June 22, 2023
For our second annual Tire Rack Track Test, we had two exciting - and diverse - new additions to the Extreme Performance Summer category, along with a couple familiar benchmarks. The Bridgestone Potenza Race is an endurance-focused option, focusing on consistency and longevity over delivering the fastest lap possible. It was originally developed with Lamborghini for original equipment use on the Huracan STO and Huracan Tecnica, so there’s undoubtedbly a lot of "fast" baked into its DNA. To see how it stacks up in the world of endurance-focused track tires, we chose the Continental ExtremeContact Force as the benchmark competitor. In addition to being a favorite of our test drivers, the ExtremeContact Force was the fastest of the endurance-focused options in our last Track Test.
Speaking of fast, our second new tire sets speed as one of its top priorities. The Nankang Sportnex CR-S was on the market in its original form for a few years, and while it was an admirable performer, it wasn’t necessarily a "must have" for enthusiasts. Then, in 2023, Nankang introduced the new, updated version of the Sportnex CR-S, and our initial testing indicated the company had a serious contender on its hands. We knew we had to add it to our product lineup and test it on the track. As the benchmark for the Nankang, the most obvious choice was the Yokohama ADVAN A052, a favorite of consumers that some consider to be the fastest track tire in the category.
As our test platform, we used our 2022 Subaru BRZ Limited test vehicles. To help them utilize more of the tires’ contact patch and ensure we didn’t wear through the outboard shoulders of the front tires, we added Whiteline adjustable camber bolts to give both cars identical alignments with 2.0 degrees of static negative camber at the front wheels. To ensure our brakes were up to the task, we installed front and rear TR Select Brake Kits with Hawk DTC-60 pads and Centric 120 Series rotors that delivered fade-free stopping performance throughout the test. The vehicles were fitted with new, full tread depth 225/45R17 tires mounted on 17x8.0 wheels. Hot pressures were set at 32 psi.
Bridgestone Potenza Race:
For placing more emphasis on consistency and longevity, the Potenza Race was impressively quick, as well. It held a significant advantage over its benchmark competitor, and wasn’t too far off the pace of the "Super 200" tires in the test. Subjectively, the steering was accurate and natural in the way it responded to inputs, but it wasn’t as quick to change directions as the other tires in the test. It felt a little dull by comparison, as opposed to the decisive front-end authority we often find in track-focused tires. The rear end would step out just a touch at corner exit, but in general the tire would understeer when pushed beyond the limit. Overall, it felt stable and planted, and would be an easy tire to lap repeatedly in an endurance race.
Continental ExtremeContact Force:
The steering of the ExtremeContact Force was nicely weighted, with turn-in that felt just right. The response was smooth and fluid, and it built effort in an intuitive way every time. The prevailing balance was neutral, allowing our drivers to make easy, small adjustments with the throttle mid-turn. When really pushing to the limit and getting the tire "up on its toes," it got just a little bit tail-happy. It was easily controlled, but the movement at the rear took some focus away from making speed and hurt how confidently the driver could get back to the throttle. Even so, for pure driving pleasure, it was one of our favorites. Yet, it didn’t have the ultimate traction to keep up with the other tires in the test.
Nankang Sportnex CR-S:
Stepping out of the "Endurance 200" tires and into the Sportnex CR-S was a night-and-day change in feel and pace. The steering was "right now" quick, pointing the front end of the vehicle with an alacrity that wasn’t present in any of the other tires. Despite the powerful front-end authority, the impressive overall traction meant it never felt edgy or like it would overpower the available grip at either axle. The rear end was very planted, and the balance leaned toward very mild understeer, instilling confidence that allowed our drivers to quickly commit to full throttle and ultimately set the fastest laps in the test.
Yokohama ADVAN A052:
The temperature was significantly cooler for this year’s test, and the ADVAN A052 felt much improved over last year. Just like we found previously, it was still plagued by understeer, but it was nowhere near as pronounced. Compared to the Nankang, our drivers had to wait a fraction of a second longer to get back to throttle, otherwise the rear axle would overpower the front and push the nose toward the grass. The steering was very quick to respond to inputs, with nice feel and precision. One place the Yokohama stood out noticeably was under braking. All of our drivers commented on how strong the deceleration felt, and it helped overcome some of the lost time at corner exit, keeping the ADVAN A052 about a tenth of a second behind the test leader.
In addition to the tires in this test, we also ran other control tires that were included in our first Track Test. Using that data, we can get an approximation of how our new tires stack up in the total hierarchy of Extreme Performance tires. With the cooler track temps this year, every tire was faster than the year before, with the exception of the Continental ExtremeContact Force. Given its heavy emphasis on consistency and long wear, it’s not a surprise to see it’s less heat sensitive than the more highly-strung tires in the test.
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