Star Spec vx. Ecsta XS for autox tire

72Tornado · Aug 17, 2009, 05:38 PM

I've worn out my current set of Star Specs and am looking to replace them. I'll either be buying another set of Star Specs or going with the Ecsta XS, as they've become hugely popular at autocross events and I've heard plenty of good things about them. What are people's opinions (on these two tires only, please)? The Tire Rack review claimed the XS wasn't as responsive, but I've also read a complaint about the longevity of the Star Spec in that the tire lost considerable speed as it wore on...

ODUB · Aug 17, 2009, 05:49 PM

i don't know if you've considered the Nitto NT05, but i just had a set installed saturday. i ran a night event saturday, and another even sunday morning on them, and they were the best tires i've ever raced on. i competed against another EVO sunday, and he was on Star Specs. i beat him by about 2 seconds. he was still on stock suspension though, so i don't know how much of that was the tires. i finished second fastest time of the day behind a lotus elise on hoosiers. only finished behind by .3 seconds though. i still wasn't used to all the available grip. with another couple of runs i think i could have dropped almost another second off my best time. NT05's are very very very good.

GT-One · Aug 17, 2009, 06:41 PM

And back to the original post inquiry...

dbsears · Aug 17, 2009, 09:15 PM

Gonna agree with ODUB on the NT05s. Best tire I have driven on...that includes a lot of tires too.

goofygrin · Aug 17, 2009, 09:25 PM

I'm not a fan of the NT05 for autocross. They simply aren't wide enough. But for the track they are A-OK.

I've not had the Kuhmos, but the one person with a heavy vehicle (M3) that has them that I know doesn't really like them. I personally think that the best STU tire for heavy cars is likely the AD08, followed by the star spec and RE11.

The XS might work well for lighter cars though.

dbsears · Aug 17, 2009, 09:57 PM

What does being an 1/8th skinnier have to do with the tire not being as good??? I have seen an RE01R, RE11, and NT05 right next to each other. They aren't that narrow, maybe an 1/8th skinnier than a Starspec. I would say the only thing they don't do as good is heat up as quick. Other than that they are really a better all around tire imo...except for maybe the rain. I've read quite a few reviews and it's pretty much AD08 or NT05 on top. I will gladly save the extra $300 price of the AD08s also.

goofygrin · Aug 17, 2009, 10:01 PM

My mounted 245 star specs were easily 10mm skinner than the mounted 245 nt-05's. I had them side by side on a tile floor while mounting the NT-05's. This was on the stock wheel.

On a heavy car, like the Evo, you need as much rubber on the ground as possible.

ambystom01 · Aug 17, 2009, 10:16 PM

The Kuhmos aren't that precise of a tire but they have plenty of grip, until it rains.

Fair · Aug 18, 2009, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ambystom01

The Kuhmos aren't that precise of a tire but they have plenty of grip, until it rains.

You only asked about Dunlop SS and Kumho XS so I'll try to keep my answers to those two, which I agree are very good cost-to-performance tires. I have raced on these and almost all of the other current "Street Touring" (140-200 treadwear) tires. They are going to be very close, with the XS probably taking the edge in the dry. We've used the Dunlops starting in mid 2008 and like them fine, but the XS is newer, slightly cheaper, and seem to be posting more wins in ST than the Dunlops these days (the AD08s are pretty damn competitive too, but cost a good deal more. The "feel" is very different).

first set of tires we put on our EVO X were the Dunlops...they made over 1.0g lateral on the stock, marshmallow suspension

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/for...a/10151/page1/

Look for the Grassroots Motorsports annual tire test article from earlier this year (raw data at the link above) where GRM editor Per Schroeder and autocross legend Andy Hollis tested these two tires against each other, as well as the RE11, RE01R, R1R, Falken RT615, and all of the other ST tires out at that time. The XS was the clear winner in that test. (they later re-ran the test with the new AD08s and it was slightly quicker in some tests than the XS).

Size matters more than anything on an Evo. This car like most AWD cars is not exactly lightweight so "go wide" if your class rules allow for it. There is no advantage to the skinny 245mm tires - unless the rules mandate it or you are totally broke and stuck with the stock wheels, get a bigger tire. If you are running in STU you are stuck with 245s (which handicaps these heavy cars), so one trick is to stretch the tire onto a wider rim to improve the footprint (think 9.5" or 10" wide). If you are going by the more liberal BSP or even SMod rules, then go to at least an 18x9.5" wheel and a 265/35/18 - most of these tires come in that size. If you can make them fit and want the most grip possible in a ST type tire compound go for an 18x10 or 10.5" wheel and 285/30/18s (the AD08 comes in that size).

Good luck,

wrcRS · Aug 18, 2009, 10:16 PM

I like the XS. They are also a little lighter than the SS.

In the end, both tires have their strength. I went with the Kuhmo because everybody else was running the SS. LOL

72Tornado · Aug 19, 2009, 09:30 AM

Thanks for the input guys. I had seen the GRM test but since that was run with an ST Civic, I was leery of reading into the results too much, especially as the tall Dunlops aren't too friendly to a low-power car.

I ordered a set of the Kumhos yesterday and will be getting them mounted either today or tomorrow - I'll post up some thoughts once I have a few miles and a couple events on them.

chrisw · Aug 19, 2009, 11:54 AM

I have seen some pretty impressive results with the Kumo XS in an autocross. The driver was driving a Camaro, not a lightweight car by any means...

RaNGVR-4 · Aug 19, 2009, 04:22 PM

The NT05's are better than a few tires, mainly the RT615 and the Old kumho MX. Lol. Dont ever bother, they arent good for auto-x.

The XS's are crazy grippy and in my experience (albeit on a lighter car) love the heat. They will feel a bit floppy compared to a Z1 or AD08 but some drivers prefer that.

ambystom01 · Aug 19, 2009, 04:33 PM

I noticed that too, the harder I was on the tires, they better they got. If you're pussy foot around with them, they're absolutely terrible but if you're a bit rough, they reward you with plenty of grip.

72Tornado · Aug 20, 2009, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ambystom01

I noticed that too, the harder I was on the tires, they better they got. If you're pussy foot around with them, they're absolutely terrible but if you're a bit rough, they reward you with plenty of grip.

Sounds like they'll suit my driving style then

Can't wait to try them out this weekend!