Sportauto: Summer Tire Test for Sportcars R19 2021

The German motoring magazine tested summer tires, designed for such sports cars as BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra.

For its next tire test, the German publication Sportauto chose summer tires in sizes 255/35ZR19 and 275/35ZR19, the OEM tire sizes for Toyota Supra and BMW Z4. In such a combination of tires, the publication’s experts managed to find only eight options belonging to various price brackets, ranging from the premium Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S to the much more democratically priced Nankang model; the test also involved a new model of the season from Bridgestone named Potenza Sport, which has already scored first place in the 20-inch tire test, conducted by Auto Bild Sportscars magazine.

Michelin Pilot Sport 4S - Winner Recommended

86 74

· Summer · 2017 · Passenger - Max Performance Summer

Verdict:
Positive: Very short braking distances on wet and dry asphalt. High grip level. Very direct steering response and very high steering precision in dry handling. Low rolling resistance.
Negative: Very narrow border area with a still easily controllable oversteer tendency in wet conditions. Slight restrictions in ride comfort.
Dry Braking Lateral Stability Rolling Resistance Dry Handling Dry Handling (Subjective) Straight Aquaplaning Wet Braking Outside Noise Lateral Aquaplaning Steering Response (Subjective) Elk Test

North America · Central & South America · Europe · Russia+ · Japan · South Korea · Southeast Asia · Middle East · Africa · Oceania

Test Score:

9.1
Bridgestone Potenza Sport Recommended

84 66

· Summer · 2021 · Passenger - Ultra High Performance Summer

Verdict:
Positive: Very high grip level on wet and especially on dry roads. Direct steering response and high steering precision in dry handling.
Negative: Somewhat sensitive to load changes in the wet. Increased risk of aquaplaning when cornering. Increased rolling resistance.
Dry Braking Lateral Stability Dry Handling Comfort / Cabin Noise Dry Handling (Subjective) Straight Aquaplaning Wet Braking Wet Handling Steering Response (Subjective) Elk Test Wet Handling (Subjective)

North America · Europe · Russia+ · China · Southeast Asia · Middle East · Africa · Oceania

Test Score:

9
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 Recommended

87 64

· Summer · 2018 · Passenger - Max Performance Summer

Verdict:
Positive: Extremely good-natured, easily controllable tire in the wet. Forgiving and yet active in dry handling. Low rolling resistance. High driving stability. Decent ride comfort.
Negative: Little dynamic steering response. Slightly increased rolling noise.
Dry Braking Lateral Stability Rolling Resistance Dry Handling Comfort / Cabin Noise Dry Handling (Subjective) Straight Aquaplaning Wet Braking Wet Handling Lateral Aquaplaning Steering Response (Subjective) Elk Test Wet Handling (Subjective)

Europe · Russia+ · Japan · China · Southeast Asia · Middle East · South Africa · Oceania

Test Score:

8.5
Continental SportContact 6 Recommended

80 55

· Summer · 2015 · Passenger - Max Performance Summer

Verdict:
Positive: With the exception of the slightly longer braking distances at a slightly reduced grip level, balanced performance on both wet and dry asphalt. Very low rolling resistance. Good ride comfort.
Negative: Small deficits in wet braking.
Dry Braking Lateral Stability Rolling Resistance Dry Handling Comfort / Cabin Noise Dry Handling (Subjective) Straight Aquaplaning Wet Handling Outside Noise Lateral Aquaplaning Steering Response (Subjective) Elk Test Wet Handling (Subjective)

North America · Central & South America · Europe · Russia+ · East Asia · Southeast Asia · Middle East · Oceania

Test Score:

8.2
Falken Azenis FK510 Recommended

80 63

· Summer · 2016 · Passenger - Ultra High Performance Summer

Verdict:
Positive: With the exception of a small corner aquaplaning weakness, good to very good wet properties.
Negative: Sluggish steering reactions and reduced cornering stability dry. Slight restrictions in ride comfort. Slightly increased rolling resistance.
Dry Braking Lateral Stability Dry Handling (Subjective) Straight Aquaplaning Wet Braking Wet Handling Outside Noise Elk Test Wet Handling (Subjective)

North America · Central & South America · Europe · Russia+ · Japan · South Korea · Middle East · Africa · Oceania

Test Score:

8.1
Maxxis Victra Sport 5 VS5

74 49

· Summer · 2018 · Passenger - Ultra High Performance Summer

Verdict:
Positive: Good braking performance wet and dry. With restrictions in cornering speeds, safe, easily controllable understeer tendency in dry handling.
Negative: Narrow border area when wet. Slight deficits in aquaplaning protection.
Dry Braking Lateral Stability Rolling Resistance Comfort / Cabin Noise Wet Braking Elk Test

Canada · Central & South America · Europe · Russia+ · Japan · China · South Africa · Oceania

Test Score:

7.9
Nankang AS-2+

70 37

· Summer · 2017 · Passenger - High Performance Summer

Verdict:
Positive: Largely safe in the wet, mostly understeering driving behavior with a reduced grip level. Excellent aquaplaning safety.
Negative: Little sporty driving behavior with sluggish articulation, poor steering precision and poor grip. Comparatively long braking distances and poor cornering grip in the wet.
Rolling Resistance Straight Aquaplaning Wet Handling Outside Noise Lateral Aquaplaning Wet Handling (Subjective) Dry Braking Dry Handling (Subjective)

Europe · Russia+ · East Asia · Oceania

Test Score:

5.7
Toyo Proxes Sport A

77 36

· Summer · 2020 · Passenger - Ultra High Performance Summer

Verdict:
Positive: Largely balanced performance at a reduced grip level. Proper aquaplaning safety.
Negative: Limited steering precision and slightly increased tendency to oversteer in dry corners. Significantly longer braking distances dry.
Straight Aquaplaning Lateral Aquaplaning Wet Braking

USA+ · Canada · Europe

Test Score:

5.1