Yeah, another tire thread. Anyone try Direzza ZII Star Spec?

Onto getting my 4th set of tires now. It had Pirelli P Zero Rossos on it when I bought the car. Then got another set of the same after the rears wore out. They were OK, but wore out fast on the track and got loud for street use. Currently have: Front: Bridgestone Potenza S-02A, 225/40/18 Rear: Bridgestone Potenza S-02A, 285/30/18 Tread wear rating is 140. I've blown through them pretty quick. I think I can hammer out one more auto-X on the current Bridgestones. Kinda noisy on the street, too. A guy at this weekend's autocross suggested Dunlop Direzza ZII, but they don't come in 285. Looks like the ZII Star Specs do. Set of 4 is $1,011.96 through Tire Rack, plus mounting cost at a local shop. Tread wear rating is 200. However, I was told (no idea if it's true) that this exact same compound/tire was previously rated a Tread wear rating of 100. The intended use is: daily driving, one auto-X per month, occasional track use. Southern California, so no snow (there's a statement on the web site that they are not for sub-freezing temps). OK, peanut gallery, suggestions? Any of you running Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Spec? Link: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....e&autoModClar=

You know my answer! My tires were the ZII Star Spec. When I was looking earlier this year, the 285's weren't available.

^^^ Yeah, maybe these will make up that 7 second difference!!

^^^ Hey, you never know. The Dunlops and a good street/performance alignment gave me about a 7 second bump. I also got my story mixed up on the treadwear rating. I was making the final decision between the Direzza ZII Star Specs and the Hankook RS-3's earlier this year. The Hankooks are the one that were adjusted from 140 treadwear up to 200, not the Dunlops.

OK. I think you said you don't street the tires. I'd like a couple opinions on every day street use from guys streeting them, but looks like these are the ones I'll try. I think I want to scrub off another couple mm rubber at one more auto-X before replacing, but I want to get all my research done ahead of time. [P.s. Don't forget to post in the "Show us your seal gray 996" thread if you haven't already done so. We need to see what another car looks like, that looks exactly like the previously posted ones.] As a complete digression, I always wonder what the story is behind the name "Hankook." When I lived in Los Angeles, there were many areas named after the Hancock family. When I lived in the Korean section of town, many of them spelled it "Hancook" and "Hankook" on stores, etc. I wonder if these tires were named by an illiterate Korean tire developer from Los Angeles? A quick search of "Hankook Los Angeles" turns up this: Wonder what that last sentence means?

I've ran the Star Specs before and while it's a excellent tire for DE's and such, depending on your taste and suspension setup, it can grow tiring for the street as it can be a bit rough and noisy for some. As for Hankook, "Hangook" means "Korean" in korean so maybe spelling translation mixup which is really meant to mean "Korean Tires". Regardless, I find it ironic that Hankook is the main sponsor and official tire used in DTM Racing which is a German racing series. LOL.

Thanks for the input, Alpine. Ryan, have you driven on the freeways with the Direzzas? Noise? Anyone else out there with add'l personal experience with these tires?

I have been using the ZIIs for the past two years. Before that, I tried the Pirelli Rossos and then several years of PS2. The Dunlops are my favorite by far. I have used them for about 10,000 miles of city/highway driving and probably 5-6 days on track. They are pretty similar to the PS2s on the road, I haven't had any issues, problems or complaints. They even work at temperatures where I probably should have switched to winters (40 degrees or so). On the track they are a huge upgrade from the Michelins and the Pirellis (which I didn't like at all). Much better grip, and much better wet traction. When I bought mine, I had no problem getting 285s from Tire Rack. Probably my go-to tire from now on.

I bought a set last month. I drove to Parade (about 750 miles each way), autorossed (actually a total of four people autocrossed my car) and drove back. Ride was very comfortable (I have a sport suspension) according to my wife who would let me know if it wasn't. Was very good in the rain (wasn't monsoon weather, but it rained hard at points). They did great in the autocross. Warmed up very quickly. Predictable and minimum push. Since it isn't a daily driver, I'd buy another set in a heartbeat.

Mike, you are correct, I don't street the tires other than on the freeway to the autocross. I am running them on 18's. I find them to be quieter than the 19's Hankook Ventus V12 that I have for street tires currently. Can't wait to get rid of the Hankooks.

I have 2 sets of wheels and 2 sets of tires. 1 set for daily driving and the other for track days. I decided to put on the Direzza's onto my street set and the Nitto NT05's on my track set up. Now I wish I would've done Direzza for both! (My street wheels are not the same size). The Direzza's really grip well. When my windows are down I can actually hear their grip onto the road. Some people may not like the noise, but I do. It's not overtly obnoxious, but it is something you can hear with the windows down. I like hearing when things are working properly.

OK, thanks for the additional input. I'll get a set of the Direzza's. Probably next month.

Those are great tires, but if you want to rotate them side to side, I don't believe they will work (directional). FWIW, the Bridgestone RE-11s are also great grip, etc and they can be rotated.

I'm pretty sure my current Bridgestone Potenza's are directional too, and can't be swapped side to side. From Tire Rack's web site, here is the rating for my current Bridgestone Potenzas: And here is the rating for the Direzzas: Similar, but the Direzza seems to have the slight edge in nearly every category. Note, however,that the Bridgestone ratings are based on comments from 75 people and 610,000 driven miles. The Direzzas ratings are from only 16, and only 52,000 miles.

RE 11s are asymmetric, but not directional.

Mike I'm curious, for the same $$$$ you could get the Michelin PSS. Are they still back-ordered? Or you don't care for them? I have them and love em.

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This is correct, the Direzza's are directional. It is also a problem that can be remedied with $40 slipped to your favorite tire guy and you swap the mounts halfway through their life-cycle.

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I remember considering the M-PSS the last time I bought tires. Maybe they were out of stock. I just now checked Tire Rack... they don't seem to carry the M-PSS in my sizes. They do have the Sport PS2, which get good reviews. I think I went for my current Bridgestones due to the 140 rating, which I figured would be stickier on the track.

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The M-PSS doesn't come in 285/30R18. I went with 285/35R18. I don't track my car but they are pretty sticky and have good tread wear.

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I may not be following you correctly, but as I understand it, directional tires are not to be used in the opposite direction. The water channeling would not work. If I'm missing something, please clarify. Thank you.

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Directional tires, like the Direzzas, can be taken off the wheels and remounted such that the tire that was on the right front becomes the tire on the left front (similar for the rears). Now what was the outer edge of the right front tire becomes the inner edge of the left front. If the tires were wearing unevenly (as expected if driving hard), this will extend their lives. I've been using Direzzas for street/track use for years. Used them on the Boxster, the 924S, and the 996. With the Boxster and 996 I consistently finished in or near the top 10 in autocrosses against plenty of competition with R-comps. Just recently bought a set of NT01's for the 996 for the track, and they are definitely a step above the Dunlops for absolute grip. However, I am still impressed by the Direzzas. I still have a set of ZII's on my "street" wheels for the 996, with the Nittos on my "track" wheels.

Thanks for the add'l input, Mark!

Is everyone running 225's on the front? I put a set of 245/35's on my car with the last tire change, to try to get some more grip. Just curious, as I'd like to try the Star Specs, but I can't run the wider fronts.

Placed my order today at Tire Rack today for Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Specs. Front: 225/40/18 Rear: 285/30/18 Will let you know my impression after I've had them installed and driven on them for a bit.

+1 on several comments above in my experience (on a bmw e92 m3 i track sometimes) the direzza star specs are an excellent two way tire. great grip, excellent feel on track, very gradual/linear when slipping only downsides are as mentioned above... firm and drone-y on the highways and they don't quite provide the absolute level of dry grip compared to true r compounds i would not use these on a car i DD - to me they are a bit too noisy

Valuable information. Educate me, some/all of you: What is a better choice than my current P Zeros based purely on noise? I don't track my car; purely semi daily driving, and intermittent long highway excursions as fast as I can get away with. The subtleties of grip in dry desert driving (occasional rain) will likely be lost/wasted upon me. The car will never see snow, so all-weather isn't a priority at all. After a few years in the Land Rover, the droning noise is REALLY noticeable in the 996. Or maybe I've just become a cranky intolerant old man. You decide. Anyway, the info on this string suggests that the Direzzas are not perhaps the best for noise or daily driving. What is? Michelins? Or, just stick with P Zeros when it's time to replace them? Thanks in advance.

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in my experience pzeros are good n sweet in the first few thou miles then they deteriorate and get VERY noisy and VERY hard feeling try toyos or street b stones, conti's or even hankook evos (great value) - these still have a sporty feel but a softer sidewall that makes for much quieter ride over the life of the tire on a dd type car

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Pirelli have great calendars. That's about it

I went through two sets of P-Zeros, and agree with the above. Wouldn't get 'em again.

Thanks for all the input: Most helpful. Looks like Pirelli will have to make their sales target next year without my help. Might try the Bridgestones. Current tires have maybe 7-8000 miles on them, so I anticipate replacement next summer.

From my experience the Z2 and Z1SS are a bit loud as others have stated. I've never driven on Z2SS. I say best DD tire is MPSS. Best streetable track day tire is the NT01. Best road mannered performence street tires are the AD08 and RE11. Seems as though the AD08 is faster but more pricey than the RE11. RE11s are very vocal, consistent and easier to drive fast. Just not the grippiest. MPSS is great on the street, looks good and works fine on track but it's WAY off pace of the better tires. NT01s are just awesome track day tires that you can put street miles on. They are a touch harsh and quite loud on the street. But they shed heat well and stay pretty darn consistent until they're worn. Z2s (not star spec) were good but peaky. They drone on the street and when they get too hot they really let go. NT01s have a very progressive release when the car slides around a bit. .02

Just got a set of these . I had a very hard time finding tires at all here in Canada , went to 4 places , big O , kal tire . Ok tire , Canadian tire No one could get me the rears , tried to get bridgestones , mich, contis, nobody had a set . So I got the dunlops from tire rack shipped to my place in Washington , and just picked them up to have installed locally . Anyone been running these for a while ? What do you think ? I'll get them to put them on the car tomorrow .

Star specs have always been a solid tire, particularly for any autocrossers. A blast to drive on the street as well, but expect it to be a bit harsh and noisy. However, Bridgestone redesigned their Potenza RE-71R, and I would have to suggest looking at that as well. A little bit softer than the star specs, but much more grip. I'm running them in 265/35/18 on my WRX now and there is no end to the amount of grip. Wear pattern has been good enough that I will probably put them on the 911 when it comes time for new tires as well.

It seems they make small batches of re 11 and re71s in 911 sizes , couldn't get them

The Star Spec is a great street tire that is trackable. I recently replaced mine with Re-71's as they are a little faster, but do not last as long YMMV (no pun intended)

What, am I the only one running these? http://worlds.tapchidoisong.com/2016...amonds-is.html

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You are also the only one with a gold plated IMSB

If you are using/considering the Direzzas I can also recommend to look into Yokohama AD08r, maybe a next time. They are available in 285/30 and 295/30 for the rear. Only problem is that the load index for the fronts are a bit offset: 225/40 has 88 285/30 has 93 and 295/30 has 94. It is recommended to match load index as closely as possible. The AD08r 235/40 has a load index 91. So a good match could be 235/40 91 in front and 295/30 94. I can confirm that the 295/30 fits perfect on a 10J rear wheel, square shoulder profile. So it is possible to run 235/40 front and 295/30 rear and balance the load index a bit. It is in fact the setup that I am driving now (on 8J 10J wheels) . I think in performance the AD08r they are comparable to the Direzza's. No hands on comparison experience however. I feel while driving that the AD08r has also considerable good wet grip, in case that is important. I like them because they give a good smooth ride. The 295/30 gives also some extra side wall for comfort. Not as harsh as the Bridgestones S02a I had before. Bridgestones are known for very stiff tyres. Gradual and very predictable feedback on the track as well the street. Not too loud on the street. Excellent track performance for a track oriented street tyre.

The load index has to do with the amount of weight on that tire/axle Its is not uncommon that with staggered setup (different width tires per axle) that the load index is different Nothing at all to be concerned about if they are different F/R as long as the index exceeds the tire/axle weight where the tire is located The sidewall height difference between a 285/30 and a 295/30 is 3 mm, less than 1/8 inch. Virtually nothing. You should get a little more grip as they are 10mm wider, 25/64" If you have PSM/PASM or all wheel drive, the tire diameter needs to be close F/R

Thx for adding this information. About the load index: I had a long chat with the person who installed my Ohlins R&T DFV suspension. He has a lot of experience as he supplies professional racing teams with their suspension, setups and alignments all over Europe. We talked a lot about which tires I should choose for the street. He mentioned it is advisable to match the load indices between the tires as best as possible. He did not mean an exact match was necessary. He told me that a too big difference could cause unbalance in the car. He pointed this out to me when I was looking at the AD08r 225 -285 combo which is 88W - 93W vs. 235 - 295 with 91W-94W I agree that with a staggered setup this influence would become less important. If it is noticable at all. Comes also into play that a 911 has a different weight balance between front an rear then any other car. Yes the extra side wall is minimal. So let us agree that it is mainly an increase in ride comfort that origins between the ears At least it will not be detrimental. 235/40 - 295/30 is well within spec for PSM, ABS and 4 wheel drive 911

@Vancouver996 - you got a picture of how they look on the rims once mounted? Interested in rears mainly. Thanks!

Can anybody compare Bridgestone Potenza S-04 to Direzzas? I'm looking at S-04 as my next tire, they seem to do very well on TireRack being 4th from top. Wandering if they are not overhyped. I'm aiming at trackable street tire

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How exactly would too big a difference in the load index could cause unbalance in the car? I really would like to understand that

I will ask him what he meant with that next time I see him ...

I need to get one more set of PZero Rosso's for the back as the front still has plenty of tread left. Once I burn through the PZero's, I'll give the Dunlops a shot as I had good experience with them in prior cars. Please post an update on them after you but a few miles on. Mine is Daily driver only, and I'm interested in sound and how the handling compares to the PZero, as I know all too well how fast the thread runs down to nothing and then they get really bumpy...

Took the car for a good run today , even though they aren't broken in yet , these are the stickiest street tire I've ever run . Combined with my CO suspension and diff it a grip monster .

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Wait until you try RE-71s

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I'm running RE71s on the Boxste'. I don't think I would use them for everyday street, as they wear out extremely fast. Very sticky rubber. Yesterday I replaced my front tires... just had the last set of RE71s installed three months ago, and they were shot already. Yeah, there has been track use and AXs, but they sure did wear out in a hurry! I didn't like the PZero Rossos at all. Wouldn't buy them again.

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I had S-04s a few tire sets ago (sheesh, now you guys are making me think of my tire budget ). They were pretty good, but I like the Direzza Star Specs better.