The Mustang Forum for Track & Racing Enthusiasts

Taking your Mustang to an open track/HPDE event for the first time? Do you race competitively? This forum is for you! Log in to remove most ads.

  • Welcome to the Ford Mustang forum built for owners of the Mustang GT350, BOSS 302, GT500, and all other S550, S197, SN95, Fox Body and older Mustangs set up for open track days, road racing, and/or autocross. Join our forum, interact with others, share your build, and help us strengthen this community!

Bridgestone Potenza S007A

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

167
218
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Irvine, CA
Wanted to share my initial impression of the S007A, 275/40R18 square on 18x10s.
They will be my track tires but I am breaking them in and getting used to them in the canyons first.
Coming from NT01s, which were great but wore out too fast for my budget.

So far just one hard drive in the canyons to report on:
Steering response and yaw gain are amazing, to the point that I had to slow down my steering inputs.
Lateral grip is very good even though the compound is hard enough to make me confident about the treadwear and durability of the tire for the track.
The sidewalls feel very stiff, almost too stiff on the canyon roads, but might be perfect for the track.
Longitudinal grip did not blow me away at first but is improving as the tires break in (they were brand new at the start of the drive) so it should be just fine.
Going for a harder drive tomorrow and hopefully a track day in the next few weeks so I can find out what they're really made of, and if they'll cut it for the track. So far I'm hopeful they will be consistent, durable, and grippy enough.
They won't set any course records but for someone who is on a budget, still learning, or just out to have fun, they might be the perfect compromise.
 
675
253
I have about 1000 street miles on S0007As on my Lotus Evora 400. They have been superb in every condition I've used them - hot days, rainy days, even cool weather (into the 30s). They are very progressive when they do break away. Amazingly quiet on the freeway and very refined feeling over bumps, unlike the much harsher OE PSS tires. I look forward to putting them on my Boss eventually (which also has PSS tires for now).
 
675
253
I am also noticing that they show almost no wear after some pretty hard driving (although my car is quite a bit lighter than a Mustang). The Yokohama AD08Rs I have on my Focus RS show some good feathering doing the same sort of back road driving.
 
167
218
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Irvine, CA
Finally got on the track with these tires and they did very well.
Not the fastest tires out there but fast enough, and more importantly I was able to drive all out for the whole 20 minute session without the tires overheating or getting greasy, which is exactly what I wanted from them.
They also seem to handle the physical abuse fairly well too, they aren't wearing too fast or chunking out.
Manged to lay down a 2:03.9 at Buttonwillow 13CW my first time running that direction and beat out some competitors on 200TW tires, so they do have reasonable levels of grip.
I was also able to drive home at normal speeds in the rain with perfect confidence while everyone else on R comps was dreading the drive in the rain, so that's a plus too.
 
167
218
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Irvine, CA
Hoping for some more feedback on these tires, as I'll be looking to replace my RE11s soon and this tire category is lacking in my size outside of Bridgestone.
Anyone else try them out yet?
Should have updated this thread, sorry about that.
Had these tires chunk/tear badly on their 3rd track day. All 3 were very hot and I might have let the pressure get a little high but I've never had any tire that I've run chunk at all.
I have decided they are not capable of handling the weight and temperatures generated by my car in a hot climate so I won't be trying them again.
They might fare better in the northeast but I would suggest paying for a better tire like the RS4, which I am now running. Similar characteristics but won't chunk out.
IMG_20190527_103241.jpgIMG_20190527_103238.jpg
 
167
218
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Irvine, CA
@Grant 302 Yes this was one of the hot days, but I didn't do anything differently from any other tire that I have run before or since.
I monitor temperature across the tread profile too and the center wasn't showing as higher (than the outside at least)
The chunking mostly happened on the the driver's side tires front and rear, which makes sense since we were running streets clockwise so they take most of the abuse.
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
Did you record your hot pressures?

Tread profile temps are good for making various adjustments, but aren't going to be much help if you're having (big) issues with tire pressure. Even less so if taken with an IR gun vs. a probe. It was eye opening when I made the switch.
 
167
218
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Irvine, CA
@Grant 302 yep have them written down at home, will check later but pretty confident they were right around 35/36 which is pretty typical for me on a street tire.
I keep a close eye on (and record) pressures and have never had a big issue, so as you mention I just use the profile temps to adjust 1 or 2 psi max.
 
6,360
8,181
Remember when I said that tires are best in their first 4 laps? I think you are seeing an example of this, as the tire becomes harder from heat cycles and wear, it will create more heat. I know it sounds counterintuitive but when we were having blister troubles at Indy, we were given a stickier tire which stopped the problem. Also treaded tires really aren't great at dissipating heat, plus the 275s are very marginal for our cars, I go to war with them on every track that we have to run them in T2 and T3 classes. This is one of the reasons that I'm totally focused on the removal of all the moisture in a tire that can cause temp spikes. (along with running nitrogen, or dehumidified air)The tires are just marginal, it's that simple.
The normal quick fix for this, is more air pressure if it's on the edges, less if it's in the center..sorta.
As you have discovered, the temp probe is much better than an IR gun, the second issue is to find someone to take them as you come off the track.
it's real..real easy to overdrive these cars, a couple of years ago I had 3 cars that I was doing tires fo,r finish 1,2 and 3..every tire was blistered..you really have to maintain the tires.
 

Norm Peterson

Corner Barstool Sitter
939
712
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
a few miles east of Philly
Should have updated this thread, sorry about that.
Had these tires chunk/tear badly on their 3rd track day. All 3 were very hot and I might have let the pressure get a little high but I've never had any tire that I've run chunk at all.
I have decided they are not capable of handling the weight and temperatures generated by my car in a hot climate so I won't be trying them again.
They might fare better in the northeast but I would suggest paying for a better tire like the RS4, which I am now running. Similar characteristics but won't chunk out.
View attachment 10089View attachment 10090
I have a feeling that the S007 having wide circumferential grooves on the outer half of the tread isn't doing dry track duty any favors either. Even though the total groove width as a percentage of total tread width doesn't appear to be much different from Michelin's PSS and PS4S.


Norm
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,422
8,346
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
Listen to BS1 and I would concur that a 275 width tire is just not enough rubber meeting the road. There are quite a few alternatives out there and more and more manufacturers are adding 200 Treadwear Tires that offer decent use in wet conditions and street use, yet are killer on track or auto crosses. Some are better for the track , and others are insanely effective on an autocross course, but width is needed on our somewhat heavy pony car, imho.
 
72
65
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
New Jersey
I feel like 200tw choices in good sizes for us are dwindling.
18s are short except a couple 295/40s. There's also only a couple 315s.
For 19s you have a ton of 275/35s and a few 305/30s (and it seems TireRack just dropped Hankook's 305 RS4)
I'm afraid to change wheel sizes and end up with only one or no choices again.
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,422
8,346
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
I think you might be overly concerned , as it was not too ,many years ago there was virtually only one 315 200TW tire, and now there are actually 3 in 18s -- Falken, Yokohama, and BFG ( I actually think I am missing another?) The bigger sizes are more prevalent now than just 3-4 years ago. The folks at Bridgestone, BFG and Falken were checking competitor tires at the Solo Nationals and I know Peter Calhoun at BFG said the requests for bigger 18s, 19s and 20s was the main comments he heard. At Hoosier the number of folks on 335s was insane ----- I needed a couple of used 315s and they were non existent, but 335s would fill a large trailer.

With the 200 TW rubber , as well as the Competition Rubber, there are actually more choices now, and the change with the 305 RS4 may have been a marketing change for Hankook and have nothing to do with Tire Rack?

Heck, you can get the BFG Rival S and the S 1.5 both in 315/18s and the 1.5s also come in a 305/19. Great tire that saw a ton of usage at the Solo Nationals on Pony Cars and those in the CAM classes.
 

TMO Supporting Vendors

Top