Firestone Indy 500s

[speedyswede]

These have been out for almost 2yrs now(in N. America). I'm usually not a 'Firestone guy' but I think they have a real winner with this one. This tire is quickly becoming "the best kept secret" in modern Summer performance tires. While it's labeled as the "Indy 500" in N. America, it's known to the rest of the world as the Bridgestone Potenza RE003 Adrenalin. I've had these on my `06 Audi A4Q since March and they've completely changed my driving experience. They offer a level of grip that's typically only associated with Ultra-High Performance tires costing twice as much. The dozens of positive reviews on TR hold weight here...it's a legitimate contender.

 

[AirgunSavant]

They look superb.
I remember a joke Johnny C. told way back in the day....
We should put criminals in a Ford Pinto with a full tank of gas and a fresh set of Firestone radials....
something along those lines........

 

[IndyIan]

Yep, this class of tire is quite an upgrade over touring all seasons! You probably want to check to see if there's a minimum temperature you should run them at. I found my BFG sport comp 2s fine in near freezing wet conditions, but -7C is as low as they should be used at, which is easy to drop to, overnight in late October/November here.

 

[RooflessVW]

I really want to run these tires but they do not make them in my size.

 

[Fattylocks]

Saw these on Tire Rack and am strongly considering them for my Crown Victoria.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
I really want to run these tires but they do not make them in my size.

BFG sport comp2 come in 15" and Yoko S.drives have a 14" size and lots of 15" sizes.

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
I really want to run these tires but they do not make them in my size.

BFG sport comp2 come in 15" and Yoko S.drives have a 14" size and lots of 15" sizes.

Sure, but I need 225/40R18 and 285/30R18. Or 235/295.

 

[speedyswede]

Here's the domestic link....Firestone Firehawk Indy 500

And IndyIan, I'm not sure what the low temperature restrictions for this tire are but they'll be switched out for my regular all-seasons by mid-October put into heated storage for the Winter.

 

[69GTX]

I considered the Firestone Indy 500's but they weren't all that much cheaper than the much higher rated (UHP) BFG Sport Comp2's...maybe $10 per tire. I had my set mounted, balanced, and 4 wheel thrust alignment out the door with 6% sales tax and mfg rebates included at $555 for the set....$139/tire total (for a fairly large tire 275-40-17). I don't drive them under 30 deg F ambient temp.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: 69GTX
I considered the Firestone Indy 500's but they weren't all that much cheaper than the much higher rated (UHP) BFG Sport Comp2's...maybe $10 per tire. I had my set mounted, balanced, and 4 wheel thrust alignment out the door with 6% sales tax and mfg rebates included at $555 for the set....$139/tire total (for a fairly large tire 275-40-17). I don't drive them under 30 deg F ambient temp.

These are the new version which just nudges the Comp2's out of top place according to the tire rack tests. Bridgestone has had the autocross street tire to beat for a couple years now so I guess that has trickled down. Only an "A" rating for wet traction but test practically equal to the Comp2 for wet tests.
I was tempted to get a set of Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval Indy 500 tires just for the ridiculous name but they don't come in 15".

 

[speedyswede]

Originally Posted By: 69GTX
I considered the Firestone Indy 500's but they weren't all that much cheaper than the much higher rated (UHP) BFG Sport Comp2's...maybe $10 per tire. I had my set mounted, balanced, and 4 wheel thrust alignment out the door with 6% sales tax and mfg rebates included at $555 for the set....$139/tire total (for a fairly large tire 275-40-17). I don't drive them under 30 deg F ambient temp.


Yea, the prices were significantly lower when they were first introduced. I think retailers quickly caught on to their popularity and raised it accordingly. But they're still a bargain when compared to some high-end performance tires....basically, you're getting 95% of the performance of Michelin PSSs @ about half the price.

 

[69GTX]

I stand corrected. The "Wide Oval" Indy 500's were the tires I was looking at 2 years ago. But this newer version is apparently rated better. If the price were the same or lower, I'd probably go with the Indy 500's. Though when I did my BFG's I got an effective double mfg coupon (-$140) which was real hard for any other brand to beat at that time.

Currently for my size, the Firehawks are $10 cheaper per tire and give a better ride quality than the Comp2's...my only complaint with them.

 

[Hounds]

The word has gotten out on this tire. Even TR is back-ordered.

 

[xtell]

speedyswede - would you please give me your opinion on the following:

1) Do the tires "flat spot" if they sit for a few days?
2) How are they on wet roads?
3) Did they balance without needing a lot of wheel weights on the rim?
4) Are they quite on asphalt and concrete road surfaces?

 

[speedyswede]

Hey xtell, I'll do my best...

1. No flat-spotting noticed. I have driven on Kumhos that were notorious for flat-spotting. The Firestones haven't done it, so far.
2. Great on wet roads with a predictable/progressive amount of slip when pushed(w/Quattro AWD). Deep puddles of standing water are still a problem, as they would be for any wide performance tire.
3.My set balanced with a minimal number of weights...although I do have 1 wheel that was known to be slightly bent that required more.
4.They did seem to generate some noise @ lower speeds when they were new. Whatever noise they do make, it seems to be very low frequency and unobtrusive. Very smooth on PA highways too.

 

[dblshock]

I'm all good here.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

When they OE Potenzas wear out on my Fiesta, I will definitely consider these tires.

 

[Carmudgeon]

It's a bit odd that they've chosen to market these only as Firestones instead of Bridgestones as well.

Bridgestone had a good thing going in the lineage of budget performance tires (RE750/760), while the parallel Firestone versions (Wide Oval, now plain Indy 500) didn't seem as popular, and a bit harder to obtain (DTD doesn't carry the brand) than Bridgestones.

I was considering them, but because of that, and the appearance of the brand new Conti ExtremeContact Sport, which has matched up pretty well with the PS4S, even if it does fall short, I'm probably going to opt for the Contis, which are in the same ballpark, price wise, as well as being a class higher.

My other candidate was the BFG Comp 2, bit it's getting a bit aged, even if it wasn't already a version 2 of an older tire.

 

[alean]

nice, i also use that tire read my Firestone affinity touring tire review

 

[IndyIan]

One of my autocross rivals, got these for his car and I went for a run with him on Sunday. After a couple corners I was very impressed, and from the passengers seat they seemed to have a significant edge on my 2 year old Comp2's, even though he's at nearly full tread depth. Also the Indy 500's seemed pretty close to my buddies 2 year old RE-11's.
Unless BFG comes out with a new Comp2, I think I'd go for the Indy 500's for my next set of summer tires.