July 28, 2020
When talking about Extreme Performance Summer tires, the conversation tends to focus on use in autocross competition, such as in the Sports Car Club of America’s Solo National events. While autocross is arguably the most visible outlet for Extreme Performance Summer tires, to focus solely on that single discipline would overlook what could possibly be the most common use for these highest-performing street tires; driving on the track.
Whether we’re talking open track days or High Performance Driver Education events, Time Attack competition, or endurance racing, a healthy percentage of Extreme Performance Summer tires spend their lives either on the track or being driven to and from. Because of this dual-use model within the category, we’re seeing two distinct groups form. On one hand are tires that focus on providing the absolute fastest lap, and they often sacrifice consistency and/or longevity to get it. On the other side are tires that are also designed to be very fast, but might sacrifice some ultimate speed in order to provide repeatable performance for extended periods of time, not to mention the ability to last an entire endurance race. As they say, "to finish first, one must first finish."
Enter the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect (240). New for the 2020 test season, the tire was designed to match lap times with the fastest in the category and also deliver durability and consistency over the long haul. In addition, the Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect (240) utilizes Michelin’s Track Connect system, which offers personalized advice before, during, and after your track sessions to continually improve vehicle performance and lower lap times. The tires accept special sensors that relay tire temperature and pressure information to a console-mounted receiver in order to provide the driver with inflation recommendations and adjustments based on the track, vehicle, ambient weather conditions, and driving style.
We wanted to find out how the Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect (240) compares to significant performers from both sides of the equation. With that in mind, we rounded up the remarkably long-wearing Hankook Ventus R-S4 along with the new and fast Falken Azenis RT660. The Yokohama ADVAN A052 is the reigning lap time champion on our test track, so we included that tire as our "speed" benchmark. Our evaluation used 2020 BMW F36 430i Gran Coupes fitted with new, full tread depth 245/40R18 tires mounted on 18x8.0 wheels.
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.
Performance driving, including on track or autocross, is the real reason Extreme Performance Summer tires are such a draw. What they may sacrifice in on-road comfort, they more than make up for when it’s time to put the hammer down. Since tires from the category are designed with this type of use in mind, they are also the only true "street" tires that Tire Rack recommends for track use.
In this test, the Yokohama ADVAN A052 continued its streak with the fastest average lap time and top objective figures. Similar to what we have found in the past, the outright traction provided by the Yokohama was genuinely impressive. With the ability to carry more speed through corners and get back to full throttle sooner than the competition, it came as no surprise to see the ADVAN A052 at the top of the charts for lap times. The uncanny ability to harness the power at the rear tires meant the vehicle had a slight tendency to understeer, as the front tires could be slightly overwhelmed. Also, our team wished the steering was a little more alert and precise, but these are small complaints for an otherwise complete package. Following very closely behind the Yokohama was the Azenis RT660, with objective results that either tied or virtually tied with the Yokohama across the board. The two tires’ personalities differed considerably, however. The steering on the Falken was precise, alert, and highly responsive to the point that sometimes our drivers had to make a small correction because they received more than expected. While the Falken also provided impressive traction, the tire felt lighter on its feet and more eager to rotate, with the occasional twitch of the hips while balancing the tire at its absolute limits as a reminder that it was not quite as planted as the test leader. As the new entry in the category, our team was eager to experience the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect (240), and what we found was a tire that seemed very well suited to driving on track, but likely not a top competitor at the highest level of autocross use. Very strong front end authority also favored smaller, less abrupt inputs. This discipline was rewarded with balanced and neutral handling through turns of all types and quick reflexes through the slalom. Driving with big inputs and too much enthusiasm, however, often resulted in understeer. When driven as the tire demanded, the result was satisfying response from the front end and excellent balance mid-corner with just the right amount of on-throttle rotation. Additionally, the braking traction and modulation were nearly as good as any tire in the test, and the Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect (240) confidently put the power down on corner exit. The Ventus R-S4 has proven itself over the years to be one of, if not the, longest-wearing Extreme Performance Summer tire, with endurance race teams often able to get multiple weekends from a single set. While it may not have the outright speed of the other tires in our test, we saw very little degradation of the tread after our testing. Plus, thanks to its consistency from lap to lap, the Hankook’s average lap time was just a breath behind the Michelin. The steering wasn’t quite as satisfying as the other tires in the test, as it is slightly non-linear in both feel and delivered response. Additionally, the Hankook feels like it wants to rotate more than the competition. It’s not twitchy, so it is easily corrected or incorporated into the driver’s strategy, but it regularly wants to provide some slow, gradual oversteer.
Driving in the wet didn’t change the rank order in any way, but it did provide further separation. The ADVAN A052 led the test by a considerable margin, delivering traction that allowed our testers to drive the tire as they wanted to, instead of accommodating the expected delays and slipping resulting from the wet surface. The Azenis RT660 also provided strong traction, though struggled somewhat when trying to combine two disciplines at once, requiring the driver to take care to separate inputs. Power-on oversteer was noticeable, though not significant, but combined with ultra-quick steering made the tire feel edgy. The Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect (240) was also noticeably edgy in the wet, and it was arguably the most difficult tire in the test to drive consistently from lap to lap. While it had appreciable traction during steady-state maneuvers and delivered reasonable objective results in our testing, it was somewhat easy to overwhelm the grip at either axle with abrupt inputs. Whether steering, braking, or accelerating, the driver needed to be conscious of what was being asked of the tire. Breakaway was somewhat abrupt, but very easy to catch. Even so, our drivers found a lot of motion every lap that didn’t translate into forward progress. Coming in at a step behind the Michelin, the Ventus R-S4 was merely acceptable in the wet. Strong authority at the front axle combined with the non-linear steering response meant the tire was quick to initiate a turn, but an imbalance in grip from front to rear resulted in the rear end stepping out regularly and under nearly all conditions. Whether steady-state cornering, off-throttle, or powering out of turns, the vehicle wanted to rotate. It was a slow rotation and very easily caught, but it was significant nonetheless and hurt lap times while the driver was making corrections.
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.
If you have never driven Extreme Performance Summer tires on the road, it’s difficult to describe how different the experience is compared to "normal" tires. While two tires in our test were noticeably more comfortable than what is typical from the category, they still don’t deliver anywhere near the refinement one can expect from a Max Performance Summer tire, for example.
Similar to the last time we tested the ADVAN A052, our team found it delivered surprisingly satisfying levels of ride and noise comfort. The tire was very firm over impacts of all sizes, but didn’t crash or feel harsh over even the largest imperfections. The noise produced by the tire was a medium-volume, even tone. While it was always present, it was essentially white noise with no distinctive frequencies that stood out from the rest. Michelin’s Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect (240) was also quite civilized on the road, considering the performance it can provide. The ride was taut and composed, if just a little firmer than the Yokohama. Significant tread growl and a familiar "hiss" over sealed surfaces served as a reminder of the tire’s true nature, though it was more tolerable than the noise from the Falken or Hankook. The Azenis RT660 felt the most "extreme" of the tires in the group, yet it came off as purposeful. The firm ride was the least forgiving, but it did a commendable job keeping each impact short and concise. A wide variety of noise was apparent during our drive, with volume and frequency determined by speed and the road surface at any given moment. Rounding out the group was the Ventus R-S4. The ride was nearly as firm as the Falken, and while the Hankook did a better job rounding over impacts, each hit wasn’t as concise, so they were more of an event. The noise produced by the tire was at the back of the pack, with a loud growl over all surfaces and a resonance that our drivers could physically feel in the steering wheel and structure of the vehicle.
Steering feel and light handling are always a high point when testing Extreme Performance Summer tires, and some would argue those traits make up for the lack of refinement. Here, the Falken led the group thanks to the firm feel of the wheel and exacting precision of response to inputs of any size. The tire was very bright and alert, and would likely provide drivers with the sporty feel they expect from a tire in this performance echelon. Following closely behind was the Michelin. The response was sharp and direct, with a natural, intuitive build-up of effort that was satisfying and easy to sync up with. The reflexes were a touch slower than those of the Falken, but some drivers may prefer that the tire doesn’t feel quite so high strung. Yokohama’s entry certainly delivered a performance feel, though it was a little vague and less direct than the leaders. The Hankook was similarly vague, with some non-linearity that also made it feel less precise. The response seemed to "ramp up" in an unnatural way, making it slightly difficult to judge the required input to place the vehicle where intended through turns.
Due to the limited number of drivers participating in our 2020 testing as a result of the global pandemic, the sample size was not large enough to provide reliable fuel consumption data.
As expected, all four tires in our test are excellent performers, and each has its place in the world of motorsports. The Yokohama ADVAN A052 uses monumental grip in the dry and the wet to set the fastest average lap times, and also provides surprising refinement on the road. Falken’s Azenis RT660 is incredibly responsive to steering inputs, and with similar levels of dry traction is just a minor step behind the Yokohama on the track. It is capable in the wet, but slightly edgy when pushed to the limit, and the ride quality and noise comfort are a significant step behind the best in the test. The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect (240) is relatively civilized on the road, with world-class steering and light handling. On the dry track, it favors small, deliberate inputs that make it feel more suited to track use than the quick transitions of an autocross course, yet it still holds its own in our testing thanks to impressive traction and natural athleticism. Grip in the wet is adequate in isolation, but sensitivity to driving style makes it difficult to be consistent when pushing for fast laps. The Hankook Ventus R-S4 is known as the endurance leader in the category, delivering amazing longevity under hard use while setting lap times just slightly off the pace of the fastest options. In our testing it’s fast in the dry and has good grip in the wet, though a slight handling imbalance front to rear means it feels eager to rotate in either condition. On the road it is acceptable for the category, though some significant noise serves as a constant reminder of the tire’s true focus.
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