Summer tire test by Auto Bild Sportscars — 2026
Auto Bild Sportscars tested different width tires in sizes 255/35 R19 and 275/35 R19, which were standard for BMW M3 (F80) and M4 (F82), and are now installed on the Lexus RC F, as well as the BMW Z4 roadster and the Toyota GR Supra built on the same platform.
The list of participants included premium and mid-range segment tires:
Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo
Hankook Ventus S1 evo Z (K129)
Wider rear tires are designed to improve stability and traction, but the balance of grip on both axles must be carefully adjusted, which increases the requirements for tires. In addition, the wider the tire, the more it is prone to aquaplaning, which is also an important factor, although, as experts say, many modern models have become much more efficient in this regard.
Longitudinal aquaplaning was decided to be evaluated separately for the front and rear, and it turned out that 255-millimeter Michelin at the front can withstand speeds of up to 90.2 km/h, while 275-millimeter tires at the rear "float" already at 83.4 km/h, which was the largest difference. The most balanced were Hankook, which both on the front and rear axles lost grip at 87.9 km/h. At the same time, all tires provide a high level of safety and received a rating of "Good" in this discipline.
The shortest braking distance on a wet surface was demonstrated by Continental, while Goodyear clearly lagged behind their competitors, and the speed of the car on Eagle F1 SuperSport when braking from 100 km/h at the point where the car on SportContact 7 had already stopped was almost 40 km/h.
In the handling tests on a wet surface, Goodyear again took the last line, and their average speed was more than 15 km/h less than that of Continental, which again became the best, that is, the tires of the American brand clearly do not have the highest grip in rainy weather.
The worst lateral stability on a wet track was shown by the same Goodyear, and Continental this time conceded to the tires from Bridgestone.
On a dry surface, all tires quickly stop the car, and the best were recognized as Continental and Bridgestone, while Michelin fell to the last line.
Continental also won the handling test on a dry track, and Goodyear did not work very well in similar conditions due to unbalanced behavior.
Goodyear turned out to be the noisiest tires in the test, but their result was also considered good.
Fuel efficiency was also measured separately for the front and rear tires, and, interestingly, narrower tires are not necessarily easier to roll compared to wider ones, and everything depends on the model.
The undisputed leader of the test was Continental SportContact 7, which demonstrated the best handling on both dry and wet surfaces, and in both cases also noted the shortest braking distance, and the only drawback can be considered increased rolling resistance. In second place were Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo, which, in particular, have excellent braking qualities on dry and very high lateral stability on a wet surface. In general, the tires have very balanced driving qualities, but they are relatively loud and have not the best fuel economy.
The third place was shared between Pirelli P Zero (PZ5) and Vredestein Ultrac Pro. According to the testers, Pirelli effectively resist aquaplaning and provide good lateral stability on a wet surface, while in terms of handling on a dry track, they concede to some competitors. In turn, Vredestein work very well on a dry surface, and also turned out to be very quiet and economical, and although they did not have outstanding results in any discipline, Ultrac Pro did not allow themselves obvious weaknesses.
Next come Kumho Ecsta Sport S, which were the cheapest tires in the test and were able to earn the same number of points as Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, which, by coincidence, were the most expensive. The tires of the Korean brand do not have pronounced weaknesses, although they concede to the leaders in such key parameters as handling on a dry surface and braking efficiency on a wet surface, but at such a price, this is still a very interesting option. At the same time, Michelin, although they have excellent aquaplaning resistance, on a wet track in handling and braking distance tests showed results below average, that is, they do not have the most attractive price-quality ratio.
In seventh place are Hankook Ventus S1 evo Z, which performed well on a dry surface and help save fuel (and also have a relatively low cost), but relatively poorly showed themselves on a wet surface. The last line was given to the premium Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport, which definitely do not like rainy weather and also conceded to competitors on a dry track, in particular, in terms of braking properties.
Source: Auto Bild