Follow up post: This weekend we were happy to test out the Hankook Ventus TD tires during our track days at MSR on their 3.1 track. Our customer, as well as our team, were happy with the results. The test vehicle was a mostly stock suspension E46 M3, running a square set of 265/35zr18 on 18×10 TRMotorsport wheels. The tires were mounted, driven to track, and then driven on track. At first they were a bit noisy on the street compared to the previous Michelin Pilot Super Sports, but that should quiet down over time. These R compound tires provided faster cornering speeds, resulting in lower lap times, and averaged 3 seconds faster on the 3.1mile track configuration. Afternoon temperatures were in the mid 90s yet tire pressures only increased 5psi from cold to hot, and never gave signs of overheating or fading on track. All in all the Ventus TD appears to be a great track tire providing predictable and consistent grip as well as temperature management. In our opinion it bridges the gap between the NT01 and an R6/Z214/R1.
