Need for a new rad tire for your old rad car?

In reply to Teh E36 M3 :

Sign me up!

Yokohama offers an updated A008 in other markets but only brings the Mini and Porsche sizes here. But if we showed them that there's enough demand....

Actually it looks like they are making a lot of good sizes for the Michelin. I just ordered a set for my Integra restoration in the 195/55/15. This is a much better option than the round and black tires on there now. 

I suspect there's more to selling a tire in the US than just chucking a bunch in a container. They need DOT markings, and there's probably some paperwork at the very minimum involved. Importing a tire from overseas is an option, but if your insurance company finds out the tires on your car didn't have DOT markings when it had an accident you may have a problem.

And even if it were just about chucking them into a container, do you load up tires for a Camry or some 13 or 14s for a 40-year-old VW Rabbit? 

I've been discussing this with friends in the business for years. At the end of the day, it has to make financial sense. 

They're here! It took a long time, I ordered them five months ago. I mounted up my new 185/60-14s this morning. It's storming outside so no test drive yet, but they look and feel like the sort of quality rubber you expect from Michelin. Interestingly, they're mildly asymmetrical.

A couple of notes. My tires have DOT markings on them, but according to the EPREL site they are no longer being sold in the EU. Mine have a production stamp of 04-21, so they're over 2 years old already. The EPREL documentation says this model was first produced in 23-02.
https://eprel.ec.europa.eu/screen/product/tyres/462094

Also, the sidewall is stamped MADE IN RUSSIA, so I suspect there may not be any new shipments for a while. If you want some, it's probably a good idea to order now.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Thanks for the update, and interesting note about the country of origin. 

Oh yeah, got any pics?

I'll shoot some when it gets out of the shop, I promise. One thing that is noticeable is that the sidewalls are very busy - there's a huge amount of information on them. This may be because they're little tires and/or have several continents worth of certifications. 

I forgot to weigh them but the shipping weight for four, plus the Saran Wrap holding them together, was 56 lbs. That's a whole 14 lbs per tire. 

Many, many years ago, a friend in the tire industry sent me a few different sidewall renderings. Which did I prefer? He then explained how quite a bit of thought goes into sidewall design as it’s something that most consumers notice.

Well crap. I would likely order a set sometime soon but unless they can get an alternative manufacturering location, I don't see that happening.

In reply to singleslammer :

There is inventory in the US right now. It's mostly subsequent shipments I'd be worried about.

Boycotting tires that were made 2 years ago isn't going to have any effect on Russia today.

Pictors for David.

I was very careful to mount them with the outside out.

There's just a lot of info in a fairly small space on the sidewall.

They’re so smol. 

Thanks for the pics.

And, yeah, that is a lot of info. “Heat before serving.”

Keith Tanner said:

In reply to singleslammer :

There is inventory in the US right now. It's mostly subsequent shipments I'd be worried about.

Boycotting tires that were made 2 years ago isn't going to have any effect on Russia today.

Oh, it isn't necessarily boycotting. The products are made and already here and it isn't Cokers fault. I am worried about putting what will likely be a 3 year old tire on my car that I will want to replace again in 3 more years. Then what? As you said, it is the subsequent shipments that are a major deterrent.

Update - some overap with my 338 build diary, but not everyone reads everything :)

Put about 200 miles on the car this weekend, including a hundred miles or so of twisty mountain roads. Ride comfort and noise levels are excellent, these are luxe. Compared with the 2005 Tiger Paws that came off, it felt like the roads had been freshly paved. 

The 240TW rating feels about right - they're not 200TW gumballs, but I'd peg them as a little stickier than a 300TW Yokohama Fleva. That's a seat of the pants guess, I haven't driven them in the same size. But they're sticky enough to give an old Miata good cornering power but loose enough to allow for a little slip angle without being a nutball on the street. At least, in the 185/60-14 size :)

Turn-in...well, they're 185/60-14s. There's only so much you can do short of filling the sidewalls with concrete like an RT215 Azenis. But there's no mush in street driving, the car is stable and doesn't move around on the tires at 80 mph and very faithful when either tossing into or carving into a mountain turn. They're a really good match to this chassis.

The tires feel new. I know they're a couple of years old, but I would not have guessed it. They must have been properly stored.

More pictor for David. Obviously not awesome. David, if you do want some for real good shots for a GRM blurb or something I can make it happen. 

singleslammer said:

Keith Tanner said:

In reply to singleslammer :

There is inventory in the US right now. It's mostly subsequent shipments I'd be worried about.

Boycotting tires that were made 2 years ago isn't going to have any effect on Russia today.

Oh, it isn't necessarily boycotting. The products are made and already here and it isn't Cokers fault. I am worried about putting what will likely be a 3 year old tire on my car that I will want to replace again in 3 more years. Then what? As you said, it is the subsequent shipments that are a major deterrent.

Kind of like the Simpsons joke.

"What country did you say this car came from?"

"Oh, it no longer exists."

I run the Yoko A-008's on my Mini (on 10" wheels of course) but I wish they made them in a 13" too.......I have to run the 539's on my 13" wheels which are good tires but I prefer the A-008's. 

I am not sure I would worry about future replacements. I had to change tire brands on my Fit because Michelin dropped my size. I just bought a set of Continental ECS on another car, but I will have to move to the ECS 2 for the next set. Sure, the newer ones are lighter, but Tire Rack's testing report makes me think I will like the original better.

You really can't count on any tire still being available in 3 years. Have fun and wear them out before they age out.

In reply to matthewmcl :

That's the approach I'm taking. No matter what the vehicle, the tire choices will always be different next time you go shopping. Right now, I think these are a good choice for an early Miata. In a few years, hopefully there will still be something although it may be something different. I wouldn't put a car on 14s these days, but since my car is one that I want to keep on 14s then it's a good option.

I've had mine on for about 5 months now in DD duty and really agree with a lot of what Keith said. I have oem size 195/55/15 for my JDM mirage. It's a great DD tire. Happy with the choice. Mine were a little newer. 9/21. Overall I like them. My other rims have 205/50/15's on them but I like these for dd duty for sure. 

Happy to take some more pics.