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Discover the Ultimate Grip: Best Autocross Tires Reviewed & Ranked
Autocross is one of the most popular amateur racing disciplines in the world. Very competitive and fun, this type of racing doesn’t require a speedy car, expensive parts, or an extensive support team. It only requires a suitable autocross venue, a nicely set up car, and a skillful driver who knows how to negotiate a turn and use throttle and brakes to achieve the best time. That is precisely why it is so popular, and you can have fun on the weekend with your road-legal car that you can drive home afterward.
Interestingly, to be fast on an autocross circuit, excellent handling and grip are far more critical than the power of a powerful engine. That is why the type of tire is crucial and makes a more significant difference than the number of cylinders.
Today, we will tell you the best autocross tires and what you need to know about this specific rubber. Of course, we will cover the street-legal options. Slicks and more aggressive competition tires will be in a separate blog post.
What To Expect From Best Autocross Tires
Autocross tires are designed to deliver optimal performance in the unique conditions of autocross competition. Here’s what you can typically expect from a quality autocross tire:
Grip:
Autocross tires are engineered to provide maximum grip on dry and sometimes wet surfaces. They feature specialized tread compounds and patterns that offer high levels of traction, allowing you to accelerate, brake, and corner confidently.
Responsive Handling:
Autocross tires are designed to respond quickly to steering inputs, providing precise control and agility through tight corners and slaloms. This responsiveness allows drivers to adjust rapidly and maintain power during fast-paced autocross runs.
Stability:
Stability is crucial in autocross, especially during high-speed maneuvers and transitions. Autocross tires are engineered to offer stability under hard braking, aggressive cornering, and rapid changes in direction, helping drivers maintain control and confidence throughout the course.
Consistency:
Autocross tires are designed to deliver consistent performance lap after lap, even as they heat up during extended runs. This consistency allows drivers to push the limits of their cars without worrying about sudden changes in tire behavior.
Heat Resistance:
Autocross tires are built to withstand the intense heat of aggressive driving, ensuring consistent performance throughout a competition and across multiple runs.
Durability:
While autocross tires prioritize performance, they must also be durable enough to withstand the rigors of autocross competition, including sharp turns, aggressive braking, and rapid acceleration. Quality autocross tires are engineered to balance performance and longevity, offering enough tread life to last through multiple events.
Best Autocross Tires
Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R
The Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R is widely regarded as one of the top autocross tires.
Exceptional Grip:
The RE-71R is known for its outstanding dry traction, allowing you to maximize acceleration, braking, and cornering grip during autocross runs. Its high-grip tread compound provides excellent adhesion to the road surface, helping you achieve faster lap times.
Responsive Handling:
This tire offers precise and responsive handling, enabling quick turn-in and sharp steering response. Its design helps drivers navigate tight autocross courses with agility and confidence, making it easier to hit apexes and maintain the desired racing line.
Predictable Performance:
The RE-71R delivers consistent and predictable performance, allowing drivers to push the limits of their cars without surprises. Its stable and progressive handling characteristics inspire confidence, particularly during aggressive driving maneuvers.
Heat Resistance:
The tire’s construction and compound are optimized to withstand the heat generated during autocross competition. This ensures that performance remains consistent even as the tire heats up throughout multiple runs, allowing you to maintain peak performance throughout the event.
Durability:
While the RE-71R prioritizes performance, it also offers reasonable tread life for an autocross tire. While it may wear faster than a street tire due to its high-grip compound, it still provides enough durability to last through several autocross events, making it a popular choice among autocross enthusiasts.
BFGoodrich g-Force Sport Comp
The BFGoodrich g-Force Sport Comp is another popular choice among autocross enthusiasts. Its impressive performance characteristics make it well-suited for autocross competition.
Excellent Grip:
Like the Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R, the g-ForceSport Comp provides exceptional dry traction, allowing for aggressive acceleration, precise braking, and confident cornering on autocross courses. Its high-grip tread compound ensures maximum adhesion to the road surface, helping drivers achieve fast lap times.
Sharp and Responsive Handling:
The g-Force Sport Comp offers precise steering response and sharp handling, allowing quick turn-in and precise control through corners. Its design enables drivers to navigate autocross courses with agility and confidence, making it easier to hit apexes and maintain optimal racing lines.
Predictable Performance:
Like the RE-71R, the g-Force Sport Comp delivers consistent and predictable performance, enabling drivers to push the limits of their vehicles without surprises. Its stable and progressive handling characteristics inspire confidence, particularly during aggressive driving maneuvers joint in autocross competition.
Heat Management:
The tire is engineered to manage heat effectively, ensuring consistent performance even during prolonged autocross runs. This heat resistance helps maintain grip and handling characteristics throughout an autocross event, allowing drivers to perform at their best from start to finish.
Durability:
While the g-Force Sport Comp prioritizes performance, it also offers reasonable tread life for an autocross tire. While its high-performance compound may cause it to wear faster than street tires, it still provides sufficient durability to withstand the demands of autocross competition over multiple events.
Falken Azenis RT 615
The Falken Azenis RT series, particularly the RT615K+ and RT660, are highly regarded for autocross competition options.
Excellent Dry Grip:
The Azenis RT tires are known for their exceptional dry traction, providing high levels of grip for acceleration, braking, and cornering on autocross courses. The specially formulated tread compound offers impressive adhesion to the road surface, allowing drivers to push their cars to the limit.
Responsive Handling:
These tires offer responsive handling characteristics, allowing for precise steering inputs and quick turn-in response. This responsiveness helps drivers navigate autocross courses with agility and confidence, allowing them to accurately maintain optimal racing lines and hit apexes.
Predictable Performance:
Like other top autocross tires, the Azenis RT series delivers consistent and predictable performance. This allows drivers to push their vehicles to the edge without encountering unexpected behavior. This stability and predictability inspire confidence, especially during aggressive driving maneuvers.
Heat Management:
The Azenis RT tires are engineered to manage heat effectively, ensuring consistent performance even during extended autocross runs. This heat resistance helps maintain grip levels and handling characteristics throughout an autocross event, allowing drivers to perform at their best from start to finish.
Durability:
While prioritizing performance, the Azenis RT tires offer reasonable tread life for autocross tires. While they may wear faster than street tires due to their high-performance compound, they still provide sufficient durability to withstand the demands of autocross competition over multiple events.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is primarily known as a high-performance street tire. Still, it can also be a competitive choice for autocross, particularly in classes where street tires are allowed.
Excellent Dry Grip:
The Pilot Sport 4S offers impressive dry traction, providing good levels of grip for acceleration, braking, and cornering on autocross courses. While not as aggressive as dedicated autocross tires, its high-quality tread compound still delivers solid performance, allowing drivers to push their cars confidently.
Precise Handling:
This tire provides precise and responsive handling, offering good steering response and control through corners. While not as sharp as some autocross-specific tires, the Pilot Sport 4S still enables drivers to navigate autocross courses with relative agility and accuracy.
Predictable Performance:
The Pilot Sport 4S delivers consistent and predictable performance, allowing drivers to push their vehicles without encountering unexpected behavior. While it may not offer the same ultimate grip level as autocross-specific tires, it still provides stable and manageable performance during aggressive driving maneuvers.
Heat Management:
The Pilot Sport 4S is designed to manage heat effectively, ensuring consistent performance even during extended autocross runs. While it may not have the same level of heat resistance as dedicated autocross tires, it still maintains grip levels and handling characteristics throughout an autocross event.
Durability:
One of the key advantages of the Pilot Sport 4S is its durability. While it may not offer the same tread life as street touring tires, it typically lasts longer than autocross-specific tires, making it a good choice for autocross enthusiasts who also use their cars for daily driving or occasional track days.
Yokohama Advan A052
The Yokohama Advan A052 is a high-performance tire for track and autocross use.
Outstanding Dry Grip:
The Advan A052 offers exceptional dry traction, providing maximum grip for acceleration, braking, and cornering on autocross courses. Its high-grip tread compound ensures excellent adhesion to the road surface, allowing drivers to confidently push their cars to the limit.
Responsive Handling:
This tire provides precise and responsive handling, offering sharp steering response and control through corners. Its design enables drivers to navigate autocross courses with agility and precision, making it easier to hit apexes and maintain optimal racing lines.
Predictable Performance:
The Advan A052 delivers consistent and predictable performance, allowing drivers to push their vehicles without encountering unexpected behavior. Its stable and progressive handling characteristics inspire confidence, especially during aggressive driving maneuvers joint in autocross competition.
Heat Management:
The Advan A052 is engineered to manage heat effectively, ensuring consistent performance even during prolonged autocross runs. This heat resistance helps maintain grip levels and handling characteristics throughout an autocross event, allowing drivers to perform at their best from start to finish.
Durability:
While the Advan A052 prioritizes performance, it also offers reasonable tread life for an autocross tire. While its high-performance compound may cause it to wear faster than street tires, it still provides sufficient durability to withstand the demands of autocross competition over multiple events.
Conclusion
The best autocross tires are easy to find. Just follow our instructions and shop confidently, knowing all the tires are thoroughly tested and proven in real-life conditions.
