Tires

[NC427]

Hi Jack21!

Be assured I am pinching myself all the time as I share your point of view that it is a pitty to face this bloody tire issue.

As a matter of fact I am checking for apropiate tires in 15 dimension since quite a long time and I have to say I am pretty much afraid that there are only limited options for me:

1 Stick to the current wheels and tires
2 Install 17´s and most probably loosing the vintage status of
my car
3 Hopeing that Fritz (COB 289) of Philipps Cobra in Schoenstadt /
Germany, who replied to my initial query and who appears to
be a highly recommendable Cobra expert with plenty of exper-
tise, finds "the solution".
4 17incers in general are no problem at all and there is a wide
range available which I have checked already. Guess in case
someone needs a hint for those in Europe I can act as an info-
source.
5 Still, stubborn me, I would love it most in case I could stick to
the "original" 15 appearance of the 60´s
6 Will bear your recommendation in mind in regard to the Falken.
In case I am really forced to change to 17 I will sincerly evaluate
them and will check after ending this comment if they are also
available in 215/60 17 and 255/55 17 as I found that at least
for the front axle the 215 do provide for my application (no drag)
but narrow countyside roads with lot´s of curves, the best
response and handling as the wider onces (which I had installed
previously) do sometimes have to many "own" ideas where to
go to in case the road´s surface is not perfect and as I love
to slide through corners "on the point" they are too risky for
my application.

Carsten

Originally posted by Jack21
Will somebody pinch this guy for me.

Owning a Cobra in a land with no speed limits on the highway! And then asking, Hey, what kind of tires do I put on this thing?"

OK, seriously. The bad news is this. The 15 inchers will have to go. But with almost any 17" you'd care to use, you can drive as fast as you want to, or dare to. Let no Benz, Beamer, or Porche kick sand in your face.

I'd be a little reuctant to recommend a brand, because anything US DOT approved for 55 MPH use alongside minivans and SUV's chugging along in the left hand lane, is garbage where triple digit highway speeds are common.

From my tire research, there are 2 things you need in a high perf tire for a Benz, Beamer, Porche, or Cobra. 1) AA traction rating on dry and wet roads. 2) "Z" speed rating or better. That's 149 MPH+

There is a Jap made tire that was track tested in Germany that stood toe to toe with the Michilen, Pirelli, Yokohama, Dunlop, Goodyear, BFG, and doesn't cost a fortune. Falken FK451. Have a set of 235/45's & 275/40's on mine. AA Traction, and Z speed rated.

There is also a thread here, "What tire is everybody using?" with numerous other suggestions/opinions.