Bridgestone Potenza Adrenalin RE002 205/50/15 W

[don.hasi]

I have had a very nervous car from the very beginning which has had its own rules and own lines to follow, regardless what the pilot has ordered or demanded with the 215 Dunlop 9000.

In Croft they have had plenty of grip but in the wet the tires were not on a very high level. As I use the car mostly in the wet… I have decided to search for alternatives. We have already some topics about it and there were some different tires on the rims to look at in Croft too. First I didn´t want any other than the 215 Dunlops cause I like the look very much (the 225 at the rear when I bought the car look best IMO) and I have had very good experiences with the Dunlop Sportmaxx on the M100 in the past. For me the best UHP tire you can buy for money with outstanding performance in the dry AND the wet. So with a similar pattern I thought, the 9000 would behave similar… Wrong! Whereever the Sportmaxx is very stable, the 9000 is nervous or has a load less grip.

Without any further alternatives in this dimension at the end I was thinking about the Toyos T1r. But they have also nearly the same pattern like the 9000 and I don´t want to test this again. On the other hand I have to do the MOT this month and the front tires have lost all their live in Croft after 8-9000miles….

What next?

Bridgestone has a new competitor:



Beside the fact that the name really fits like a glove to the car (Adrenalin) and the driver (Potenza ) I have now some 100 miles on them.. Result? They are brilliant! No more jiggling on the lorry lines, much more grip in the dry and universes of grip more in the wet.

The look on the rims is similar to the Toyos, only a few inches taller than the 9000 and over all acceptable. The more focused look in direction to sticky tires underlines the mood of the car that it will grow up to something more serious…

Mission complete!

[Lotus-e-Clan]

A timely post as far as I'm concerned!

I need new rears before the MOT.

Did you fit a full set or just a pair to the front?

[don.hasi]

Only at the front. But so far, I can tell you, that the tires are completely annoyed about the shot shocks and my type of steering. I can't wait to rub the rears down... A full set will be awesome.

I have feared that the tires are only medium in the wet and that the results in some tests were only advert gimmicks. But they have told the truth.... (the only time ?!?)

[barker_001]

Peter,

Did you ever fit those Bridgestones? What did you think of them?

I need two tyres for the rear, and am undecided about what to buy. I've used Bridgestones for many years on my Mazda 3 daily driver and been very happy with them, are they any good on the Excel though

[Lotus-e-Clan]

YES!

Two Potenza 205/50/15 on the rear.

Can't complain so far but have only done about 800 miles on them.

I think the round shoulders of the Potenzas should suit the Lotus better than the squarer shoulders of the Toyo T1Rs which did not wear anywhere on the rear except on the shoulders! I even overinflated them to try to compensate but it's made no difference. Still have two T1Rs on the front (they aren't wearing much at all!) so will replace with Potenzas IF they still look OK in a few thousand miles.

They certainly hold the rear in place @ 120 mph on a long sweeping bend!

[MrCoolA]

YES!

Two Potenza 205/50/15 on the rear.

Can't complain so far but have only done about 800 miles on them.

I think the round shoulders of the Potenzas should suit the Lotus better than the squarer shoulders of the Toyo T1Rs which did not wear anywhere on the rear except on the shoulders! I even overinflated them to try to compensate but it's made no difference. Still have two T1Rs on the front (they aren't wearing much at all!) so will replace with Potenzas IF they still look OK in a few thousand miles.

They certainly hold the rear in place @ 120 mph on a long sweeping bend!

Strange that as my toyo's are wearing very evenly other than one is more worn than the other, more down to non LSD and my driving. Style
Are u happy with different tyres front and back? I am in a quandary at the moment mainly as I have 15" wheels and the limited makes now manufacturing. I want to drop the depth size on the back but try to keep the 225 width whilst sticking to 215 on the front but I find the 50% depth on the 225 a little too flexible. Starting to look that I may have to go to 215 all round or I go for TR1's on the front and 888's on the back as I can get them 225x45. Any thoughts?

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Jerry. The wear on the rears shoulders, I must admit, might also be due to my particular driving stye apart from anything to do with the Lotus susp geo - although I do recall reading a note from Lotus (in WSM) re: square and round shouldered tyres - the round one being a pref for particular MYs.

Because I cut my teeth on rear engined cars my driving style tends to to default to the rear-engine method - ie you MUST keep your foot-in on bends or the rear will try to overtake you - you should never lift when committed in a rear-engined car! So it follows that in a corner the outside of the wheel is load-bearing and doing the Lions share of the traction and I'm keeping the throttle on.

In fact, one of the games I play in the Clan is to go reasonable slow down a straight with a pursuant up my tail - no brakes into the corner and actually increase speed through the corner - I'm then way down the next straight as the pursuant emerges from the bend.

Old habits die hard so I find myself doing this in the Lotus - and as the T1Rs wore on the shoulders it was a case of loads of opposite lock and brown underpants!

[barker_001]

Thanks for that Peter, I'll more than likely go with those!

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Oo yes I forgot re: different tyres front and back ... no, I'd prefer same all round in terms of make, tread and compound.

But for my Clan with a 58% to 42% rear weight bias it does benefit with bigger diameter, wider tyres on the rear (ala Porsche 911) to tame the rear AND there is an aero advantage having a sloping floor rake front to back ala F1. So the Clan has Caterham R500 tyres (Avon CR500 205/55/13 rear 175/55/13 front)

Not sure about the Excel mind because of the fairly even weight distribution and relatively light rear - it's a different beast altogether - so my pref would be same tyres all round in terms of make size etc. That said - look at the FERWD Caterham R500 as above -significantly bigger diam tyres on rear but essentially same make tread/compound etc.

If I'd been able to afford/justify to wife getting 4 new Potenzas that would be my pref. for the Excel I guess.

[fueltheburn]

Yokohama ad08R come in 205/50/15 come in at £105 quid a corner. On demon tweeks.
These are what I will be putting on Ethel but in 215/45/16
Very stiff steel sidewalls.

[don.hasi]

Jerry: it is also a thing how the tire manufacture have designed the side walls. As an example the Bridgestone potenza RE 040 are very stiff. So much... It is nearly undriveable on b roads for a DD.

I have now the good experiences of the Excel sake this tire on the M100 also. The sidewalls are not as stiff as the RE040. They are more comfortable but they behave pretty linear and are a dream to push around the bends. You know perhaps very low stable sidewalls when you get into a corner and the car jumps a bit like a cangaroo when the sidewall gives up. The car get nervous and it is impossible to steer a clear line. All this is gone with this tire. Very straight lines are now possible. Great grip on dry conditions, when wet also very fine.

At the end, I would not recommend mixed tires on a car. Especially the different grip levels in different conditions and the sidewall theme...

I have had the 225 as well on the Excel. At the end of the day even the misty, smaller s9000 was better for the handling. You have more confidence in a car from whom you know how it will react. Again.... Just for the looks the 225 was a class of its own

[Sirclip]

Hi Don,
I'm thinking about the Bridgestone Potenzas RE002 Adrenalin RE002. Given that they have stiff sidewalls I'm not sure whether to choose 205/50 or 205/55.

Could you please give me your opinion on the tyres you have. Thank you. Martin.

[don.hasi]

Hi Martin,

You can take my dimensions without any doubt. The side walls are not that stiff in the pure meaning. They are just stable.... Can't describe it better. It is not a harsh ride. It is still a GTfeeling on the long run. Just with a new universum of grip

I have 2 tires laying here around. If you are interested I would send them to you for testing. You will not be disappointed.

Don

[Sirclip]

Don,
Many thanks for your feedback on these tyres. Thank you also for the kind offer of the loan of the tyres too, however, if I decide to go for these, I would be happy to just 'bite the bullet' and get a set. I will do a little more homework on these, but given the price and apparent performance, they look very attractive.

Martin.

[barker_001]

Having given up the quest to find some 215/50/15s, I went with a pair of 205/50/15 RE002s on the front. I'm very happy with them.

Dimensionally and in appearance, they are very little different from the 215/50/15 SP9000s I have on the back. They are a round shouldered tyre, which is mentioned in the Service Notes as being desirable for the Excel.

On the road, they feel much more planted than the Avon ZV3s I had before, and less prone to tramlining. Also, the scrub at parking speeds seems a lot less (although this might be more to do with the increased tread depth). I haven't had the opportunity to really push them, but don't doubt that they will perform well.