I appreciate all the input guys. Its not that this tire has to be dual purpose because I will have an all season on my stock s-lites but for now I would like to mount the team dynamics and performance tires and keep them on throughout the summer so I do not have to take them on / off. If I were to go on a long road trip I would have no problem swapping back to the S-lites and all seasons.


Oh, and if I get out 6 times a year at this point I would be thrilled. I would say probably 2 or 3 of those times tops would be on a track (2 more likely) and any more with auto-x. I am going to try and get out as much as possible but my school schedule and funds will probably limit that for 2 more years which is why a performance tire is probably a better choice than an all out track tire.

 

The RT615 or Rs2 is a street class tire that can be used for autoX and track days. These tires have a 200 treadwear rating, which means, if you plan on running them on the street and track events you will not get the average life of 20,000 miles. The Rs2 will give you a bit more of an advantage in wet conditions, but the RT615 will give you stiffer sidewalls for cornering. The size I would go for either of these two tires would be 215/45R17. I would not run the Falken 912's on the track because they will not be able to handle the heat and will become very greasy. I hope this helps a bit. Let me know if you have other questions.

Leo Barrios
leo@edgeracing.com
800-489-5353 x211
http://www.edgeracing.com

 

IMHO, the RS2 works better for track work than the RT-615... On the track, the RS-2's, when warm, stay extremely consistent through a session - the RT-615's tend to go off a bit towards the end of sessions when the weather is warmer (and, it gets plenty hot here during mid-summer track days).

The RT-615 is better for autocross, but the RS-2 is REALLY close based on our testing - and, if it rains, the RS-2 is definitely a better choice.

Overall? IMHO, the RS-2 is a great choice for a dual-purpose tire. There are others, but they're not really made in very many MINI-friendly sizes (Yoko ADVAN AD-07, Bridgestone RE-01R).

The new Dunlop Z1 is worth a look, too. People running them on their e36 and e46 BMW's around here seem to like them on the track - they give up a bit for AX, though, versus the other choices mentioned.

 

Good info and responses on this thread.

My Kumho MX have performed incredibly well for track, autox and street duty for the last 2 years. They are on my RX7. Price is right, the hold up to track abuse, excellent on the street, good in the rain, good communication at the limit (which is critical for a novice). I'd pick those over the SPTs

Like others have said, the 615s get hot and greasy after a few laps on track. The Bridgestones are good but a bit pricey. Some of the Dunlops seem pretty cool too and are reasonably priced.

Don't get carried away going for the stickiest tire out there. You don't need them at your skill level and if anything they may be a detriment to development. A tire that offers good communication and good break away characteristics will go a long way toward helping you understand and feel what the car is doing and learn the limits.

 

I wanted to add my experience with the Hankook RS2. I highly recommend these and have run them for a couple of years now on both my miata (modified track-worthy suspension) and my mini cooper (JCW suspension). They are quite comfortable, very good in the rain compared to some other sticky "summer" tires, and have excellent turn-in feel and lateral grip. Driving in Canada I can also attest to their retaining surprisingly "safe" performance even at relatively low ambient temperatures, which can be important in that transition between summer wheels+tires and winter wheels+tires.

Best part is that they give you this kind of "well above average" performance for a very reasonable price and, as others have said, they are available in a range of sizes... another reason they are popular with the miatafolk and the minifolk. The one caution I will add is that after a couple of seasons as they wear down they can get quite loud... the set on my miata has done so and is due for replacement. However, from my experience I never expect a 3rd season on a sticky tire like this, particularly if you do manage to get a couple of track days or autox in, so all is good.

 

this is one of the best examples of a useful thread that i have ever seen on NAM! people are reading previous posts and interjecting their own experiences in an attempt to answer the OP's question. well done....

 

I'd also suggest the Hankook RS2. For the money, they are a great tire.

And, when I say "dual use" tire, I mean street and track / autocross. Not summer / winter.

At some point, you will wind up with three sets of wheels and tires: winter, summer street, and track / autocross. Unless you get really crazy and add a set of wet track in the mix also (but most people just use their summer street tires for wet track).

The nice thing about a MINI is you can fit four wheels and tires, and all the stuff you need for a weekend at the track in the car. So, drive to the track on the summer street tires, then swap to the track tires (unless it's wet, then possibly keep the street tires on).

 

that is interesting, because my Azenis RT615 didn't even last me a year! i put in 15,000km on them and they are about on the wearbars, and its not like i run serious camber, only -2.0, and 0 toe, i did put in 3 or so track days on them (the rest i ran my r-comps), but still...

seems like its time to try the hankooks like i was going to

 

Rs2 has move over all grip then the 615's but they are vague. The 615's have way better inital turn in response and overall stiffer side wall. But the compound on the Rs2 is stickier when heated up.

I ran STX on Rs2 and liked them once you got over issue of the slow turn in response, just have to turn earlier. The 615's are a better auto cross solution IMHO.