Bridgestone Potenza RE11 Availability

I am in need of new tires for my 06 F430 Spider. Based on many FChat user comments, and F430GTs comments, I had decided on RE11 tires.

Specifically:
Front: 235/35R19
Rear: 285/35R19

I went to buy them a few months ago, no problem, but with all of my moving and vacation I did not hit buy because they would just be sitting in the garage aging.

Now I cant seem to find them. I did some reading and searched FChat. Some say the RE11 is just on backorder, but I dont buy this. There is a new tire called the RE11A, but it is not currently made for the F430 tire sizes.

What is the general consensus? (every vote counts! ...well not so much here)
1. The RE11's are just out of stock, and I should just wait.
2. The RE11A's are the replacement, but they started with the most common sizes, and will be adding the F430 sizes soon, so I should wait.
3. The RE11's are out of production thus I should just go with the next best thing; MPSS in:
Front: 235/35R19
Rear: 295/35R19
4. Just keep on driving until my current tires are slap worn out, then re-evaluate.

I have enough tire left to wait a few months I suppose. But after an extended 150mph run yesterday, I would feel safer on new rubber.

*Attention Law Enforcement: 150mph run was referencing a scaled speed where the distance traveled divided by the time it took to travel said distance was a function of the vehicle length divided by the ratio between the actual vehicle length and the shortened dimensions in the direction of travel caused by general relativity and excessive road taxation.

 

I recently purchased the RE-11's and love them. However, I used the MPSS on other cars and also loved them. I would say that they are equal (and probably better overall) than the RE11's. You can't go wrong with the MPSS if you get them. The big advantage of the RE-11 tires is that you get one of the best tires at an incredible price!!
I would call Bridgestone directly and ask tech support what is going on, then plan accordingly. I hope that they still make them when I need tires again because I wold buy them again in a second. (Unless something "better" comes out by then)

 

i recently just bought a set for my 430 from tire rack

 

If I keep my car over the next few months I am putting Michelin Pilot Super Sports on my 08' F430. I have MPSS's on my new 13' M5 and they are an amazing tire in my opinion.

I have not had any experience with the Bridgestones but have heard great things...

 

Pfffft! Please. Replace them?

Only people who know nothing about cars know that tires have three indicator strips that tell you when you have to change them. The first is between the treads. When this is worn, you might want to "consider" changing tires.

The second is along the side wall of the tire. It's a yellow nylon fiber. When this is visible you really "should" replace the tire.

The third is a metal fiber that sitcks up out of the tire when the above indicators are worn. When this is visible you "really should" replace the tire.

In fact the only time you "absolutely must" replace the tire is when it goes flat when driving down the road. You'll know when this happens as the car suddenly may either pull to one side..., suddenly spin 180 degrees into oncoming traffic on the highway, or the cops catch up to you in the chase.

(hehehehe)

RE11's are the next to go on mine as well..

 

An example of a worn rear tire on F430:
( Sorry I tried correcting the picture , but you get the idea )
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WOW, thats pushin it to say the least regarding wear!

I would never let me tires get that worn, not worth risking my life.

 

Going by the balls of rubber stuck on the body work, my guess is that they were spun until failure! That must have been a fun 10 minutes!!!

 

I gotta say that so far I am not a big fan of them on my GT3. I only have like 100 miles on then granted, but they seem very slippery compared to MPSC tires that I did have. Now most fcar owners are not breaking the car loose on back roads. I do routinely in my 3

 

Not sure what I will do. I run stock 18" wheels and am not interested in going to 19"s. Right now there is no availability of RE-11s on the TireRack website. MPSS do not come in the right sizes for 18" but do for 19". So either I go with 19s which I don't want to do, go with MPSS in slightly the wrong 18" sizes (which 18" sizes would you choose?) or choose something else (but the other choices in 18" are not at great).

 

Try the ADVAN (Yokohama) AD08s in 18"...as sticky and stiff sidewalled as the RE11s

 

RE11 are no more!!! Bridgestone is just shuffling the old inventory. RE-11A is the replacement, and sizes for the F430 will come soon, at least that's what Bridgestone told me. It's been 7 months since I spoke to them and no 19" tires yet from them.

Waiting while you drive on old rubber is not recommended.

This is the list of current super fast street tires (I'm not including race tires that can be used on the street like the R888, MPSC, Trofeo, TrofeoR, SportMaxxRace, NT01, RA1, A048, as these tires age quickly with street use):

FASTEST: BFG Rival, Dunlop ZII, Hankook RS3 (the new RE11A might enter here, but needs testing, looks promising)
VERY FAST: Yoko ADV08
FAST: Michelin PSS

For Florida weather, and the common sudden rain, go with MPSS. I'm on my third set and love them. Not the fastest, but extremely awesome in the rain, unbelievable wet grip. Another fact I like with the MPSS is that they are rated for 186+ mph, and the 599GTO/F12/458 have them as factory tires.

 

They need 200 miles of very aggressive driving, or 1,000 miles of regular street driving to come up to good grip. Same thing goes to the MPSS. The storage compound they apply at the factory takes a while to vanish.

A set of fresh MPSC (a race tire) is faster than the RE11, MPSS, ADV08. But MPSC heat cycle with just 28 iterations, and after that they are trash, hard plastic with tread but very low grip. In the rain, the MPSC is deadly.

 

Wait!! Have had an order in approx. 1 month. Talked to TireRack yesterday and they assured me the new shipment would arrive at the end of June. Only 3 more weeks, right?

 

Put some miles on them. They will stick better, and the steering feel improves somewhat.
You also may want to play with the pressures a little. I bumped my fronts up by only 2 psi and I felt it made an improvement in the steering feel (slight).

 

+1. The mold release compound from manufacturing is quite slippery and takes at least that long to rub off (shorter if you drive in heavy rain). The problem with new tires on many Ferraris is that people put them on but hardly drive their cars (not saying this to anyone in particular), then assume the tires are junk. Many owners only put a few hundred miles on in a year so their new tires may be slippery for that entire time!

 

Go with the Michelin Super Sports. I've tried all UHP street tires over the past few years, and these are my favorites in all respects.

 

I posted a several weeks ago that the RE-11's were on backorder from Tire Rack. I received mine last week and I'm looking forward to installing them on the car. No myth or rumor here. I ordered them, they delivered them, they were just on backorder.

 

Can you post the last four digits located next to the DOT ref#, near the edge of the wheel, below the letters N and E where the tire reads BRIDGESTONE. For the four tires.

Thanks

 

Love them, brilliant esp in the wet

 

Will do. Thanks for the insight!

 

Update:

I was able to find them in stock at several smaller online tire retailers and on eBay. I would buy new tires on eBay if I was desperate, but I am not that desperate in this case.

I will spare you all of the sites, but here was the best deal that had them in-stock:

OnlineTires.com

235/35-19 BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE-11 91W BW
Brand: BRIDGESTONE
Type: ULTRA HIGH PERFORMANCE SPORT
Size: 235/35-19 2 $237.81

285/35-19 BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE-11 99W BW
Brand: BRIDGESTONE
Type: ULTRA HIGH PERFORMANCE SPORT
Size: 285/35-19 2 $271.80

Shipping & Handling: $88
No Tax

Subtotal: $1,019.22
Tax: $0.00
Shipping: $88.66
Total: $1,107.88

I was not shopping for the cheapest tire for my daily beater, but hey a good price makes me feel good about my week in LV; table+bottle service, cabanas, and whats that $475 room charge for a massage at 3am?? Funny how one night at the XS night club could buy me quite a few sets of RE11s or should that be

Yes the year date might be a tad old (will let you know), but I will eat them faster than they can dry rot.

Thanks for all the input!

 

I'll be happy to as soon as they are on the car. I had the tires shipped to the installer.

 

If the Dunlop ZII are as good or better than Dunlop Z1 Star Specs, my tip would be to pick them. On most tracks, they are only couple secs slower than radial track tires.

 

Front: 4911
Rear: 1513
The fronts tires are a little older than the rear. I'm okay with the spread though.