Posted by Wes on May 27, 1999 at 16:00:58:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Michelin V's to Dunlop H's for Acura CL posted by carlos on May 27, 1999 at 14:54:26:
I beg to differ. A car's horsepower is not the maximum hosepower the car manufacturer love to quote. The horsepower varies according to the rpm. The car does not generate the maximum HP everytime you step on the gas pedal. When you drive to work in traffic or to the grocery store, are you using the maximum HP. Therefore YOU, the driver are one controlling how fast you drive and how much HP is used. This brings us back to the question to Hrated tires. Even if you drive a BMW M3, if you only use it for city driving and never exceeding 130mph, there is no justification for a Zrated tire. It DOES depend on drivng style. I don't agree with the notion that an Acura CL cannot do with anything less a Vrated tire. Today's Hrated tires are made with such advanced technology that they will easily outperformed the Vrated tires of even a few years ago. Some Goodyear Hrated tires have 6 cords - 2 steel, 2 polyester and 2 rayon. And if your theory is correct, how do you explain high performance cars surviving with T or ever S rated snow tires during the winter months. Sometimes the roads are not always covered with snow even in the winter months. I don't experience any serious deterioration in performance of my brakes, suspension with snow tires. You are believing what tire makers want us to believe. Sometimes the owners manual does sugges one can use tires with lower speed rating to suit one's driving style, as long as the tires of different ratings are not mixed.