Wider tires obviously provide more contact patch, but yield less energy per unit area - so they will run cooler - which could reduce available traction. They also weigh more.
So the question is - how does one determine the optimum tire size for a given weight of car (like the GT40? Obviously HP factors in, but I'm more concerned about braking and cornering performance.
I've seen GT40's with front tires ranging from 195mm to 245mm (and there is probably someone running 255's in front). Cars like the Mazda MX5 (which weigh about the same as a GT40) only use 205's up front. Cars in the 3,000+ lbs range seem to use 235-245s (GT3, M3, A4, etc).
Is there any real advantage to running fronts wider than ~205 on a 2,400 lb car?
And of course, how does one determine the optimum rear size for a given HP (say 400 HP) and weight distribution?
I should state that "optimum" in this case means track performance on a "typical" track (and yes, I realize the optimum may vary slightly from track to track).
Thanks!
Mark
So the question is - how does one determine the optimum tire size for a given weight of car (like the GT40? Obviously HP factors in, but I'm more concerned about braking and cornering performance.
I've seen GT40's with front tires ranging from 195mm to 245mm (and there is probably someone running 255's in front). Cars like the Mazda MX5 (which weigh about the same as a GT40) only use 205's up front. Cars in the 3,000+ lbs range seem to use 235-245s (GT3, M3, A4, etc).
Is there any real advantage to running fronts wider than ~205 on a 2,400 lb car?
And of course, how does one determine the optimum rear size for a given HP (say 400 HP) and weight distribution?
I should state that "optimum" in this case means track performance on a "typical" track (and yes, I realize the optimum may vary slightly from track to track).
Thanks!
Mark