Official Tire Review: Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Spec (195/55/R15)
Official Tire Review: Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Spec (195/55/R15)
So since I have now gotten these tires I figured I would give my initial impressions and as I rack up the miles I will update this thread to include a much more thorough analysis of it's performance.
Now I wish to make very clear that I am not speaking about the older Dunlop Direzza DZ101 tire, which was an Ultra Performance tire, but I am talking about the brand new Star Spec tire, the Dunlop Direzza Z1 Extreme Performance tire.
Old version the DZ101: Dunlop Direzza DZ101
Newest version the Z1 Star Spec: Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec
This tire is as close to a DOT "R" compound tire that you can get, and yet still have amazing wet traction.
Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec
The Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec is Dunlop's Extreme Performance Summer tire developed for serious sports car, sports coupe and performance sedan enthusiasts looking for race tire-like traction on the street or for use in autocross, drifting and track events. The Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec is for drivers who don’t want to wait as long for their tires to come in during initial runs, as well as drivers of lighter weight vehicles who are often confronted with the task of working tire temperatures up to the point of generating peak grip.
As an evolution of the Direzza Sport Z1 and continuing to use the same tread design, the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tread compound helps provide faster lap times from the start by developing more traction in temperate temperatures along with consistent grip on subsequent laps when the tires are fully warmed up. While this means the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tread compound accommodates a wider operating temperature range than the original Direzza Sport Z1 and reaches its maximum grip level faster, Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec summer tires are not intended to be driven through snow, on ice or in near-freezing temperatures.
Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tires confirm their “Star Spec” identity in the form of a 5-pointed star symbol branded adjacent to the Direzza Sport Z1 name on the sidewall. However, this 5-pointed star should not be confused with the same symbol often branded by tire manufacturers on the sidewalls of Original Equipment tires for BMW vehicles.
The Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tread compound is molded into a directional design featuring notched, continuous shoulder ribs, large intermediate shoulder blocks and a wide center rib to deliver consistent contact with the road and enhance grip during cornering. Two wide, circumferential center grooves, wavy shoulder grooves and multiple lateral grooves provide water evacuation to enhance wet traction. The tire's internal structure includes two wide steel belts reinforced by JointLess Band (JLB) Technology spirally wound polyamide to provide strength, uniform ride quality and high-speed capability while steel cord reinforced, 2-ply polyester sidewalls help resist lateral deflection to provide responsive handling and cornering stability.
NOTE: The Tire Rack recommends installing Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tires in sets of four to fully realize the benefits of the Star Spec tread compound. While the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec can be mixed with its predecessor in axle pairs if necessary, it is recommended that the treads be shaved to the equivalent tread depth of the existing tires.
As an evolution of the Direzza Sport Z1 and continuing to use the same tread design, the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tread compound helps provide faster lap times from the start by developing more traction in temperate temperatures along with consistent grip on subsequent laps when the tires are fully warmed up. While this means the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tread compound accommodates a wider operating temperature range than the original Direzza Sport Z1 and reaches its maximum grip level faster, Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec summer tires are not intended to be driven through snow, on ice or in near-freezing temperatures.
Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tires confirm their “Star Spec” identity in the form of a 5-pointed star symbol branded adjacent to the Direzza Sport Z1 name on the sidewall. However, this 5-pointed star should not be confused with the same symbol often branded by tire manufacturers on the sidewalls of Original Equipment tires for BMW vehicles.
The Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tread compound is molded into a directional design featuring notched, continuous shoulder ribs, large intermediate shoulder blocks and a wide center rib to deliver consistent contact with the road and enhance grip during cornering. Two wide, circumferential center grooves, wavy shoulder grooves and multiple lateral grooves provide water evacuation to enhance wet traction. The tire's internal structure includes two wide steel belts reinforced by JointLess Band (JLB) Technology spirally wound polyamide to provide strength, uniform ride quality and high-speed capability while steel cord reinforced, 2-ply polyester sidewalls help resist lateral deflection to provide responsive handling and cornering stability.
NOTE: The Tire Rack recommends installing Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tires in sets of four to fully realize the benefits of the Star Spec tread compound. While the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec can be mixed with its predecessor in axle pairs if necessary, it is recommended that the treads be shaved to the equivalent tread depth of the existing tires.
Dunlop Launches a New Star in Extreme Performance Summer Tires
And yes I know I am missing a center cap. They are hard to find since this wheel has been discontinued for years.
So here is my initial assessment: So far I have noticed a couple of very important differences between this tire and the tires I just removed, which were 205/50/R15 Hankook Ventus HRIIs.
The Z1 Star Spec is a VERY quiet tire. This is most noticed when I was slowing down to a stop at a traffic light. I had thought my engine had died. It just got so quiet all of the sudden. But no, the engine was fine.
This happened for the next 3-4 lights. I seriously thought the engine died. Then I realized, that what I was missing was the thrumming of the tire tread from the Hankooks. The Z1 is very quite at city speeds, and a lot quieter at highway speeds.
The other thing I noticed was both a slight sharpness that has been given to initial turn-in and a confidence in hard, fast corners that I had never had with the Ventus rubber before.
There are a series of 90 degree switch-backs near my house that are a total of four lanes wide. The curves are nice, level, new, smooth asphalt that have constant radius corners.
Tonight, a couple hours after I had the tires mounted, I went through them with my wife, so needless to say, I did not take the tires to the limit. But I was able to take the corners at an entry speed of 55-60mph, and right near the apex, I was able to go WOT for the rest of the corner and exit. Throughout the run, the Z1s had an almost uncanny smoothness and rock-solid stability. I know it's an overused cliché, but this car really did feel like it was on rails.
Side note: (True, I do realize this is a 100hp rice-burner. But with what I am talking about, 0-60mph times mean nothing. This is about how it handles at speed, regardless of how long it took to get there. Now the fact that it is underpowered, means that I can go WOT in the middle of the apex and enjoy the results, instead of finding myself in Deluth.)
There was absolutely no wiggle to the tires. No break-away, no sliding. They just went exactly where I pointed the wheels. I described it to my wife like this: With the old tires, I could have gone just as fast. But it would have taken a good chunk more of my concentration, and more steering input to keep myself going where I wanted to go. The Ventus rubber was unsure of itself, wiggling around under the load, and I would have to give a good deal more correction in the steering to keep it in the groove.
With the Z1s, I had three fingers on the wheel and just held it in one spot once I had set the groove. It was a no-brainer.
So far, I am VERY pleased with the initial response these tires have given this car. It really is like driving the car for the first time, all over again.
Last edited by Sid 6.7; Feb 19, 2009 at 10:20 PM.
Push My Button
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 4,997
From: Calgary, Alberta
Sounds great so far,
How would you rate the softness of the tires compared to the Hankooks? For instance when you hit bumps, do they give you a responsive feedback feel, pound the car or soak them up? With a treadwear rating that low I am curious about the kind of feedback you get.
There was absolutely no wiggle to the tires. No break-away, no sliding. They just went exactly where I pointed the wheels. I described it to my wife like this: With the old tires, I could have gone just as fast. But it would have taken a good chunk more of my concentration, and more steering input to keep myself going where I wanted to go. The Ventus rubber was unsure of itself, wiggling around under the load, and I would have to give a good deal more correction in the steering to keep it in the groove.
It is funny you mentioned this, when I went from a 205 to a 195 I found my tires wandering much less as well. I think the width plays a big part in this feeling. I know with my Jeep I had 255's for summer and 225's for winters and it was really dramatic how it didn't want to jump around in the groove of the road with the narrower tires.
How would you rate the softness of the tires compared to the Hankooks? For instance when you hit bumps, do they give you a responsive feedback feel, pound the car or soak them up? With a treadwear rating that low I am curious about the kind of feedback you get.
There was absolutely no wiggle to the tires. No break-away, no sliding. They just went exactly where I pointed the wheels. I described it to my wife like this: With the old tires, I could have gone just as fast. But it would have taken a good chunk more of my concentration, and more steering input to keep myself going where I wanted to go. The Ventus rubber was unsure of itself, wiggling around under the load, and I would have to give a good deal more correction in the steering to keep it in the groove.
Last edited by Sugarphreak; Feb 19, 2009 at 10:38 PM.
Sounds great so far,
How would you rate the softness of the tires compared to the Hankooks? For instance when you hit bumps, do they give you a responsive feedback feel, pound the car or soak them up? With a treadwear rating that low I am curious about the kind of feedback you get.
How would you rate the softness of the tires compared to the Hankooks? For instance when you hit bumps, do they give you a responsive feedback feel, pound the car or soak them up? With a treadwear rating that low I am curious about the kind of feedback you get.
My wife even commented on how much softer they felt driving around. But honestly that may have to do more with the fact that I have 35psi in them than the 48-50psi I rode around with in the Hankooks.
Although, to be fair, there were times when I rode around with 35psi in the Ventus rubbers, and from what I remember, these do feel a might bit softer over rough roads, manhole covers, small children, and the random speed bump.
It is funny you mentioned this, when I went from a 205 to a 195 I found my tires wandering much less as well. I think the width plays a big part in this feeling. I know with my Jeep I had 255's for summer and 225's for winters and it was really dramatic how it didn't want to jump around in the groove of the road with the narrower tires.
So did I, until I realized that I would never actually miss those extra 10mm of width.
Also the speedo would once again be accurate. And I would not be shorting myself on the mileage warranty, since the 205s are shorted then OEM.
Bite the bullet and pull the trigger on the Dunlops. You will sing my praises and name your firstborn after me.
Trust me.
Also the speedo would once again be accurate. And I would not be shorting myself on the mileage warranty, since the 205s are shorted then OEM.
Bite the bullet and pull the trigger on the Dunlops. You will sing my praises and name your firstborn after me.
Trust me.
Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 'Star Spec' races to Texas SCCA wins - Infibeam - Online Shopping & Automobile Industry News
Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 'Star Spec' races to Texas SCCA wins
AKRON, Ohio - It should be obvious that Dunlop's new Direzza Sport Z1 "Star Spec" tire would do well in the Lone Star State. Consider three Shreveport, La., racers who won big on the new ultra-performance tires at SCCA's Tire Rack Solo National Tour at Fort Worth, Texas.
Barry Booker and wife Connie won the Street Touring Xtreme (STX) classes for men and women with the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Specs on a 2004 Volkswagen R32 sports car. Car owner Paul Carrig took third in the class. Each took home coveted Sports Car Club of America hardware.
Booker, who has competed for more than 10 years in club racing and auto cross, notched the Texas win with a 2.85-second lead after two days of competition. In the past, the Bookers have won National Tour events in STX and D Stock classes. Barry Booker works for a specialty propeller manufacturer in Shreveport.
Carrig, who started auto crossing in 2003 and won rookie-of-the-year honors in SCCA's Red River region, began preparing his blue R32 in 2007 for STX competition. Last year, the car finished 10th at Nationals and won a ProSolo in STX, two second National Tour finishes and two National Tour STX Ladies wins. This year, he changed tire brands.
Carrig, a software architect for Praeses LLC, a Shreveport IT consulting firm, said, "Overall, I think the new Zed 1 Star Spec is a great fit for my vehicle. We were very happy with the tire's performance in cool, low-grip conditions and felt there was more to come as the tire warmed.
"The full-tread tires came up to heat quickly and continued to improve as the weekend progressed. There was minimal loss of grip on the opening runs, and we logged higher Gs in cornering compared with tires we previously used," Carrig said.
Matthew Neidert, brand manager for Dunlop performance tires, said the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tire features the new "Star Spec" tread compound, which helps improve a performance car's initial dry grip during sanctioned amateur driving events, such as autocross and high-performance track-events hosted by regional car clubs.
"The Bookers' and Carrig's experience with fast initial runs in cooler temperatures shows the advantage provided by Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tires. Their consistency over a range of conditions can take a lot of the guesswork out of vehicle setups at an event," Neidert said.
A high-response directional tread pattern with circumferential grooves helps create a consistent contact patch on the pavement for a smooth feel and seamless transition. An "optimal mold shape" helps provide a consistent footprint shape and uniform pressure distribution across the footprint for enhanced cornering, Neidert said.
Dunlop is a global tire brand with an excellent reputation among performance car enthusiasts. Well known for its prestigious original-equipment fitments and sports car racing heritage, Dunlop is also a key supplier to sport compact enthusiasts featuring "tuner" tire sizes and race series sponsorships.
Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 'Star Spec' races to Texas SCCA wins
AKRON, Ohio - It should be obvious that Dunlop's new Direzza Sport Z1 "Star Spec" tire would do well in the Lone Star State. Consider three Shreveport, La., racers who won big on the new ultra-performance tires at SCCA's Tire Rack Solo National Tour at Fort Worth, Texas.
Barry Booker and wife Connie won the Street Touring Xtreme (STX) classes for men and women with the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Specs on a 2004 Volkswagen R32 sports car. Car owner Paul Carrig took third in the class. Each took home coveted Sports Car Club of America hardware.
Booker, who has competed for more than 10 years in club racing and auto cross, notched the Texas win with a 2.85-second lead after two days of competition. In the past, the Bookers have won National Tour events in STX and D Stock classes. Barry Booker works for a specialty propeller manufacturer in Shreveport.
Carrig, who started auto crossing in 2003 and won rookie-of-the-year honors in SCCA's Red River region, began preparing his blue R32 in 2007 for STX competition. Last year, the car finished 10th at Nationals and won a ProSolo in STX, two second National Tour finishes and two National Tour STX Ladies wins. This year, he changed tire brands.
Carrig, a software architect for Praeses LLC, a Shreveport IT consulting firm, said, "Overall, I think the new Zed 1 Star Spec is a great fit for my vehicle. We were very happy with the tire's performance in cool, low-grip conditions and felt there was more to come as the tire warmed.
"The full-tread tires came up to heat quickly and continued to improve as the weekend progressed. There was minimal loss of grip on the opening runs, and we logged higher Gs in cornering compared with tires we previously used," Carrig said.
Matthew Neidert, brand manager for Dunlop performance tires, said the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tire features the new "Star Spec" tread compound, which helps improve a performance car's initial dry grip during sanctioned amateur driving events, such as autocross and high-performance track-events hosted by regional car clubs.
"The Bookers' and Carrig's experience with fast initial runs in cooler temperatures shows the advantage provided by Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tires. Their consistency over a range of conditions can take a lot of the guesswork out of vehicle setups at an event," Neidert said.
A high-response directional tread pattern with circumferential grooves helps create a consistent contact patch on the pavement for a smooth feel and seamless transition. An "optimal mold shape" helps provide a consistent footprint shape and uniform pressure distribution across the footprint for enhanced cornering, Neidert said.
Dunlop is a global tire brand with an excellent reputation among performance car enthusiasts. Well known for its prestigious original-equipment fitments and sports car racing heritage, Dunlop is also a key supplier to sport compact enthusiasts featuring "tuner" tire sizes and race series sponsorships.
It's great you're offering your services, even though I don't exactly know what services I could possibly need from you or your company at this point, but this to me just seems like a way to make a commercial for Tire Rack in my thread.
Your offer of help seems to me like it serves no other purpose at all than just to show up, wave your hands around and say "Look at me! I'm from Tire Rack! I can help with things and stuff!!"
Former Vendor
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 319
From: South Bend, Indiana
Wow Sid, I didn't realize you were the only one on the forum. By the way we sponsor this site that you are posting on. There are other people that may want to purchase the Dunlop tire from your glowing review. That was the only reason for the post.
I am not sure what your problem is but maybe you should take it up with the people in charge.
I am not sure what your problem is but maybe you should take it up with the people in charge.
I have been looking at these tires for some time now. I need to find a replacement for my General Exclaim UHPs that I purchased from tirerack.
My question is how long can one expect these tires to last if they are daily driven?
I don't auto-x my car or drive like its stolen, but I am putting down 170whp on my Fit and need something that has more grip than my current tires. I also don't want to be concerned about wearing out my tires if I take a 1000 mile road trip either..
Whats your opinion Jim? Are these the tires for me or should I consider something different?
Former Vendor
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 319
From: South Bend, Indiana
As long as you don't have any cold or snow to deal with the will work great on the car. You would probably see around 20K for tread life on the tres if you are not auto-Xing or tracking the car. Compared to the General you are going to have a lot more grip in the dry and they would be close in the wet but the General would be a little better.
Give me a call if I can help.
Give me a call if I can help.
Pardon me Jim, for some reason I thought you were talking specifically to me.
That makes a lot more sense now. If anyone does want to get these awesome tires, then by all means contact Jim.
That makes a lot more sense now. If anyone does want to get these awesome tires, then by all means contact Jim.
Keep in mind guys when going from 205/50 to the 195/55 Star spec there may not be much change in width. The numerical numbers do not mean exact width. Brand specific sizing can change...look up what you have and compare. I've had these for about 5k miles and they're OK. They will get loud on you especially when slowing down. I've owned Michelin Exalto PE2, BFG Gforce Sport, Falken 615, and Hankook RS2s on this set of wheels, so I have alot to compare to.
I just bought some Z1 star specs. We'll see how they go.
I compete in NASA-X, and the widest I can have is 195, so as long as the sidewall says 195, it can be a 215 for all I care.
EDIT:
Initial comparison with some 205 width tires reveals that they're as wide as the 205 width on the 3-series bmw. I'll do the printer-paper under the tire check tomorrow.
I compete in NASA-X, and the widest I can have is 195, so as long as the sidewall says 195, it can be a 215 for all I care.
EDIT:
Initial comparison with some 205 width tires reveals that they're as wide as the 205 width on the 3-series bmw. I'll do the printer-paper under the tire check tomorrow.
Last edited by awptickes; Jun 30, 2009 at 09:37 PM.
Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 51
From: NY
How even are these wearing? I only have 400 miles on mine and am noticing some choppiness on the outside edge of the right front tire. It has been there since installed (car only had 600 miles on it when they went on). I don't think the alignment would be off on a new car... as I haven't run it into anything, and the left front tire and the inside edge of the right front are wearing nice and even. Both rears look good... but that's to be expected.
I took the wheel off, cleaned the mounting surfaces and reinstalled. No change. Pressure is good. Car doesn't pull or exhibit any other bad characteristics.
I took the wheel off, cleaned the mounting surfaces and reinstalled. No change. Pressure is good. Car doesn't pull or exhibit any other bad characteristics.
