Do you ever stop and wonder if you are hitting the apex of your vehicle performance when driving in hot summer? Have you ever thought that your tires can boost the efficiency of your vehicle? Or do you know that tires affect your fuel consumption, driving responsiveness and safety on wet and dry roads?
Well, tire manufacturers have different approaches when addressing driving challenges and shortcomings in summer. There are multiple solutions packaged as tire categories. Each category has a specific performance limitation. Ultra high performance summer tires meet high standards of performance. Their design limits performance under certain driving conditions.
By fitting your vehicle with suitable ultra high performance summer tires, you prevent the recurrence of problems in summer. The rising temperatures affect the reliability of the rubber material turning ordinary tires unresponsive to steering controls. The last thing a regular driver wants is to park their vehicle because the heat is unbearable.
Several myths and facts surround discussions about the performance of ultra high performance summer tires. Drivers end up making wrong decisions when shopping for these tires. In the end, the driver fails to reveal the beast-modes of their highly-priced automobiles. Additionally, they end up losing significant amounts of cash.
We provide factual information that describes the minimum requirements for categorizing tires as the best ultra high performance summer tires. We compare the capabilities of these tires with other categories.
We want to make your tire selection and purchase process as simple as possible. All you require is a simple tap of a finger, access all the information shortly and proceed to order from your favorite dealer. You decide how much you want to spend and the performance sophistication that you require.
| Tire name | Best in Category | Overall rating | Steering response | Wet performance | Hydroplaning resistance | Wet traction | Dry performance | Cornering stability | Dry traction | Comfort performance | Ride quality | Noise score | Treadwear performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 | 100% | 9 | 9.2 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 9.3 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 8.6 | 8.8 | 8.5 | 8.4 |
| General G-MAX RS | 99% | 9 | 9 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 9.1 | 9 | 9.2 | 8.5 | 8.7 | 8.4 | 8.4 |
| Falken Azenis FK510 | 97% | 9 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 9.2 | 8.6 | 8.8 | 8.3 | 7.9 |
| Kumho Ecsta PS31 | 94% | 8 | 7.7 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 8.7 | 8.3 | 8.5 | 8.1 | 8.3 |
| Dunlop Direzza DZ102 | 93% | 8 | 8.6 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 7.8 |
| BFGoodrich g-Force Sport COMP-2 | 93% | 8 | 8.9 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 8.5 | 9 | 9 | 9.2 | 7.4 | 7.7 | 7.1 | 7.7 |
What defines ultra high performance summer tires?
Advanced summer tread compound
When you reach the point to shop for these tires, you must have had enough of shaky traction, quick tire wear and recurrent damages resulting from surface abrasion and periodic tire puncture.
The guiding principle for the longevity of tires is good tread design. The correct tread materials ensure that the tire is sturdy enough to resist surface and sub-surface deformation as the rubber hits the road. Under normal driving conditions, the tires have frictional resistance against the tarmac surface.
It leads to the generation of heat around the circumference of the tires. The tread absorbs some heat and releases a significant amount to the environment. In summer, the atmosphere is hotter than usual.
According to the laws of thermodynamics, heat release depends on the availability of temperature differences. There should be a hot medium and a cold medium. As the summer temperatures soar, the tires and the immediate environment have an unbalanced temperature distribution.
Heat generation due to surface friction is constant with no heat sink to absorb the heat. As such, the tire becomes exceptionally hot. When driving for long distances, the treads lose their structural strength. They deform gradually, exceeding their linear elasticity limits. In return, the tires deform permanently.
From here, you lose all the qualities of a decent tire. Expect lower fuel efficiency, lower stability, increased conformity to surface defects and bumps. The handling capabilities shift from good to bad. The safety of the occupants is on the line. The only available option is a replacement.
The best ultra high performance summer tires are engineered differently. Their performance and handling capabilities improve when the tires experience hot temperatures. The tread material has higher coefficients of elasticity.
They perform well over a wide temperature range. They remain stable irrespective of the temperature changes. The primary tread rubber contains plenty of silica to enhance abrasion resistance.
Optimized tread patterns
When driving over hot roads in summer, you must anticipate variations in the quality of the ride. The tires gradually lose their grip on the road. Without caution, it is easy to mishandle the car. The best way to anticipate and prevent these challenges is by optimizing the tread patterns.
Whether you prefer directional, symmetric or asymmetric tread patterns, the surface grip should be constant. The best ultra high performance summer tires capitalize on tread patterns to maximize dry and wet traction.
Drivers report responsive handling when driving at medium to high speeds on highways at the hottest moment of the year. Excellent grip on the road is an assurance of adequate tire responsiveness and better safety standards.
Robust internal design and construction
All parts of ultra high performance summer tires use strong materials and innovative joining techniques. A blend of rubber material, tensile steel belts and reinforcements of nylon or polyester are vital for strengthening the tires and retaining their stabilities. Straight-line stability contributes immensely to tire reliability on irregular surfaces. The sidewall features strong rubber reinforcements which prevent tire collapse when cornering.
How do ultra high performance summer tires compare to other tires?
These are specialized summer tires. They trade off the technical capabilities of the tires for cold weather and snow driving for ultra high summer comfort, safety and durability. As such, these tires are unsuitable for winter driving. Do not drive even over the thinnest snow. Instead, use ultra high performance all-season tires or special winter tires.
The best ultra high performance summer tires perform better than ordinary all-season tires, performance all-season tires in terms of wet and dry traction. This performance is only limited to summer usage. Experimenting with these tires for off-road driving bears average performances on hard-packed surfaces, poor to medium performance on loosely packed roads and sand. The best choice is specialized off-road or all-terrain, all-season tires.
Pros of ultra high performance summer tires
- Excellent dry and wet traction. Very useful in extreme summer conditions.
- Modest ride comfort and quality
- Better durability than most tires that are suitable for summer driving
- Superior handling and responsiveness in hot weather
Cons
- Poorest traction for winter driving
Verdict
Gone are the days when summer driving was reserved for the chosen few. Improvements in technology mean that drivers can choose the performance levels that they desire, anytime, anywhere.
Ultra high performance summer tires are the best choice for drivers who want to maintain or increase the performance of their vehicles. If you have the financial muscle, consider securing a set of these tires for the treacherous summer season.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the appropriate timeline for changing ultra high performance summer tires?
There is no specific timeline for changing your tires. As a good practice, continuously inspect the size of the remaining tread. Some tires have visual tread inspection utilities.
For others, you have to use traditional measurement methods, like using the penny coin. With at least 2/32” of the tread remaining, you can bank on the tires to provide adequate performance.
There are so many tire choices for me under this category. How can I simplify my search?
It is confusing to hit the nail on the head when you have several options on the table. Aside from the wheel size, evaluate the quality of the tread.
When purchasing tires, enlist the services of a qualified technician who will advise you depending on the extremities of the weather.
