• From: Cleveland, OH
  • Registered: 2011-09-03
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Topic: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

By now someone must have run them, what's the word? As good or better than ZII Star Specs? or non-Star Spec disappointment in endurance racing like the original ZII?

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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

GRM just tested them against Rivals and RE-71.
Haven't finished the article, yet.

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  • From: Gilbertsville, PA
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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

If youre pushing your T bird, I'm hearing heavy cars are chunking the tires, fine for lighter cars.  Not personal experience, we went to 615+ because of price.

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  • From: Cleveland, OH
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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

Have you run them yet? And what size?

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  • From: Chandler, AZ
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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

We just ran the 615k+ on our 928 for the first time. 3100+ lbs

225/55/16, which is less tire than we need.

I heat cycled them at an HPDE event before the weekend.

They definitely lasted the whole weekend, but we're ready for a new set. No cords, but not enough meat for another weekend.

Felt very sticky and very forgiving.

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  • From: Cleveland, OH
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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

Yea, I don't expect more than one race weekend with this big FOX T-bird. Everything about the suspension is designed around killing the tires no matter what you do.

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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

Why I am the only one running riken raptors is beyond me. They are available is every imaginable size will last all weekend plus a few track days.
they are owned by Michelin and cost half what 615ks cost.  That being said No one on my team is a good enough driver to take advantage of the better tires yet. I am going to try and run the TX 24 hr race on 1 set.

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  • From: Chandler, AZ
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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

Sexy jesus wrote:

Why I am the only one running riken raptors is beyond me. They are available is every imaginable size will last all weekend plus a few track days.
they are owned by Michelin and cost half what 615ks cost.  That being said No one on my team is a good enough driver to take advantage of the better tires yet. I am going to try and run the TX 24 hr race on 1 set.


I paid $105/tire for 615k+...

You get Riken for half that? I'd bite on that.

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9 Reply by Sexy jesus (edited by Sexy jesus 2018-05-19 09:39 AM)

  • From: Phoenix az
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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

I payed 58 bucks a tire plus shipping for 255/40/17 that was from tire rack and they were on closeout. looks like they are up to $86 good thing i picked up 3 extra sets. right now tire rack has the 615k for 138 per tire plus 100 rebate when you buy 4

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  • From: Phoenix az
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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

I am thinking of trying a 275/40/17 because quantity is better then quality right? and they are still less then 90 bucks where the falken is 180

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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

Guildenstern wrote:

Yea, I don't expect more than one race weekend with this big FOX T-bird. Everything about the suspension is designed around killing the tires no matter what you do.


We're getting 2 races out of a set of 615+  255/40/17  Were running consistent 1:50 laps at NJMP (pointy end of B).

LF at gingerman is another story.  Same deal at CMP..

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  • From: Cleveland, OH
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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

We'll be running 615K+ at Gingerman at the end of the month. I look forward to seeing how they do.

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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

we run star specs, I think we have about 12 hours or more on a set and they are still very good and have a good ways to go.

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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

Sir Thomas Crapper wrote:
Guildenstern wrote:

Yea, I don't expect more than one race weekend with this big FOX T-bird. Everything about the suspension is designed around killing the tires no matter what you do.


We're getting 2 races out of a set of 615+  255/40/17  Were running consistent 1:50 laps at NJMP (pointy end of B).

LF at gingerman is another story.  Same deal at CMP..

FWIW we ran 1:41 at NJMP last year on practice day. On star specs. 84 Trans Am (RIP) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpZHzZYXhJQ&t=138s

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  • From: NH
  • Registered: 2010-01-20
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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

Sexy jesus wrote:

Why I am the only one running riken raptors is beyond me. They are available is every imaginable size will last all weekend plus a few track days.
they are owned by Michelin and cost half what 615ks cost.  That being said No one on my team is a good enough driver to take advantage of the better tires yet. I am going to try and run the TX 24 hr race on 1 set.


The answer is because they just flat out aren't as good. 300TW, so they'll last longer, but they won't grip as well. Trust me, you can take advantage of better tires. First race in the saab we tried to save a few bucks and ran Continental ExtremeContact DWs. They're a great street tire, but a poor track tire, unless it's pouring rain. We found the limits of them very very quickly in the dry. Switching to the 615k+ and we picked up several seconds a lap. Never again will I consider a 300TW+ tire.

Tires are one of the most important performance pieces on your car. Good tires make a car, bad tires ruin a weekend. You might be saving a little money, but you're handicapping your performance potential.

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  • From: Cleveland, OH
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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

Mr.Yuck wrote:
Sir Thomas Crapper wrote:
Guildenstern wrote:

Yea, I don't expect more than one race weekend with this big FOX T-bird. Everything about the suspension is designed around killing the tires no matter what you do.


We're getting 2 races out of a set of 615+  255/40/17  Were running consistent 1:50 laps at NJMP (pointy end of B).

LF at gingerman is another story.  Same deal at CMP..

FWIW we ran 1:41 at NJMP last year on practice day. On star specs. 84 Trans Am (RIP) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpZHzZYXhJQ&t=138s

Star Specs are dead. Right now only the regular Z3 are available.

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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

Guildenstern wrote:
Mr.Yuck wrote:
Sir Thomas Crapper wrote:

We're getting 2 races out of a set of 615+  255/40/17  Were running consistent 1:50 laps at NJMP (pointy end of B).

LF at gingerman is another story.  Same deal at CMP..

FWIW we ran 1:41 at NJMP last year on practice day. On star specs. 84 Trans Am (RIP) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpZHzZYXhJQ&t=138s

Star Specs are dead. Right now only the regular Z3 are available.

WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?

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  • From: NH
  • Registered: 2010-01-20
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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

They do this every couple of years. The star spec is a version of the Direzza Z(whatever number). When they bring out the new Z version the star spec version lags behind a while before coming out.

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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

Mr.Yuck wrote:
Guildenstern wrote:
Mr.Yuck wrote:

FWIW we ran 1:41 at NJMP last year on practice day. On star specs. 84 Trans Am (RIP) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpZHzZYXhJQ&t=138s

Star Specs are dead. Right now only the regular Z3 are available.

WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?

Go check Tire Rack, whats left is all on closeout.

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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

Guildenstern wrote:
Mr.Yuck wrote:
Guildenstern wrote:

Star Specs are dead. Right now only the regular Z3 are available.

WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?

Go check Tire Rack, whats left is all on closeout.

so they aren't going to make them anymore?

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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

Mr.Yuck wrote:
Guildenstern wrote:
Mr.Yuck wrote:

WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?

Go check Tire Rack, whats left is all on closeout.

so they aren't going to make them anymore?


Dude, read all the posts in a thread. The star specs  you've been using are ZII Star specs. The ZII line is being phased out now that the ZIII is released. The star spec version always lags behind a while. We went through this when they phased out the original star specs and brought out the ZII. The ZIII version will be out in time.

Consider the 615k+ as a cheaper alternative. Similar grip, similar wear, similar communication.

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22 Reply by NOPANTSDOUGIE (edited by NOPANTSDOUGIE 2018-06-12 06:31 AM)

  • From: Westminster MA
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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

Star Specs are like .5 models   z1-z1 starspec-z2-z2 star spec-now z3

lot of teams had bad luck with chunking at Watkins glen AER this April.  seemed they didn't like heavy cars, aggressive alignments, or require totally different setups.  The Jetta seemed to like them which was the lightest, least powerful car that ran them.  I have no Personal experience just what i saw posted after the race.  I'm "poor" we always run Falkens on our cars.

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Re: Direzza ZIII's how are they wearing?

TheEngineer wrote:
Mr.Yuck wrote:
Guildenstern wrote:

Go check Tire Rack, whats left is all on closeout.

so they aren't going to make them anymore?


Dude, read all the posts in a thread. The star specs  you've been using are ZII Star specs. The ZII line is being phased out now that the ZIII is released. The star spec version always lags behind a while. We went through this when they phased out the original star specs and brought out the ZII. The ZIII version will be out in time.

Consider the 615k+ as a cheaper alternative. Similar grip, similar wear, similar communication.

ahh ok.

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