August 24, 2018
It’s no secret that Extreme Performance tires are continually moving toward the "extreme" end of the spectrum in pursuit of ever-faster lap times. As the construction, tread patterns and compounds become more aggressive, the tires become less street-friendly. For years, there had been one tire that bucked this trend. The Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 wasn’t the fastest or the "best" in any measurable performance metric, but it did deliver enough capability for aggressive track use while still providing reasonable ride and noise comfort and acceptable wear characteristics.
With the Potenza RE-11 now discontinued, there is a gap in the performance hierarchy. There are drivers out there who take their cars to the track occasionally or autocross a couple times a summer, so they need a track-capable tire but aren’t ready or willing to live with the sacrifices that come from daily driving one of the more aggressive Extreme Performance Summer products. Bridgestone claims the Potenza S007A is the spiritual successor to the Potenza RE-11, bridging the performance and refinement gap between the hardcore Extreme Performance tires and the not-quite-track-worthy Max Performance offerings.
We were curious to find out exactly what the Potenza S007A has to offer and where it fits in Bridgestone’s performance pedigree, so we compared the new tire to the Extreme Performance Potenza RE-71R, which is one of the top-performing tires in the category, and the Max Performance Potenza S-04 Pole Position. Our evaluation used 2017 BMW F36 430i sedans fitted with new, full tread depth 245/40R18 tires mounted on 18x8.0 wheels.
Our 6.0-mile loop of expressway, state highway and county roads provides a great variety of road conditions that include city and highway speeds, smooth and coarse concrete, as well as new and patched asphalt. This route allows our team to experience noise comfort, ride quality and everyday handling, just as you would during your drive to school or work.
The three tires in our test are neatly differentiated on the road, and as you might guess by looking at their tread patterns, the Potenza S007A and Potenza S-04 Pole Position are more closely paired than the more extreme Potenza RE-71R.
As the most street-focused tire here, it makes sense that the Potenza S-04 Pole Position would have the highest score in the two "comfort" categories. The ride is well-controlled and rounds over bumps nicely, creating a satisfying blend of performance and luxury. Overall noise quality is good for the category, but the tire creates some distinct tones, particularly on smooth pavement, that several members of our team disliked. The ride of the Potenza S007A is equally composed, with slightly stiffer damping that makes each impact more of an event. Tread noise over most surfaces occurs at a moderately higher volume, but it blends together into a broad tone. The tread of the Potenza S007A takes on a noticeably intrusive pitch over cross-cut concrete, however, it is never as loud as the Potenza RE-71R. The stiff ride and overabundance of tones created by the Potenza RE-71R would make it a challenge to live with on a daily driver, though dedicated enthusiasts often find the benefits are worth the tradeoffs.
When the discussion switches to on-road handling, there is an inversion of the subjective scores for our test group, with the Potenza RE-71R earning the highest marks thanks to its ideal combination of urgent and precise response to inputs and satisfying steering feel. The Potenza S007A also reacts very quickly to the driver’s inputs, but with less weight and slightly less precision, it doesn’t feel quite as natural and requires some adjustment. Though just a little slower to react than either of the Extreme Performance tires, the Potenza S-04 Pole Position builds effort instinctively and provides first-rate steering feel that would be equally at home carving down a twisty, mountain road or soaking up the miles on an interstate.
Our 1/3-mile per lap test track course includes 90-degree street corners, a five-cone slalom and simulated expressway ramps. Run in both dry and wet conditions, the test track allows our team to experience the traction, responsiveness, handling and drivability normally only encountered during abrupt emergency avoidance maneuvers or competition events.
Experience has shown the Potenza RE-71R is a dominant force on the track, and with the fastest average lap by half a second, the strongest lateral g-forces on the skid pad and a tie for the shortest stopping distance, it continues that dominance in this round of testing. As the only new tire in the test, we were excited to find out what the Potenza S007A can do on the track, and we weren’t disappointed. The light effort required to change directions makes the vehicle feel very light on its feet, with precision and strong grip ensuring it’s easy to turn down to the apex. The front and rear of the vehicle sync up nicely during the fast transitions of the slalom, and the overall balance leans just a little toward controllable understeer. The Potenza S-04 Pole Position is a respectable performer on the track, but it can’t keep up with the newer, higher-performance tires. Lower ultimate grip is the real source of the deficit, as the Potenza S-04 Pole Position has great balance and is incredibly easy to drive, but it doesn’t brake, accelerate or turn with the authority of the other two.
Wet track testing shuffles the order yet again, but the Potenza RE-71R remains on top. If the water were deeper or the speeds were higher on our track, the order may be different since the low-void pattern of the Potenza RE-71R can’t resist hydroplaning the way the rib patterns of its siblings can.
Impressive wet traction quickly builds confidence when driving the Potenza RE-71R. The handling is balanced all the way up to the limit, and the tire is quick to recover if the limit is exceeded, encouraging drivers to continually push harder. The Potenza S-04 Pole Position once again proves very easy to drive, thanks to its well-rounded nature and balanced performance. Its 50-0 braking distance is just a small step behind the test-leading Potenza RE-71R, with the average lap time about half a second slower. The lateral grip of the Potenza S-04 Pole Position is the lowest in the test, though still very respectable at .75g. Looking strictly at the objective figures, the Potenza S007A is very capable, but subjectively it would benefit from some of the balance found in the other two tires. In steady-state turns, it feels very strong after taking a set but struggles with quick transitions. Further adding to the mixed message, the longitudinal traction seems to lag behind somewhat, making it difficult to judge braking zones and requiring the driver to modulate wheelspin on corner exit. Even so, drivers are unlikely to have any complaints about the wet performance during normal, street driving.
Our Real World Road Ride features a relatively flat 6.0-mile loop of 65 mph expressway, 55 mph state highway and 40 mph county roads along with three stop signs every lap. Our team drove each tire approximately 500 miles over the course of several days. Since we wanted to compare fuel consumption results that typical drivers would experience, our drivers were instructed to maintain the flow of traffic by running at the posted speed limits and sustain the vehicle’s speed using cruise control whenever possible. They did not use hypermiling techniques to influence vehicle fuel economy.
| Tire | Test MPG* | Gallons/Year @ 15,000 Miles |
% vs. Most Efficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R | 29.2 | 513.7 | -.7% |
| Bridgestone Potenza S007A | 29.4 | 510.2 | -- |
| Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position | 28.6 | 524.5 | -2.8% |
| *Our evaluation used Race Technology DL1 data loggers to record true distance travelled. | |||
Our fuel economy testing resulted in a minor difference of .8 miles per gallon between the test group, and it is interesting that the least aggressive tire of the group, the Potenza S-04 Pole Position, also returned the lowest fuel economy. This minimal difference would result in an additional 14.3 gallons of premium gasoline used per year for a vehicle driven 15,000 miles annually.
It’s important to note our test’s fuel consumption measurements follow consistent procedures designed to minimize variables that could influence the results; however, they do not represent an exhaustive long-range fuel consumption study. While our procedures require the test vehicles in each convoy to run under the same prevailing conditions, the week-to-week differences in ambient temperatures, barometric pressures and wind speeds that we experience over a season of testing can influence vehicle fuel consumption and prevent the absolute mpg values of this test from being compared directly against those of others.
Larger differences in consumption between tires may indicate a difference that might be experienced on the road, while smaller differences should be considered equivalent. As they say, your mileage may vary.
With Extreme Performance tires continually inching closer to true race tires and Max Performance tires not really being track- or competition-worthy, the departure of the Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 left a real void in the performance tire market. Bridgestone claims the Potenza S007A is the spiritual successor to the Potenza RE-11, and our testing shows it slots neatly between the manufacturer’s Max- and Extreme Performance products.
The Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R is the textbook Extreme Performance tire. Amazing dry traction and handling on the track or the road are countered with a jarringly stiff ride and an inordinate amount of noise. Superb wet grip is an added bonus. The Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position is a nicely balanced option. The steering feel and light handling are very satisfying on the road, and the ride and noise quality are fitting for the category. Though not quite as capable on the track as the Extreme Performance tires, the limits are high, and it is incredibly easy to maximize in the dry or the wet. The Bridgestone Potenza S007A fits its niche between the other two. The on-road manners are closer to that of a Max Performance tire, though slightly firmer and a little louder. The handling is positive and feels athletic, and the steering is immediate if a little light. Dry track objective figures are right in the middle, and the Potenza S007A is slightly behind in the wet.
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