires even when they had
> very little tread left.

Alan, it's not just a matter of tread. If you must drive on ANY amount
of snow, even just to get back into your driveway, then all summer tires
are out. Their rubber compound gets hard in low temperatures, and
driving in snow or ice is not just difficult, it's physically
impossible. You'll need to limit your search to all-season tires, or
resolve to leave the Miata home until the roads are clear. Summer tires
also lose grip in cold weather, but they have so much to start with,
it's not unsafe, merely limiting.

--
Lanny Chambers
St. Louis, MO
'94C

215/40-R16 Yokohama S.Drive tires
 

In article >,
Lanny Chambers > wrote:

> In article >,
> Alan Baker > wrote:
>
> > I do some winter driving on snowy roads, but I managed
> > that alright when I as on my last set of 205/40 tires even when they had
> > very little tread left.
>
> Alan, it's not just a matter of tread. If you must drive on ANY amount
> of snow, even just to get back into your driveway, then all summer tires
> are out. Their rubber compound gets hard in low temperatures, and
> driving in snow or ice is not just difficult, it's physically
> impossible. You'll need to limit your search to all-season tires, or
> resolve to leave the Miata home until the roads are clear. Summer tires
> also lose grip in cold weather, but they have so much to start with,
> it's not unsafe, merely limiting.

Lanny, with respect, I think you're overstating the case.

The Euro T/As I used to drive were very much summer tires, and they
worked in winter. It was not "physically impossible" by any stretch, and
in fact -- by dint of skill -- I was often able to negotiate snowy roads
more ably than less skill drivers in 4WD vehicles with all-season tires.

--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
<http://gallery.me.com/alangbaker/100008/DSCF0162/web.jpg>

215/40-R16 Yokohama S.Drive tires
 

In article >,
Alan Baker > wrote:

> Lanny, with respect, I think you're overstating the case.

I'm just relating personal experience.

Just for kicks, I once backed halfway down my short, snow-covered
driveway. I could stop, barely; I set the handbrake, had my wife give
the car a push with one hand, and slid all the way to the street (which
was clear). With the rear tires at the curb, I let the clutch out in
first, got out of the car, and watched the tires churn slowly at idle.
This was with T1Rs, and I would call it a total lack of snow grip.

Perhaps your snow is different. Wetter, because Vancouver doesn't get
very cold? I've driven my Miata in snow exactly once, because the snow
arrived early and a meeting ran too long. It was 15°F, I had Dunlop
D60s, and 1/4" of dry snow was scary over 30 mph.

I normally enjoy driving in snow, and I'm good at it, but Miatas are
rotten in snow without proper tires.

--
Lanny Chambers
St. Louis, MO
'94C

215/40-R16 Yokohama S.Drive tires
 

In article
>,
Lanny Chambers > wrote:

> In article >,
> Alan Baker > wrote:
>
> > Lanny, with respect, I think you're overstating the case.
>
> I'm just relating personal experience.
>
> Just for kicks, I once backed halfway down my short, snow-covered
> driveway. I could stop, barely; I set the handbrake, had my wife give
> the car a push with one hand, and slid all the way to the street (which
> was clear). With the rear tires at the curb, I let the clutch out in
> first, got out of the car, and watched the tires churn slowly at idle.
> This was with T1Rs, and I would call it a total lack of snow grip.
>
> Perhaps your snow is different. Wetter, because Vancouver doesn't get
> very cold? I've driven my Miata in snow exactly once, because the snow
> arrived early and a meeting ran too long. It was 15°F, I had Dunlop
> D60s, and 1/4" of dry snow was scary over 30 mph.
>
> I normally enjoy driving in snow, and I'm good at it, but Miatas are
> rotten in snow without proper tires.

I've driven my Miata in Edmonton in snow with OEM 14" tires and in
Vancouver 205/40-VR16 B.F. Goodrich Euro T/As--even when they were close
to bald...

...and I've made it work. :-)

But, yes: here in Vancouver it is mostly within a few degrees of
freezing. And it is unlikely that even 5% of my miles will be on snow.

That having been said, I'll take the new rubber out on an empty parking
lot the first time there's a chance to test them on snow. If they're
unworkable, I'll but the steel wheels with four snow tires back on for
the duration.

--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
<http://gallery.me.com/alangbaker/100008/DSCF0162/web.jpg>