Performance Driving Tips
Read these 8 Performance Driving Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Tires tips and hundreds of other topics.
Book Resources for High Performance Tires
Did you know there are book resources for your high performance tire and sport performance tire needs? A quick check of Amazon.com reveals many related titles including Paul Haney's "Racing & High Performance Tire: Using Tires to Tune for Grip and Balance." With Amazon you can also find articles and digital documents on related topics, including the Rubber World article "Effects of Aspect Ratio on Tire Performance." If you are serious about sport performance tires, you may find these books and articles very helpful in the quest to get the best value for your money.
A Bulletproof Performance Tire?
Performance tire manufacturers are getting more innovative with design and materials. Did you know one of the latest products incorporates carbon fiber materials used to reinforce jet airplanes? New performance tires are rolling off the assembly line with a new range of construction designs, including a model, which uses Kevlar, the same stuff bulletproof vests are made of. These new tires offer quieter rides, better treadwear and the usual performance car enthusiasts expect. Selected models even come with a thirty-day, no obligation trial period, so your exploration of this new technology is practically risk free.
High Performance Tires for the Street
For regular street driving there are several categories of high performance tire; high performance and ultra high performance are two of these. What's the difference? The high performance tire offers much better traction. This can give you a big safety edge when it comes to what some drivers call "emergency handling." The ultra high performance tire is another step above--so far up that some believe the average driver shouldn't spend the money because they will never need to fully utilize that kind of performance on the street. Also, some drivers warn of low treadlife associated with some ultra high performance tires on non-racing vehicles. If you are still unsure whether to pay for a high performance tire you should consider the "touring tire," which is geared for a more average type use on the open road.
Wet-Testing Your High Performance Tires
If you are new to high performance tires, you might overlook an important handling aspect; how does your vehicle respond on wet surfaces? Some sport performance tire comparison tests concentrate on 'dry handling' data as the major part of the performance rating. If you are still getting the hang of how your vehicle behaves with performance tires, be sure to get an idea of how the tires behave on the wet road. Getting used to the responsiveness of your vehicle in the rain and snow is important when it comes to controlled handling. Don't be caught by surprise-make a conscious effort to learn the limitations and advantages of your high performance tires in the wet. There are "all-season" performance tires available if you'd rather avoid a regular tire swap when summer and winter come along. To get an overload of information on wet testing tires, do a Google search on the phrase "performance tire wet test."
Performance Tire Ratings and Your Vehicle
Performance tire reviews and product ratings are quite a valuable source of information when it comes to investing your money wisely. However, there is one little detail that can change the way you interpret your experience with a new brand of sport performance or high performance tire. Do you drive a front-wheel or rear-wheel drive vehicle? This may sound like a trivial distinction, but good tire reviewers know that this little detail can alter your view of a performance tire's handling on the vehicle. If you are interested in speed, it's very important to 'translate' the review to fit your vehicle's front or rear drive characteristics.
Performance Tires and Appeal
There is an ever-increasing line of high-performance tires that cater to drivers who want flashy looks as well as excellent traction and handling. Some come in a variety of colors; red, blue, yellow as well as the standard black. The market for sport-performance tires and high-performance tires continues to grow, and with manufacturers becoming more responsive to this market, you'll find a larger range of styles and looks to choose from. Performance driving is getting more and more stylish; the flash is catching up to the quality. You should read road test reviews of the latest high-performance tires and make an informed decision before you buy.
What is Performance Driving?
For many enthusiasts, performance driving is essentially racetrack driving. You need performance tires, good suspension and braking in order to be successful in performance driving. For others, performance driving can include drag racing and other kinds of 'non-street' activity where skill, speed and vehicular excellence rule the road. In some cases, performance tires are street legal, meaning you can operate a vehicle with these tires without getting a ticket. In the world of drag racing, "slicks" or performance tires with no treads are not allowed on a 'street legal' vehicle.
How do I Get Involved in Performance Driving?
If you have the car, the performance tires, the know-how and the desire, you can find many ways to get your feet wet in the world of performance driving. There are courses offered that can help you get started. A 'level one' program alone covers cornering, control techniques and valuable safety information you'll need to master in a high-speed situation. Do you know the limitations of your suspension, your engine, and your performance tires? If not, you'll need to get cracking before you take your turn at the V-8 Super School. There are many programs just like this waiting to be discovered.
