Bridgestone Potenza Adrenalin RE005

Coming from Advan Fleva V701 (Albeit in a 235/35/19 profile) and then Dunlop FM800 (A touring oriented tire, but in the same size) the Bridgestones, whilst relatively new at least, have boatloads of dry grip and are not skittish in the wet.

These have been used daily as well as some heavy spirited driving, and have held up well. Confidence levels when driving hard are very high with this level of grip and sidewall stiffness.

The sidewall stiffness is really evident, especially compared to touring tires and even lower profile UHP tires, as steering is super direct and precise, and steering feel is much improved and less vague than before.

However, this comes at the trade off of ride quality, as my 17s feel much more like an 18 or 19 inch rim.

Noise levels are also quite high, especially on chip seal roads (as are the majority of country roads in Victoria, Australia) and they roar quite a bit. I imagine this would be very loud in a less insulated car.

There are some concerns with durability, especially outer shoulder feathering, which is supposed to be improved from the previous generations. However, I still have noticed a little excessive wear on the outer shoulder blocks even after 5000km (~3000 miles).

Overall, I paid ~ $800 AUD for a full set, and compared to other tires in this class and budget for my tire size, as well as being available in more sizes than traditional UHP tires, this has been great for someone who prioritises high steering feel and engagement and doesn't mind the high noise and low overall comfort.

I have run the Bridgestone Potenza RE005 on my BMW E90 for 7 months after replacing the older RE003. The car has KW Street Comfort coilovers and upgraded brake pads.

The RE005’s firm carcass gives it more direct, responsive and stable handling than the Michelin PS5 on my other BMW, with a bit stronger dry grip than the PS5. Its sidewall is slightly less rigid than the RE003’s, but outright grip is higher.

The steering has decent weight and clearly communicates available front tyre grip. Sharp turn-in and the car hold its line and remain balanced, with negligible understeer. At the limit, breakaway is progressive and slides are easy to catch. Subjectively, it handles very similarly to the higher tier Continental SC7 on my Cayman, though the SC7 offers slightly more outright grip.

Wet performance is a big improvement over the RE003, remaining predictable with good feedback. The PS5 still retains a slight advantage under wet braking and through standing water. Wear has been reasonable for the performance, while the ride is firmer than the PS5 and broadly similar to the SC7.