Okay, I admit, I was a little confused when I
found out Bridgestone sent me a set of "RE050A" tires to replace
my aging Pole Position S-03 tires. I was quite familiar with the
RE050A line of products from Bridgestone, since the run-flat
version was the OE equipment on my 2003 BMW Z4 3.0 with sports
package. It turns out these are not the same as the run of the
mill RE050As, they're the RE050A POLE POSITION tires, the next
generation of Bridgestone's top of the line summer ultra high
performance tires.
Now, at this point I'd like to clear up a little bit of
confusion. Bridgestone has used the "RE050" designation for
several models in their line-up. There's the RE050A rft, or
run-flat tire, that was the OE on the Z4 and numerous other new
BMWs, GMs, and many other Infiniti vehicles. There's also the
RE050A, a high performance summer tire in which the run-flat
version was based off of. Then there's the original RE050, long
since retired but you can probably still find some buried deep
in some discount tire warehouse. Then there's the RE050A Pole
Position. The Pole Position moniker has long be reserved for
Bridgestone's top of the line street tires, and this new
generation of Pole Position tires employs new technology and
compound design to take performance to another level.
Unlike the previous S-02 and
S-03 Pole Position tread design, Bridgestone has gone away
from the symmetrical tread pattern and use an asymmetrical
pattern similar to the RE050A design. With deep and wide
circumferential grooves and water evacuation channels
designed specifically to siphon water away from the surface
of the tire, the wet traction of the RE050A Pole Position
has proved to be on par with the best summer tires out
there. Dry traction, however, is where the RE050A Pole
Position truly shines. With massive blocks of rubber, a
continuous center block, and a new carbon-silica
formulation, this new generation of Pole Position tires
actually provide better all-around grip than the S-03s,
which were phenomenal to begin with.
The RE050A Pole Position also
addresses some of the glaring shortcomings of the S-02/S-03s.
With the asymmetrical tread design and a re-designed, more
pliable sidewall, these new tires ride more comfortably and
quieter than most of the ultra high performance summer tires on
the market. I had a bit of a surreal moment when I drove to Las
Vegas on I-15 on some freshly paved tarmac. All I heard was wind
noise and exhaust noise at land-me-in-jail speed. On smooth
surface these tires are whisper quiet, but like all high
performance tires, they make plenty of noise on rough
pavement…although the noise level is still a very large
improvement over the last generation of tires. The new tread
design also seems to eliminate a little of the tramlining
tendencies exhibited by the same size S-03s I used to have.
Now, my trip to Vegas wasn't purely for leisure, although I
would consider any time at the outside road course of Las Vegas
Motor Speedway with the Sin City chapter of BMWCCA to be a good
time. Anyway, I had actually driven the same event a year ago on
S-03s and came away impressed. I expected to be blown away by
these new Pole Positions. What I found was astounding. Once you
find the right pressure for these tires (it happens to be
~39-40PSI hot), they'll grip and grip, and release very
progressively. And they're very communicative; you'll hear the
tire go from a happy howl to an angry protest before they give
way. Acceleration and braking is exceptional for a street tire,
turn-in feel is sharp, although not nearly as sharp as the
RE050A run-flats, and the S-03s were also marginally better due
to their stiffer sidewalls.
All the gains in performance and comfort aren't without
compromises. The tread wear rating has gone down from UTQG 220
to UTQG 140. I managed approximately 24,000 miles and 5 HPDEs on
the S-03s, and I expect about 16,000 miles and maybe 3-4 HPDEs
per year. Your mileage may vary, of course. It's not a long life
tire and do expect to replace it about once a year.
The RE050A Pole Positions, despite the new moniker, is an
evolutionary step forward from Bridgestone's offerings. Just as
the S-03s addressed some of S-02's shortcomings, the RE050A Pole
Positions addressed most of the weaknesses of the S-03s.
Bridgestone has built an exceptional tire for street and high
performance use, and although it lacks the ultimate grip as some
of the more popular consumer R-comps, it'll serve quite well as
a street tire and a daily drive with some minor to moderate
duties on the track, and can actually serve as a good rain tire.
Its improved comfort and ride quality should be a welcome sight
for most people seeking the ultimate street grip without
sacrificing luxury.
Now if I can just get Bridgestone to send me a set of RE-01Rs to
test…
