Keeping in line with the other reports in this series (see those here: [insert links and link from bottom section]), this is a bit of a catch-all for many of the tires that have been requested, or that we've wanted to test, but weren't available in our sizing for prior seasons. So, we did some thinking, landed on an alternative 275/35R18 tire size, sourced some wheels, and gathered up all the rubber we've been yearning to drive on our BMW M2 test vehicle. This particular report is focused exclusively on the track-oriented performance of several popular 200-treadwear (200TW) and a few sub-200TW tires.
We recognize that many drivers participate in a variety of events such as autocross, track nights, and time trials, often on a single set of tires with no backups for rain. So we're looking at performance on a shorter track (our own), in both dry and wet conditions, and a longer local road course to reflect the demands placed on these tires during real-world competition.
As usual: we'll introduce each and break down our experiences with them in three parts. The first will be our Tire Rack test track, in both wet and dry conditions to understand how these tires act when pushed to their limits on a short, dynamic course with more frequent braking, acceleration and tighter corners. Then, we'll discuss how they handled a local road course: a 2 mile raceway where our drivers have the room to see what each performance tire is capable of over a longer track with higher speeds and sweeping turns.
This test also introduces a new wear analysis method: high-resolution images were taken of each tire in its brand-new state, and then again after eight laps from the road course portion of our testing, but before any of the road/dry/wet testing on our home track. By overlaying these images, we generated a topographical "heat map" that highlights areas of compound loss or gain, revealing patterns of wear, rubber pickup, and material migration. This visual data provides insight into how each tire responds to track use beyond lap times and subjective feedback.
Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS Track Performance
Little surprise from its performance in other sizes, when it comes to driving in the wet, the Potenza RE-71RS was just plain good. It had plenty of traction to play with, braking was confident, and the steering was quick and accurate. Traction loss when we actually found the limit was quick, but so was recovery. More of a surprise was its dry track performance: the 18" sizing felt like it made a noticeable difference here. Acceleration was quicker, with our drivers bouncing off the rev limiter more frequently, but it was as nice to drive, if not more so than in the 19" size. Steering was progressive and precise, but really the grip led the show. It didn't want to rotate at all, just point, steer and the rear follows dutifully. Even across categories, this was one of the best experiences in the dry during the test.
On the long track, both drivers felt the 18" sizing for the Potenza RE-71RS felt almost imperceptible compared to its 19" counterpart. Maybe a little more mild-mannered, but near equally consistent. It was well-rounded and cohesive, blending all of its elements together into a harmonious whole. Cornering was confident, braking performance was strong, there was little to find fault with. If anything, there was room to add more power to take advantage of its mid-corner grip.
Wear: As the control tire for the 18" group, the Potenza RE-71RS saw twice as many laps as the other tires, and consequently also saw the most total loss of surface area, 1mm across nearly the entire tread face, and while there was some deeper 2mm loss among the leading edges of the ribs, it was fairly evenly distributed.
Fast Lap: 1:38.35 (-0.40)
Average Lap: 1:39.14 (-0.47)
Continental ExtremeContact Force Track Performance
We've tested the ExtremeContact Force most recently back in 2023, but it remains a commonly requested tire on pretty much any test it isn't already in, and we were happy to take another look at it on our M2. In the wet, traction was comparatively limited across the board: with reduced longitudinal and lateral grip evident from the outset. The rear felt especially loose, and was prone to breaking away abruptly under throttle. Braking distances were the furthest among the Extreme Performance Summer tires. The front end would push if asked to carry meaningful speed into a corner. Steering was sharp, but it didn't feel like it was directing a confident platform underneath. The result required careful driving to deliver slower lap times than its competition. Once the track dried off, it was more manageable, but still limited by outright traction and its sensitivity to throttle and braking. There wasn't a lot of reserve, particularly at the rear, which made it prone to stepping out mid-corner. Everything had a narrow margin of error, and recovery was not quick or easy. Just as in the wet, with attentive driving it could be wrangled into turning a decent lap, but it took effort to get there.
With a more drawn-out course to play with, the ExtremeContact Force was nicer to drive. It still lacked the outright traction of much of the other tires in the test (evidenced in its times), and required a more measured approach, as both front-end and rear stability were limited unless it was coaxed gently throughout. The steering feel itself was a highlight - precise and communicative - and while the traction ceiling was lower, the tire remained easy to place and control. After a bit of adjustment, and making use of all four tires, we were rewarded with clean and consistent (it not the fastest) laps.
Wear: As a tire with an existing reputation for longevity, it's unsurprising that the ExtremeContact Force had almost no measurable wear beyond the leading edge of its center rib.
Fast Lap: 1:41.05 (-3.10)
Average Lap: 1:41.76 (-3.09)
Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3 Track Performance
The last time we took the Eagle F1 Supercar 3 out for testing was back in 2020. It's still a popular tire, but does it hold up? In the wet at least, while it lacked the cohesive, locked-down feel of some of the top-tier performers, it still felt confident in the hands. Steering was direct, accurate, solid. There was clear feedback at the limit, which was good because traction breakaway tended to be sudden, rather than progressive. It was still manageable throughout, so a good performance.
Conversely, in the dry it was responsive and agile with quick, precise steering and a willingness to rotate when asked. It maintained solid grip and directional control, particularly through the slalom, where it felt sprightly and confident. It handled aggressive inputs with composure, though ultimate traction, especially in tight, high-load corners was somewhat limited. Braking and lateral grip were well-matched, providing a balanced platform, though an incremental gain in overall grip would have elevated the experience further.
Given room to really stretch on the longer road course, this made for an excellent partner. Some tires will give you all of the characteristics of a good performer: the traction, the steering, the raw ability, but they don't connect in a way that feels friendly, and in the inverse of that; there's a sense certain tires have of just wanting to help you. They take direction, mistakes, changing braking distances, and happily adapt to the driver. The Eagle F1 Supercar 3 was the latter. It directed the front end precisely, it would simply mold to however we approached a lap. We could carry more speed, rotate, drive it straight, drive it sideways, it just wanted to be driven.
Wear: We saw some nice wear resistance here overall, with the leading edge of the intermediate ribs and the outboard shoulder bearing the brunt of the loss, about 1mm in either instance.
Fast Lap: 1:39.39 (-1.44)
Average Lap: 1:39.92 (-1.25)
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 (240) Track Performance
Probably one of the most requested Extreme Performance Summer tires, we're glad to finally be able to test this popular option and see if it lives up to the hype. In the wet, while it wasn't necessarily surprising for a tire in this category to struggle a bit, its consistency was the greater concern. Overall traction was actually pretty good, certainly not the worst in the test, but it only felt like that in rare moments when everything aligned. How it responded to inputs varied lap to lap however, with unpredictable transitions between understeer and oversteer. Front-end grip was low, braking felt weak (although it was objectively one of the best from 60-0), and it was highly sensitive to combined inputs. Despite posting comparatively respectable lap times, it never felt cohesive or trustworthy behind the wheel.
It was quite a bit more reliable once the track dried off, but still felt outclassed compared to its competitors. Initial laps were acceptable, with reasonably responsive steering and moderate grip, but as the tires heated up, we saw the performance fall off further. Understeer became more pronounced, braking performance was merely fine, and both lateral and longitudinal traction trailed behind top-tier options. It wasn't dramatic to the level of becoming undrivable, it just lacked the precision, composure, and overall capability to compete with the stronger performers in this test. It was good. It was not great.
On the big track, the Pilot Sport Cup 2 (240) brought the same strong initial lap impressions. The front end felt good, and it would rotate and play nicely, doing what it was being asked to do with little complaint. Then, around the second lap, the experience changed. It needed to be driven from the rear, the traction fell off, we had to brake earlier, use more throttle. It wasn't so much a drastic fall-off in capability as it was a significant change in dynamics, less about driving on the tire the way we preferred, but the way it preferred to be driven.
Wear: Apart from the control tire, the Pilot Sport Cup 2 (240) showed the highest level of wear among the tested tires. Tread loss measured 1.5 to 2mm on the outboard shoulder, with up to 2.5mm worn from the leading edges of the two intermediate ribs.
Fast Lap: 1:40.28 (-2.33)
Average Lap: 1:41.66 (-2.99)
Streetable Track and Competition tires can be found on some of the highest performing supercars on the market. They blur the line between a street tire and a full-on track only option, typically utilizing shallow tread depths and low-void patterns that trade wet traction and hydroplaning resistance for enhanced grip in dry conditions.
Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3R Track Performance
The Eagle F1 Supercar 3R is not only a tire we're familiar with, as a 100 treadwear tire with 5/32" of tread depth, it's the perfect performance benchmark for the category here. Touching on its wet performance first, somewhat unsurprisingly, this was not its comfort zone. Steering response was good, but it was too easy to break traction with any abrupt input, spin up the rear tires, and understeer through the track. It wasn't hard to drive, once we adapted. Early braking, gentle inputs, we had to treat it like a low traction tire, which for the surface, it was. In the dry though, it was a whole different animal: just consistently fast everywhere - as long as it was driven with all 4 tires. It wasn't enough to exclusively try and direct it with the front. With that caveat set, there was ample traction to work with to make power, lean into corners, and mash hard into braking zones. Steering was equally strong, precisely directing the car where and when we wanted it to move.
Looking at the objective times makes the case evident, but given a longer track to run on, the Eagle F1 Supercar 3R was quick. It wasn't dramatic, it wasn't playful, but it was unquestionably fast. It put power down with authority, traction was always in supply, steering directed the front-end promptly. Aside from the occasional minor wobble after a sharp turn, it was austere, business-like throughout. There wasn't much in the way of communication from the tires, but it had all the capability we could ask for.
Wear: The Eagle F1 SuperCar 3R acted as the control tire for the sub-200 treadwear group and held up impressively in that task, primarily showing wear along the outboard shoulder, with minimal loss elsewhere.
Fastest Lap: 1:37.95 (-0.05)
Average Lap: 1:39.64 (-0.97)
Hoosier Track Attack Pro Track Performance
The other Streetable Track and Competition tire here, the Track Attack Pro is one of the newest arrivals to the category. Just like the Eagle F1 Supercar 3R, it has 5/32" of tread depth (though it is a 200 treadwear tire), and both by popular demand and personally, we were looking forward to seeing how it performed.
Much like its category brethren, water was not its friend. Losing and regaining traction moments later and needing to adapt mid-input was not uncommon. It was nicely balanced when it wasn't sliding around, and the steering was appropriately quick. It was (mostly) fun to drive within its lower limits, but that's another thing entirely from being good to drive. It was certainly an improvement in the dry, and its initial laps were strong, but the tire couldn't sustain that performance. Traction degraded over the laps, and precision fell off with it. The Track Attack Pro simply lacked the communication needed to consistently extract its best. Grip under throttle felt loose, like it wanted to drift, and mid-corner feedback was vague, making it difficult to confidently find the limit. The front responded sharply, but the rear struggled to keep up, creating a mismatch that undermined its overall performance.
On the longer road course, the Track Attack Pro demonstrated good front-end authority and nice, pointy steering, but traction was lower than we'd have liked to see for the category, which led to mild understeer from mid-corner onwards. It powered out of corners just fine and provided solid braking performance, it just wasn't up to the same level as its competition.
Wear: The Track Attack Pro did an admirable job resisting wear across the majority of its tread face, with minimal loss along its intermediate ribs, but saw more significant 2mm+ loss along the outboard shoulder.
Fast Lap: 1:38.88 (-0.93)
Average Lap: 1:40.40 (-1.73)
Racetrack & Autocross Only tires are purpose-built for competition. Their lightweight construction, heat-cycle sensitive rubber compounds, and near-slick tread designs optimize grip and handling under the most demanding conditions. While technically meeting the minimum DOT requirements, these tires are not intended for street use.
Hoosier A7 Track Performance
If the category description itself doesn't make it clear: these are not intended to be driven on public roads, and taking the A7 around a wet track was a stark reminder of just one of the many reasons why that's the case. Apart from serving as a cautionary tale of hydroplaning, there was little in the way of useful traction to be found or progress to be made. The objective numbers tell the story well: nearly double the stopping distances of the best tires in the test from 60mph, lap times anywhere from 7 to 10 seconds longer than anything close.
Naturally, once the track dried off, dynamics improved significantly, but the A7 gained a new set of issues. When it was cool, the A7 delivered immediate response, sharp turn-in, and impressive throttle availability making for an excellent first impression. However, performance declined rapidly with heat. Steering precision and balance faded by the third lap, and maintaining clean lines required constant correction. Capable in short bursts, it simply lacked consistency and offered limited feedback, making it difficult to actually stay at the limit.
On the big track, the A7 was a very capable, but ultimately uninspiring performer. Braking and traction were both very strong, which reflected in its objective times. While it delivered solid grip, the vague feeling of the steering and handling kept it from being truly engaging. The steering in particular managed to be both uncommunicative and jarringly immediate, abrupt even, to the point where it occasionally required correction. Technically competent, but in a way that didn't make it fun to drive.
Wear: Very little loss of material to report on the A7. It did lose approximately 1mm of rubber alongside the outboard shoulder like all of the tires tested, but outside a narrow strip of 2mm+ loss.
Fast Lap: 1:37.90 (0.00)
Average Lap: 1:38.98 (-0.31)
Yokohama ADVAN A055 Track Performance
Much like the A7, the ADVAN A055 was not a wet-friendly option. It was a little more controllable, a little better at finding grip if we could stay just under or infrequently nudge over the traction limit, but still very slow and unpredictable. It managed to improve on the A7's lap times by 3 seconds, but it was a distinction without a difference, driving either tire in the wet was like driving in snow and ice.
With a dry track though, the ADVAN A055 was consistently quick and mercifully cooperative. Moreover, it maintained its performance across multiple laps, putting up the best average times of anything we drove in this test. Steering felt blissfully natural and intuitive, with balance that encouraged confident inputs. Recovery from minor mistakes was smooth and forgiving and it rewarded bold driving with mid-corner throttle application, allowing for some very fun, very aggressive exits.
The ADVAN A055 was just as enjoyable on a longer road course as it was on our track. Easy to place, and a joy to drive, braking was strong, steering felt natural and precise, and balance was nearly perfect. It rotated willingly when we wanted it to, and accepted overlapping inputs without complaint. While a touch more grip would have prevented the occasional overload of the front tires, it remained composed and responsive throughout without any noticeable fall-off. Engaging and, maybe most importantly, cooperative, the ADVAN A055 made every lap feel as effortless as it was quick.
Wear: The A055 only lost tread in the shoulders, with the outboard shoulder serving as the location for the majority of material lost, pushing into the 2mm ~ 2.5mm range, despite leaving the rest of the tire mostly unscathed.
Fast Lap: 1:37.95 (-0.05)
Average Lap: 1:38.67 (0.00)
Extreme Performance Summer vs. Track Tires: The Verdict
There are several interesting takeaways from this particular test. The dry performance across categories trended specifically higher as we moved from Extreme Performance Summer tires (EP) to Streetable Track and Competition tires to tires for Racetrack & Autocross Only, which feels logical, but experiencing it and having the numbers to support the trend is a natural positive. Wet performance was also expectedly the inverse; as you move away from a true "street" tire to one that's merely DOT-compliant, the abilities and expectations of those tires change accordingly.
One of the absolute stars of the show was Bridgestone's Potenza RE-71RS. Not only was it the quickest EP tire, it was nearly one of the fastest overall, only being shown up by the Racetrack & Autocross Only tires... but it was also one of the nicest tires to drive when everything (including wet performance) was taken into account. Goodyear's Eagle F1 Supercar 3 deserves its place as a top consideration alongside it for its approachable and versatile character.
Both Racetrack & Autocross Only tires did what they were built to do (make car go fast), albeit in different ways. Yokohama's ADVAN A055 was not only the fastest tire in this test on average, it was by far the most compliant, working with our drivers to make the experience simultaneously effortless, and enjoyable. Hoosier's A7 on the other hand, was very nearly its equal in average lap times, and actually posted a narrowly better fast lap. There was no questioning its ability, but its sharp fall-off led to vague steering and an ultimately unfriendly experience.
The Streetable Track and Competition tires fell very much in the middle between both categories and were perhaps best exemplified by Goodyear's Eagle F1 Supercar 3R. It was, on the big track at least, tied for the second-fastest fast lap and very competitive on average. An interestingly demanding drive in a short, autocross-style track, and a no-nonsense performer on a longer run. Hoosier's Track Attack Pro was, by contrast, decent, but a step back - and also prone to lap-to-lap performance fall-off. Meanwhile, the other two EP tires, the ExtremeContactForce and Pilot Sport Cup 2 (240) performed adequately but just not up to the level of their category compatriots.
In all cases, selecting the right tire for your needs will depend a lot on your individual situation and what you're looking to get from your tires. That's why we test: to give the objective results alongside our own experience to form a better picture of what you can reasonably expect from an investment in these tires.
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