We've all heard people tell us the tires on your car are the most critical purchase you can make. After all, they're the only contact between you and the road, and their ability to grip has far-reaching consequences. Not only can they save your life by reducing braking distances, but they can knock seconds off your lap times - something you'd spend thousands of dollars to achieve with engine tuning.
We all know this, and that's why we go through a rigorous selection process when buying new tires. We inevitably consider performance, cost, reputation, marketing, and even appearance. The problem is, a wrong decision could be catastrophic. So how can we be better informed? Well, you can read our second annual eurotuner tire test and know which are the best tires out there. You can also visit www.tirerack.com because the retailer has its own test facility and scrutinizes every product before offering it for sale.
We wanted to gather our own data and Tire Rack kindly allowed us to use its facilities at the company's HQ in South Bend, Indiana. In addition to an intelligently designed track with a sprinkler system for wet testing, the company also has a fleet of the latest BMW 325i test cars and a sophisticated timing system. So all we needed to bring was a sample of perfor-mance tires and some drivers.
Hurry and pick up the November 2005 issue of eurotuner Magazine for the complete story, and a lot more photos