Review of the Sumitomo HTR ZIII For Porsche

When I purchased my 1997 Porsche 993 C4S the odometer read 24,000 miles. From the service history I could see that it had four new tires installed (Continental ContiSportContact 2s) less than 4,000 miles ago. This basically matched up with the information from my PPI and with my visual inspection upon receipt of the car.

Enjoying the car as much as I do, I clocked more than 6000 miles last season (including a great trip to Prince Edward Island). This meant the tires now had 10,000 miles on them and the rear tires were starting to feel a little worn. It was very subtle at first, a little chirp around a tight corner or a quick spin on a fast start. Given these signs I decided to start shopping for new tires.

The first place I started was the 993 forum on Rennlist (RL). As a quick aside, if you haven't been to Rennlist, and you own a Porsche (any type of Porsche), you owe it to yourself to check it out. The recommendations and opinions on RL were varied, to say the least. Like me, a lot of people felt strongly that you get what you pay for and therefore the more expensive tires must be the best. Thankfully, especially grateful was my bank account, I/they were wrong.

Tire Choices for a Porsche 993

Back in January I posted this article "Tire Choices for a Porsche 993." As you can see I had listed the following tires as my choices:

1. Bridgestone Potenza S-02

2. Continental ContiSportContact 2

3. Pirelli PZero Rosso

4. Michelin Pilot Sport Rib

I even went on to mention the following two tires as cheaper alternatives but I was going to shy away from them as I felt "you get what you pay for."

5. Sumitomo HTR Z II

6. BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW 2

As I said, turns out I was wrong. When push came to shove and it was time to pull the trigger to purchase the new tires for my Porsche, I did one last round of research. What I found was this thread which pushed me over the edge.

Sumitomo HTR Z III for Porsche

You see, when I was researching, the Sumitomo HTR Z III wasn't on the list (just the HTR Z II). It seems that with the HTR Z III, Sumitomo made some significant improvements. So, without wasting any more time, I went online to The Tire Rack and ordered four (4) new tires all for $700 delivered. That's a cost savings of almost 45% to my original choice of the Michelin Pilot Sport Rib.

My 993 was scheduled to visit the shop for a spring check-up, 30k service and brake bleed so I opted to have the tires delivered directly to them. After seeing the wear pattern on my old tires I decided to do a four-wheel alignment (they were cupping a little on the interior front edges) along with a hi-speed balance. This way, not only am I starting with a matched set of four new shoes, but I know they alignment and balance is correct. Assuming I keep the proper air-pressure and don't play too hard, I should get some significant wear from these tires. First Impressions

Since picking the car up I have turned almost 1500 miles on the new tires, each one with a huge smile on my face. The Sumitomo HTR Z IIIsare as advertised. They are very sticky, with a firm/stiff sidewall that handle great for daily driving (spirited or otherwise). I have not yet used them on the track or in the rain so I can't comment on that aspect. However, for driving on back roads, highways and anywhere else, I am most pleased. They stick as good, if not better, than any tire I have driven in the past. They seem to blend well with my stock suspension and absorb the bumps and pot holes quite well. I can't comment on road noise as I usually have the windows open or the revs too high to hear.:-)

All in all, I am extremely pleased with these tires and would recommend them highly to anyone, for any modern Porsche, regardless of budget. We all know that there are lots and lots of modifications to do to our Porsches. So, if you can get a great bang for the buck with this tire, why not turn around and roll the money into another mod!! Keep sliding down that slippery slope.

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Tirerack Review

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Tirerack, a highly professional wheel company is considered as a performance specialist for all your tire and wheel products and services.

The company established an online presence in the year 1996. At Tirerack, customers have the power and convenience of thoroughly researching the performance products offered and order these, from the convenience of their homes or offices.

The company's forte lies in offering high quality and high performance products, expert online advice, speedy shipping as well as competitive pricing structures. The Tirerack team prides itself as "your performance tire and wheel specialists" and this has been the motto of the company since its first inception in 1979.

The company offers a broad spectrum of automobile services and products and specializes in tires and wheels. Among its large inventory of products, customers have the option of browsing or buying tires and wheels by "size, brand, winter tires or by type of vehicle". Besides wheels and tires, the online tire shop also offers brakes, suspension systems, floor and cargo mats, lighting, air intake systems and a wide range of automobile accessories.

The website additionally features a catalogue in order to facilitate search of online products and services offered by the company. Tirerack is increasingly popular for its highly recommended installer program. The company happens to be associated with a huge network of independent installers who can proficiently handle the customer's installation needs. This service is however optional and is available before checkout.

In a bid to promote the ever growing interest in automobiles among car lovers, Tirerack also sponsors various motorsport events, racing series, championships and schools. The list of events can be viewed on the Tirerack events calendar.

The team members at Tirerack are extremely qualified in their respective fields and are able to offer precise fitments, performance advice as well as friendly services. This achieved because the team members spend almost 80 hours a year, learning in the classrooms or working behind the test vehicles and wheels.

The primary focus of the company is to offer high quality products from reputable manufacturers at exceptional prices.

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Discount Tire Company Review

There's no doubt about it - a big change is happening in the world of tires. With small independent stores ever increasing their prices, more and more people are choosing to buy tires online from a discount tire company.

The reason for the increase in tire prices over the last few years is mainly due to the cost of oil. Back in 2004 prices were around $35 per barrel, just two years later, prices more than doubled to $75 per barrel.

It's clear to see, oil price is at an all time high. This has a huge knock on affect to the US rubber and tire industry.

"If you look at it from a tire manufacturer's perspective, an oil-price increase is a triple whammy for us," said Jim Davis, a spokesman for the world's largest tire maker, based in Ohio.

"Oil is a major ingredient in the production of tires. It affects the cost to make tires, it affects the cost to heat or cool the plant where we make tires and, of course, the trucking cost to ship the tires."

Now this might all seem like doom and gloom, but don't go spending the college fund just yet, as approaching a discount tire company could just be the answer.

A large discount tire company can cut costs in a number of ways, giving them an advantage over more traditional independent tire stores. First of all they tend to buy in bulk, which means they save on the wholesale price. They also focus more towards the Internet market, resulting in smaller staff numbers and less overheads. A discount tire company will probably not fit tires themselves, but partner with local independent garages which do the fitting for them, this can also reduce the end price of your tire.

So which discount tire company to choose? there are many out there, but one which comes highly recommended is The Tire Rack Established in 1979 they are a leading discount tire company with award-winning customer satisfaction and warranty support.

The Tire Rack website is easy to use, even for complete novices. Simply select the model of your car from the drop down menus, and up pops a list of suitable tires. Customers are also encouraged to write reviews on specific tire models, which is a great feature as it gives you an insight into the general opinion.

Installation used to be one of the main deterrents of buying tires online, but Tire Rack now provide a selection of good installation options. Each order comes with full instructions on how to get going, with these easy-to-follow installation guides you should be done within minutes. But if the DIY approach isn't for you, then Tire Rack have partnered with local tire stores to do the fitting for you. Simply enter your zip code on their site and they display a list of recommended installers local to you.

I'd recommend you buy tires online at The Tire Rack.

The future cost of tires might be better than it seems!

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