Photography courtesy Bridgestone
Say hello to Potenza RE-71RZ, Bridgestone’s latest entry into the Super 200 tire category that is so popular in our grassroots motorsports world.
Its predecessor, the RE-71RS, was already at the pointy end of the field with tremendous grip in both dry and wet conditions. The new model aims to push that bar even higher.
New compounding advances with engineered particles of silica and polymer–dubbed NanoPro-Tech–promise quicker pace but also better durability.
The tread design has also changed to a more solid outer half for dry performance while retaining wide longitudinal grooves on the inside for water evacuation.
And finally, the carcass has been modified to more evenly distribute loads across the face of the tire keeping operating temps optimal for sustained grip.
Bridgestone claims both dry and wet lap time improvements of .75 seconds over the outgoing tire on a track-prepped Toyota GR86 at the famed Tsukuba Circuit, home of Japanese Time Attack.
A full range of 45 sizes will be available for sale on December 31, thus meeting the SCCA deadline for new tire eligibility. This includes new larger sizes not previously available in the RE-71RS–most notably 315/30-18, 335/30-18 and 325/30-19.
One thing that is not expected to change is pricing–you’ll be getting all of this newfound performance for the same cash outlay.
GRM has sample production tires inbound to put through our typical testing program.
We’ll be comparing both against the outgoing tire, as well as other suitable market competitors.
Expect those results to be public by the first of the year.
View all comments on the GRM forums
You'll need to log in to post.
