Vehicles used:
2006 BMW E90 325i Sedan

The Extreme Performance Summer tire category has grown out of the Max Performance Summer group, featuring tires that trade off some ride comfort, wet capability and treadwear to provide extreme levels of dry handling and responsiveness. Today's Extreme Performance category can trace its roots back to the first tire to make the promise of exceptional dry performance, the BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KD (Key feature: Dry grip). Released back in 1999, the g-Force T/A KD still delivers excellent dry performance, but by today's standards lacks the refinement of some of the more recent offerings in the category. While many of these new tires were developed for drifting and time attack competitors searching for extreme dry grip and control, most also show surprising levels of road manners and wet performance, too. Recently, Dunlop brought their successful Direzza Sport Z1 ("zed one") Extreme Performance tire to North America. Already a successful drifting tire in Asia, the Direzza Sport Z1 has thrown its hat in the ring of challengers seeking to become the North American Extreme Performance Summer champ.

To find out how the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 behaves on the street and performs on the track, Tire Rack team conducted a Real World Road Ride and Performance Track Drive, comparing the Direzza Sport Z1 to the BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KD, Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R and Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD07. Our evaluation used 2006 BMW 325i E90 sedans, with new, full tread depth 225/45R17 tires mounted on 17x8.0" wheels. Using new tires at full tread depth is appropriate for normal street use, but if you are planning to use any of these Extreme Performance Summer tires for dedicated autocross competition or track day events in dry conditions, we recommend they be shaved to 4/32" to 6/32" tread depth to optimize wear and performance.

What We Learned on the Road

Our 5.6-mile loop of expressway, state highway and county roads provides a great variety of road conditions that include city and highway speeds, smooth and coarse concrete, as well as new and patched asphalt. This route allows our team to experience noise comfort, ride quality and everyday handling, just as you would during your drive to school or work.

The Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD07 has already earned a reputation for delivering exceptional handling, both on the street and at track day or autocross events. This tire proved to be a pleasure to drive on the road with tight, responsive handling and a nimble feel. Very close behind was the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1. The Dunlop also displayed quick and linear steering response, with a nice direct feel. The BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KD was the first tire to strive for the level of street performance found in Extreme Performance Summer tires, and it, too, handled well, but with a nervousness that lacked the refinement of the other three tires. Rounding out the group was Bridgestone's Potenza RE-01R with stable handling but somewhat slower steering response.

When it came to absorbing impacts, the Bridgestone had a clear advantage, feeling quite civilized and doing a masterful job conforming to the road's irregularities. The Dunlop was rated second for ride comfort, displaying modest impact harshness. The Yokohama had a taught feel, doing a good job minimizing the smaller impacts but delivering a bit of a whack when it encountered really rough sections of roadway. The BFGoodrich was a distant fourth with its harsh ride quality that sent every road imperfection through to the driver, and made some of our BMW's interior body panels creak and groan as it pounded over patched pavement.

By their nature, Extreme Performance tires are not designed to be whisper-quiet as you roll down the road, but here again the Potenza RE-01R showed an advantage over the other three tires, producing only modest tread noise. The Direzza Sport Z1 was found to be a close second behind the Bridgestone, followed by the Yokohama. The BFGoodrich tire generated a constant drone on all road surfaces at speeds above 35 mph.

What We Learned on the Test Track

Our 1/3-mile per lap test track course includes 90-degree street corners, lane changes and simulated expressway ramps. Run in both dry and wet conditions, the test track allows our team to experience the traction, responsiveness, handling and drivability normally only encountered during abrupt emergency avoidance maneuvers or competition events.

All four tires felt right at home on our test track, flexing their handling muscle and displaying significant levels of traction in the dry. The Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD07 was the overall favorite, with lots of grip, responsive steering, the best front/rear balance of the group and amazing straight line braking traction. Not letting its age get in the way, the BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KD lapped our course only 1/10th second behind the Yokohama. Clearly the most responsive of the group, the g-Force T/A KD felt almost nervous in comparison. The BFGoodrich tire also showed the greatest treadwear during the dry track test. Right on the heels of the BFGoodrich was the Dunlop Direzza Z1, which felt easy to control at the limit, with only modest understeer in the fast sweeper section of our course. The Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R rounded out our group, less than 3/10ths behind the first place Yokohama. The Bridgestone tire displayed the slowest steering response, but also proved easiest of the group to control at its limit.

Extreme Performance Summer tires typically allow some trade off in wet traction for their outstanding dry grip. And while none set lap records on our course, most of their wet performances were nearly as impressive as in the dry. The Direzza Sport Z1 set the fast lap time, with excellent feel and overall balance. This tire carved its way through the corners and easily sliced through the slalom section. The ADVAN Neova AD07 followed with very good braking and acceleration traction, showing just a touch of understeer during cornering. The Potenza RE-01R followed, with less predictable handling at the limit in the wet than it did in the dry. The g-Force T/A KD was not able to keep up with the others, feeling quite slippery and slow to recover once the traction limit was exceeded.

Product Details

BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KD (Extreme Performance Summer): The g-Force T/A KD is the Extreme Performance Summer tire member of BFGoodrich's family of g-Force tires. The g-Force T/A KD is designed to deliver BFGoodrich's Traction/Advantage to increase the performance capabilities of sports cars, sports coupes and performance sedans by providing remarkable dry road performance (hence the "D" in KD) while providing satisfactory wet traction. The g-Force T/A KD is not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice. Read more.

Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R (Extreme Performance Summer): The Potenza RE-01R (with the "R" signifying Revolutionary) is the Extreme Performance Summer tire member of Bridgestone's global family of Potenza performance tires developed for enthusiastic sports car, sports coupe and performance sedan drivers. The Potenza RE-01R is designed to provide high levels of traction, responsive handling and driving control in dry and wet road conditions. The Potenza RE-01R is not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice. Read more.

Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 (Extreme Performance Summer): The Direzza Sport Z1 is Dunlop's Extreme Performance Summer tire developed for sports car, sports coupe and performance sedan enthusiasts. The Direzza Sport Z1 is designed to provide race tire-like traction on the street, as well as for autocross, drifting and track events. The Direzza Sport Z1 is not intended to be driven through snow, on ice or near-freezing temperatures. Read more.

Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD07 (Extreme Performance Summer): The ADVAN Neova AD07 is the Extreme Performance Summer tire member of Yokohama's global family of ADVAN performance tires developed for sports car, sports coupe and performance sedan enthusiasts who love sport driving. Used as Original Equipment (O.E.) on the Lotus Elise, the ADVAN Neova AD07 is designed to provide high levels of traction, responsive handling and driving control in dry and wet road conditions. The ADVAN Neova AD07 is not intended to be driven in cold temperatures or in snow. Read more.