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These Might Be the Best Summer Tires You Could Buy This Year for Performance Cars

Tires can make or break a vehicle and changing them when they are worn out is the smart (and legally compulsory) thing to do. Choosing their replacements can be tricky, as there are many options to choose from, but each one will mean a compromise in one direction or the other.
UUHP tire comparison test by Tyre Reviews 8 photos
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube video by Tyre Reviews
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Many years ago, the best tires you could get for the street were called UHP, which meant Ultra High Performance. For years now, manufacturers have introduced what they call UUHP tires or Ultra Ultra High Performance, and the latter is a category that essentially replaced the former. These tires are fully street legal in any country, as well as safe to use in the wet, but can be enjoyed on the track as well.

Evidently, there are still tires for those who only use their vehicles on the track, as well as competition-only tires, which are meant to never touch public roads. Not all those tires are slicks, as you may imagine, and not all slicks are entirely without grooves. But let us get back to the topic at hand.

If your vehicle's manufacturer has not issued a recommendation of tire type, not just tire size, you are almost unrestricted in your choice. However, on some vehicles, you need to replace your existing tires with ones of the same brand and type as the ones that were fitted to them from the factory. As you will see below, grip varies from tire to tire and from situation to situation.

For example, if a vehicle manufacturer had teamed up with a tire manufacturer and designed tires specifically for your model, in a certain size or configuration, you will be better off if you get those instead of anything else. Some vehicles will have issues with their all-wheel-drive systems if they are fitted with tires that lack a manufacturer's approval, such as the little star that xDrive BMW models require or other similar special markings for tires.

In the case of vehicles that have a staggered wheel setup, such as the Toyota Supra, some manufacturers will not have tires for it in both sizes. Jonathan Benson of Tyre Reviews has observed while looking for affordable UUHP tires, which are difficult to come by. Be careful what you do when just two tires are worn.

The latest test by Tyre Reviews shows that there is no perfect tire for all possible conditions, so you will have to think of your usage scenario to find what suits your needs. Almost each of the ten tire models tested was the best at something, but your decision should focus on finding the best one for your needs.

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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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