Dunlop Sport SP8000

[Howard Jones]

Does anybody use these, I can get the 315/35/17s I want to use on the rear when my new rims are done. They are currently $222 each and for that size tire, thats pretty good. The fronts, 215/45/17 are $119. very reasonable I believe.

 

[Robert Logan]

Howard ,

Ihave a few friends that have ued these tyres in competition and are VERY pleased with them. I would like to test them out in one of our cars and will do soon.

Good choise !!!!!!

Best wishes,

Robert

 

[Hershal Byrd]

Howard,
I have new sp8000 on my GT. They are also on my Cobra. I think they are by far the best tyre for street and track duty. Good wear but get sticky on the track with with a few good laps. I found the prices are super but Dunlop claims they dicontinued them. I called around and there is still a good supply.
The Yokohama's were a great tyre for the track but one noisey sucker on the street. The noise was the biggest factor in removing them. I will be looking into some wheels to mount them on so I will have a set ready for the track.

Hersh

 

[Howard Jones]

Hersh, I wonder how long they will be "in stock" any idea? What size's are you running, wheel widths? There seams to be some difference of opinion on the front width. A couple of people have had some minor rubbing with 8" fronts, but then again others are OK with them. I was going to use 7" width then 215's or 225's what do you think? 9 1/2" wide on the rear will suport the 315's I believe.

[ May 25, 2003: Message edited by: Howard Jones ]

 

[Hershal Byrd]

Howard,
I have 205/55 ZR16 up front with 8.5 rim width. In the rear I have 255/50ZR16 with 9.5 rim width.
They dealer I talked to said that he will still be able to get them for about a year. I don't know if the replacement sp9000 are the same composition. I know they have a different tread design though.

Hersh

 

Howard,

Make sure you check out Tire Rack before ordering. I got all 4 from them three years ago Michelen MXX (sorry about the spelling!) P335 35 17s for $185 each and SP 8000, P235 40 17s in the front for $125 each

 

[Howard Jones]

Fred, how wide are your rear rims?

Note to thread: Dunlop sport SP8080E are avaible 225/45/ZR17 at the TireRack.com. This is a special size for BMW's but is otherwise the same as 8000's

Hersh, Ya I like the tread pattern because it is a block design that seams more period correct to me. The new types that look like a Goodyear F1 rain tire just don't look right , at least to my eye.
Do you think that 315s are too big for the rear without flares? A lot of people are using 285s with 17" wheels 9.5" wide. I believe I would need to add at least a inch to the rim width to put on a 315. I'll have to talk to Phil and see what he thinks before he puts my wheels together.

[ May 26, 2003: Message edited by: Howard Jones ]

[ May 26, 2003: Message edited by: Howard Jones ]

[ May 26, 2003: Message edited by: Howard Jones ]

 

[Hershal Byrd]

Howard,
Personally I think that tires that big are overkill for this car. I think I would ask some of the guys in the UK on what size works best. They have more GTD's and they drive the he!! out of them. I'm sure Chris Melia or a few of the others will be glad to assist you.
I think if a guy had a mark two with a 427 in it then he might need tires that big to handle the torque. But he better have a Quaif or a RBT too. I just think that too much tire put way too much torque on the trans.

Hersh

 

Howard,

My wheels are 17 X 13 in the rear. That is why I have the P335s (I have the wide flares).

I agree with Hershal regarding what would be the right tire in the rear. BUT,,,,,,skiiiiny tires in the back are just UGLY

. I sometime think of putting a 15 X 15 in the rear

. Thanks to Bud, Hershal and other sensible people on this forum, I refrain myself!!

 

[Julian West]

Hey guys, think about this for a minute...

Bigger tyres can give you LESS 'grip'.

'Grip' is created by the weight of the car pushing down (gravity) & pushing the rubber tyres against the road.

Your car is a certain weight, sitting on a fixed area of rubber. If you have more area of rubber, there are less pounds of weight per square inch of rubber, ie less 'grip'.

So fitting a narrower tyre gives you MORE pounds of weight per square inch of rubber, ie more 'grip'.

Obviously this doesn't work when you take it to extreemes, your car would not work on bicycle tyres, or road-roller tyres, but what I'm getting at is that you can 'over-tyre' a car.

If you're interested in ultimate speed, then rolling resistance also has to be taken into account....

So bigger isn't necessarily better!!

 

Jullian,

As you can see from my previous post. I agree with most of the stuff you and others have mentioned. My comments are for those who don't use the car for racing (looks is what I am talking about

).

After all If performance is all that is important, then we should all be at Viper Forum. IMHO, Viper is a faster, better, more powerful car than any of our replicas, you can pick up a used one from 32K to 45K.
The reason I don't have the Viper,,,,The GT40 looks 1000 times better

P.S Ohhh I almost forgot, the only good looking thing on the viper is huge rear tires

 

[Ron Earp]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Faili F:
Jullian,


IMHO, Viper is a faster, better, more powerful car than any of our replicas, you can pick up a used one from 32K to 45K.
D<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Than SOME of the replicas. There are some really nasty GT40 replicas running around, especially in the UK. And there will be a few here in the US before long too. Lots in construction with some serious hardware.

Ron

 

I wonder how would the nastiest Viper do against a Replica with serious serious serious hardware?

 

[Howard Jones]

Hersh, I assume you have gotten your car is pretty ballanced by now. Do you have any push that a wider front tire might help with? I think I agree with the rears. I'll use 285's and a 9.5" wheel. I want to limit grip at some point below what breaks the gearbox. I have a pretty careful, read limmited budget, foot anyway. Oh and the Vippers are giving away about 800lb arent they. That is the real performance upgrade, weight saving. A light car will corner better, stop faster, and leave a given turn at a highter speed than a heavy car will. These things will always translate into faster lap times, and a 500hp GT is not out of the question. THAT car with the proper brakes and tires/ chassis setup would be VERY quick. Vipers are nice cars and have won Le Mans also so I guess I like them both. I just like GT40's more!

[ May 28, 2003: Message edited by: Howard Jones ]

 

[Julian West]

Hi Falli,

Sure, fair comment! I guess it's the old 'form over function' chestnut!

 

[Gary Gibbs]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Faili F:
IMHO, Viper is a faster, better, more powerful car than any of our replicas, you can pick up a used one from 32K to 45K.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not sure I agree with this one

 

[Bill Bayard]

Gary & Ron,

You're on the money!
From 40MPH-100MPH anyway, by a car length.
The Viper guy pulled alongside after we slowed down, gave me a thumbs up,and shook his head in disbelief!
Too bad about his crushed ego!
More than likely would have been a different story from 125+...., but luckily for me, we ran out of room!
A Viper faster? Not necessarily. Better? Are you kidding? Not in a million years! More powerful? Depends on the amount of money spent on horsepower, etc.,in each car.

Bill

 

[Guest]

Front cover of the latest GTD club mag reads

"GTD 40 WINS SAINT CEZAIRE HILL CLIMB
QUATTRO, STRATOS, PORSCHE & FERRARI ALL BEATEN"

If a viper had been there he would be on the list too I am sure!

Justin Bell drove a Viper at the Brighton Speed trials a couple of years back. He was one of the Viper Le Mans drivers so should know how to pedal a car but a number of GTDs beat him over the 1/4 mile. His first run was a little showy as he tried to burn rubber for the whole 1/4, failed but succeeded in the doughnuts in the parc ferme!

Malcolm

What was that about tyres JP?

 

[James]

Talk about going off topic!

Dunlop sport SP8000, probably great for the road, but they were not designed for the track. I thought the YOKO A032's were the best, noisy yes, but unsurpassed as a road legal tyre on the track.

Vipers!! Great big lumps of over powered and overweight machinery - IMHO!! Nice sounding though!

Regards,

J.P

 

[James]

[ QUOTE ]
What was that about tyres JP?

[/ QUOTE ]

Your off topic Malcolm!

Dyno next week!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

J.P