July brings the warmest temperatures and most sunshine to North America than any other month. Isn't summer great? As you can tell from our events calendar elsewhere in the issue, most car shows and races happening at this time of year and our cars are begging to be driven. With this in mind, it's good to have a grippy set of tires to maximize the fun.
Last Spring, Bridgestone introduced two new tires geared toward driving enthusiasts. We hopped on a plane to Phoenix, AZ where it's summer year-round and tested the all-season Potenza G019 Grid and ultra-high performance RE760 Sport.
G019 Grid
It was only days after our VW R32 Challenge (et 6/08) where we tested stock and modified versions of the Mk5 GTI 2.0T against the R32. So when we arrived at Phoenix International Raceway to terrorize Bridgestone's all-season Potenza G019 Grid tires, we were happy to see a fleet of four-door GTIS.
Our mission was to determine the tire's ability compared to a competing Michelin tire. A short track lay before us offering everything from long sweepers to short, oscillating twisties. There was also a slalom set up, as well as a braking zone.
We hopped into the Michelin-shod car first. A little over eager on the first lap, we took a wide sweeping left corner too quick and couldn't correct the understeer, eventually sliding into the dirt. After a few more laps, we became accustomed to the tires and they performed well on the short track.
After returning the GTI to the pits, we jumped into a GTI equipped with the G019 Grid tires. On the track we were surprised at the improved steering response and grip. Cornering was sharper, quieter and the tires grabbed better during acceleration. Braking was comparable to the Michelins but overall we were pleased with the G019s.
This was a surprise because the G019 is an all-season tire, not ultra-high performance dry tires. Bridgestone has come a long way from the previous G009 series, especially in cornering ability. Other improvements were targeted at wet traction ability, using a silica compound, directional tread pattern and low/high angle grooves, although we didn't get a chance to test the tires in water.
The G019 performed like a summer tire and we'd happily recommend it to any driver who frequently experiences dry and wet weather.
RE760 Sport
Next, we moved to an autocross track to test the new ultra-high performance RE760 Sport summer tires in the wet! Once again, we compared the tires to a Michelin competitor, but this time in BMW 3-Series.
With summer tires and a torquey RWD car, it's easy to lose control in the wet but both tires did well. In fact, we found they behaved quite similarly, with the RE760 Sport feeling slightly more responsive than the Michelins, although both kept the 3-Series planted on the track.
The RE760 is an evolution of the RE750 and is said to have higher cornering forces thanks to stiffer outer sidewall and semi-slick shoulder design. It also features an asymmetrical rigid tread design, offset twin ribs for smoother responses and three wide straight grooves. These advances have made the tire impressive in dry weather but they are also something you shouldn't be afraid to use in the summer rain.