Passenger Car Summer Max Performance Tyres

For my 2022 I30n Hatch I got the Conti SportContact 7 to replace the original Pirelli P Zero PZ4 which only lasted about 17000kms, this set has lasted about 42000kms including 3 track days! <br />
<br />
The SportContact 7 are way better for dry and wet handling, I can push them allot further then I ever would the Pzeros due to handling/breaking and general dynamics. The feedback from the tyres over the Pzero's gives you more confidence to push them to the edge through corners, I really love the tyres but they are lot more expensive in 2026 so will look at the Hankook Ventus S1 Evo Z K129 which is pretty close in dynamics

I've loved them, I've done over 3000 of my miles around Europe, on mountain roads, autobahns, small Italian towns and on the Nurburgring, tyres performed fantastic. Confidence inspiring and they have lasted so well compared to my last set of 4S's the trade off of less grip compared to those is very much worth it in my opinion.<br />
<br />
The only downside if I had to pick one out is they do start to slide a bit when hot, they lean towards understeer but then again so does the 1.5t estate car they're on!

I’ve been running these tyres for about 8,000km on a square 245/45R18 setup, coming from both the Bridgestone Potenza Sport and Pirelli P Zero PZ4. Here are my impressions so far:<br />
<br />
What I like<br />
Comfort (for a UHP tyre) – noticeably more compliant than both the Potenza Sport and PZ4<br />
Low-speed refinement – relatively quiet under 90 km/h with good absorption over small bumps<br />
Grip (so far) – haven’t fully pushed them yet, but initial confidence is strong<br />
Wear rate – seems to be holding up better than my previous Potenza Sport and PZ4<br />
Aesthetics – really attractive sidewall design<br />
<br />
Cons<br />
Steering feel – noticeably more vague and muted compared to the Potenza Sport<br />
Big bump absorption – still not as well-controlled as the PZ4 over larger undulations<br />
High-speed noise – tyre roar is similar to the Potenza Sport which is pretty loud, especially above 120 km/h<br />
Dry braking – feels slightly longer than the Potenza Sport, though not by a huge margin<br />
<br />
Managed to get these at a really good price, which made the decision easier. Initially, I was considering the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S or Continental SportContact 7 after not quite liking the feel of the Bridgestone Turanza 6—which, to be fair, is a great tyre but just didn’t suit what I was looking for.

I want to start off saying I unfortunately totaled my car driving a bit too fast and so that's why the experience with this tyre is such short lived. But I did get to scrub it in and test out it's capabilities. <br />
<br />
One can argue that tyre screeching noise ≠ limit of grip but still compared to the previous tyres I had on which was Continental Max Contact 6 this tyre would screech much louder and earlier than the Contis would. And after a lot of deliberation, my conclusion is that the Conti MC6 had a bigger envelope as a whole in terms of wet grip, dry grip, comfort, everything except for feedback. <br />
<br />
Here is where this tyre really left a strong impression, and that is it's feedback. This tyre has that chunky outer shoulder block design like many UUHP tyres (imagine like the PS4s) and perhaps that's the reason why + tread block tuning amongst others that made the steering felt absolutely sensational. It was much more direct and when you've loaded your car through weight shift this tyre talks to me front and rear axle WAY MORE than the Conti MC6 did. <br />
<br />
Within the "soft" limit, meaning you are orchestrating the weight of your car, you're dancing and not yanking the car around much. This tyre can handle the forces fine. I have done 206km/h in wet conditions on a left bend and the car felt fine, granted I was keeping in mind to dance with the car. And that's the thing with this tyre, unlike the Conti or the Michelin PS5 (have experienced doing 10/10ths on it). The Kumho PS72 lacks that extra inch of grip.<br />
<br />
To conclude, in my opinion based on my short lived experience. The Kumho PS72 is not in the same envelope of grip as the top tier tyres, but it is priced at such a low price that the value proposition makes it a strong argument to go for this tyre.

Went from the OEM Pirelli PZ4 HN to the Michelin PS4S M01 XL Acoustic. Didn’t actually have foam inside like the PZ4 which the installer said they do… so could explain the only downside to the tyre, slightly noisier on the freeway. Otherwise it’s better in all regards. Dry and wet grip are excellent. Where the Pirelli used to loose traction in the no traction control modes in the IONIQ 5N, the Michelin just does the most minor flinch.
I have done one Tarmac Rallysprint on them, and they were great there too. The better grip definitely resulted in better lap times. <br />
If you can, get this for your IONIQ 5N, I’m not seeing a downside as they are also ment to last longer. Both are awesome but this one is just that bit better. And where I am, was easier to get than the OEM Pirelli.<br />
No comment on wear as I just got them. Time will tell.

I have Megane GT. Use Sport Contact 5 from inicial buy of the car. Always secure in dry ir wet conditions, but wear is short... Never less... Still use the same. Very good tires

I got these and the 295/35/19 size for my F10 M5.<br />
<br />
I was curious to see how £700 for a full set of tyres compares the Michelin Pilot Sport 4s and Continental Sport Contact 7 which are double the price for a full set.<br />
<br />
The Michelins were good but the sidewall is ugly, as is the rim protector design. They also lacked turn in feel.<br />
<br />
The continentals were epic in almost every way, especially in the wet.<br />
<br />
Comparatively I’d say the RS820 is only 10% behind the Michelins and maybe 15-20% behind the Continentals when you’re really pushing it.<br />
<br />
I’m well aware of my limits and don’t track my car so if these Falken RS820’s wear sensibly, I’ll fit another set.<br />
They behave predictably and don’t suddenly lose traction, they are also reasonably responsive in the cold spring mornings we are having.<br />
They also have a nice minimalist side wall design, although I’m not a fan of the font used for the tyre size.<br />
<br />
One thing to note is that the RS820 did take more weights to balance than the other two brands I’ve mentioned. But there isn’t any vibration at autobahn speeds.

Very grippy and stable during fast corners

Used them on my 2024 ND3 Mazda MX-5 RF 2.0. These are the factory tires the car comes fitted with. I was not very happy when I found myself having to correct an oversteer while going 50kmh uphill on a wet road. I wasn't driving sporty, it was early in the autumn sub 20C and I was in the 3rd gear. This was one of the main reasons I swapped the factory tires quite quickly at around 12-13k kms. While giving surprisingly good feedback when it comes to steering and overall chassis feeling, these tires aren't suited for fast driving, especially in wet conditions. The tread width is the narrowest in the performance category, and compared to other 205/45r17 tires the S001 only have a 16.5cm contact patch width. <br />
Dry grip, braking and road feel are decent but a lot less capable than Michelin Pilot Sport 5. <br />
Point and case, I've attended an all Miata track event where I managed to be a full 5s faster on a 2 minute track than the next ND3 MX-5 which was also a lot lighter since it was the soft top version and the driver was around 30kg lighter than me. Driving and track knowledge were not a factor since the other driver is arguably more experienced than I am when it came to that circuit and the definitive factor was the tire set. <br />
Confort was quite poor. The MX-5 itself isn't the ride filtering vehicle but these tires didn't help. After exchanging them to the Michelin ones, the bump in confort was imense. It's likely the stiff sidewalls are the culprit.<br />
The best and most surprising thing about the Bridgestone was wear. Even though the car was driven quite sporty most of the time, after 12-13k km usage, the rear tires only lost 4mm and the front 2mm. This was very unexpected and might be a definitive factor for a lot of people. <br />
If living in a country with general good weather, with quality road infrastructure, this set should definitely shortlisted. Just be careful in the wet and don't hope for competitive results on track.

Fitted these to my i30n on a 4 for 3 deal to replace my worn pzero's. What a night and day difference. <br />
<br />
Positives, The tyre immediately feels very direct and sporty and it's easy to feel what the front end is doing. Grip in the dry was incredible for a road tyre the just go and go, though they definitely need a little heat to work it's best. More on the feel I found the grip to feel very intuitive and I could tell when that "endless" grip was running out with the tyres breaking away progressively. The star of the show was the wet grip, I don't see any tyre ever wowing me more when I first drove them spiritdly in the wet. They just cut through the water and make it feel like you're in the dry, obviously there's a limit and I have aquaplaned on some deeper standing water but otherwise superb.<br />
<br />
On to the negatives, the first this I noticed is definitely the road noise, the i30n is never a quiet car but I can manage to hear them over my exhaust cruising at highway speeds. They're also very firm, South Sydney speed bumps and poorly paved roads have never felt worse, that being said definitely something I could put up with being younger and with all the other positives. Last thing was the wear, on road they held up well for approximately 20,000km with many spirited drives through the twisties and the occasional launch control from a stop light. However one track day at pheasant wood circuit and they were toast, I expected some heavy wear going in but yikes! Front left tyre had some minor delamination and the tread on the front was gone particularly on the outside of the front tyres, the culprit being overheating according to my mechanic.That being said a proper alignment and maybe more careful monitoring of tyre pressures and temperatures they may have lasted better. Because otherwise they did feel great on track!<br />
<br />
After said track day, they still felt okay with grip being about the same but of course replacement was in order. Unfortunately no 4 for 3 deals this time around and having being bitten by the track bug I will not be using them for my next with some Conti SC7's replacing them.<br />
<br />
All in all definitely a great sporty tyre meant for enthusiasts. Maybe not the best for track days in a heavy fwd car but certainly a good tyre for some spirited driving and a sporty feel. Hopefully when the Potenza Sport Evo's come to Aus in my size I can grab a set and see how they fair as I really liked the feel of these Potenza Sports and without the track wear I'd definitely get them again!