Targa Miata
MIATA BUILD
May 16, 2007 - More tire thoughts.
I spent some time on the phone with Joe Woodward, a fellow racer who just finished the One Lap. His day job sees him at the Tire Rack and he used to run Spec Miata, so he's very well suited to answer questions.
He noted that in direct comparisons between the 225/45-15 and 205/50-15 RA-1s, the smaller tires were actually faster on a Spec Miata. This could have been due to lower rolling resistance, as Specs are relatively low-powered cars. But he reports that the car is easier to rotate with the smaller rubber. This could also be a power-related artifact of course. Still, between the lighter weight and these reports, perhaps I should rethink my 225 obsession.
Other tire suggestions were the Yokohama A048 and the Michelin Pilot Cup. They're both considerably more expensive than the RA-1, but it's worth investigating.
tags: tires