Look at Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+. That's what I'm running. I noticed very little grip difference over stock.

 

I see your in CA, but you must be at altitude? IMHO, any Lexus F vehicle should be running dedicated summer tires if in a temperature climate, or in the months where the temps do not get near freezing. If running in the cold winter months, you should run dedicated wheels and dedicated winter tires. AS tires are for Camrys and non F Lexus models. A HiPo car such as hours should be running HiPo parts and components.

Lou

 

You don't need snow tires if you aren't driving in snow.

All season tires still grip strong when it's 30 degrees whereas summer tires do not. I have only had to drive on ice 1 time all winter, not once on snow. Snow tires would have been better in that one instance, but it's nothing that a little bit of driving skill can't overcome.

My summer tires started slipping a lot in October when the temps got below 50 (I've been in NC contracting for 14 months now). I have been driving on my all season tires all winter and it's been no different than my summer only tires in warm weather as far as grip. I have even been back home in FL twice on these tires and driven in 90 degree weather. No grip problems.

I grew up in the Midwest with cars that handled much worse in the winter than this RC F. I have never used snow tires, ever. We had a lot of snow every winter. I'm not saying not to use snow tires in snowy conditions. I'm saying that it is possible to drive in snow without them. But all season tires do have a place. That place is cold temps that don't involve snow. Even in south Florida we have several days where the lows get below 50, but I've never seen snow there. Snow tires would certainly be a waste there, but summer tires aren't going to grip in cold temps...

 

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is high performance summer tires. They grip really well.
275 might be too wide for the front. I wonder how it would affect performance. Maybe I should have stick with stock size up front.

 

I had since shipped my RCF soon after I bought it to MS where I fly into (to work). I fly back and forth between MS and SoCal. Roads are more open (not congested as in SoCal) in MS so I can really enjoy the RCF.

Temperature gets to around 20's or below in the winter in parts of MS. I've had Michelin Pilot Sport ALL SEASONS on my other car, MB SLK55 AMG and they worked well. But definitely will not have the same grip as the current OEM setup.

I just feel that the RCF on its OEM high performance Michelin summer tires sliding all over the place when the temperature drops to 20 and below. This does not happen all the time, but happens enough that I wanted to be prepared as the weather in MS can turn on a dime. Not to mention all that rain in MS. IF it's freezing rain, then I definitely stay put and not go out.

i thought about getting a set of dedicated rims/tires for "winter". But there are not much "snow" around in the winter. Real snow tires (Blizz), are too soft for my purpose. It is the temperature drops to 20's or below that's the problem. Rarely to 10 or below. So I'm just looking to get an all season set up.

I don't track my RCF and I just driving around on highway speeds.

 

Yes, I agree with you totally.

The OEM high performance summer tires will start sliding as soon as temperature drops below 50 as you said. It is definitely something one can actually tell and feel. When temperature gets to 20 or below, there's a real chance you might end up in the ditch if you situation awareness is in the backseat. Several years ago before I got my RCF, I was in my MB SLK55 AMG in it's OEM high performance summer tires on a very clear cold day with temperatures in the teens. As I started to slow down from around 70 mph approaching the exit ramp I felt the rear started to slide. I aborted my approach to the exit ramp and recovered and got back on the highway. It sure scared me bc I was literally just inches away from going into the ditch SIDEWAYS! Sure looked at a scene from Tokyo Drift, LOL. I pulled over on the next exit and turned off the engine and rested for a while before I continued. I changed all 4 tires very soon after that to Michelin Pilot Sport ALL SEASONS.

I see now why all these Ferraris and Lamborghini on YouTube in the ditch during cold weather, LOL. It's because they got the wrong tires in cold weather.

 

Yes, thanks.

 

I'm running RCF wheels on my ISF. 255/35/19 up front and 295/30/19 in the back - Bridgestone S-04. For the ISF, I find those sizes to be perfect for the type of driving I do. I'm extremely happy with them.

And for you folks that run All Seasons - That's fine with me. And, if you read my post, I started it off with - IMHO. And that's just what it is, MY opinion.

Lou

Lou

 

Thanks for your input.

 

define too wide for the front? Rubbing?

 

Definitely no rubbing - that's not the issue. I'm just thinking it might be a bit wide up front since it is just a lot of rolling resistance. I like the way they feel right now but maybe I should have stuck with 255/35/19 front and 295/30/19 rears.

 

update us on the MPG change

 

It can catch you completely off guard if you aren't aware of how hard your rubber is due to temps. You expect to grip as usual on a familiar road and the grip just isn't there. If you were pushing the limits for normal temps then you are going to lose control for sure. That's one thing I like about my all seasons. They are predictable to me from 30 degrees up to 100 degrees. I have also driven in the teens with them a few times this year and didn't really notice any big difference. But I don't think I was pushing the limits of the tires those times. I would expect the grip on all season tires to be a little compromised in the teens or lower.

You are entitled to it. But likewise I am entitled to mine and I am also entitled to voice my opinion about yours. All season tires are essentially 3 season tires. South Florida is a 3 season climate. We have no use for dedicated snow tires as the temps never get below 30, rarely get below 40 and there is never snow or ice. So it's very advantageous and economical to buy one set of tires that can be run all year long. Summer tires can even be run all year long and I have done it before, but on cold days I had to drive like it was icy. I prefer to not have to drive that way.

I'm certain there are other places where all seasons are all that is ever needed. Now, if I lived in the mountains I would certainly invest in snow tires and likely even studded tires. But I don't live in the mountains... If I tracked my car I would run summer tires for that, but they wouldn't be the most comfortable or quiet tire. They would be true performance tires, not the stock PSS. Probably cup 2 tires. But for the street... if you NEED the highest performance tires available then you are likely not far from landing yourself in jail and having your car confiscated.

 

Don't really think so. I am 78 years old and have NEVER been in Jail or had my car CONFISCATED! I have never lost my license, though I have had my share of speeding tickets. My F was designed for HiPo tires, came with HiPo tires, and will always be equipped with HiPo tires. Though I have oversized them on RCF wheels. A proper and good handling vehicle is not a jail sentence but a driver safety feature. I have avoided a couple of accidents because of the exceptional handling of my ISF. I have owned my ISF for better than 8 years now and have no immediate of replacing it.

I guess you don't believe in modifications either?

Lou

 

Well, I have routinely run my car to the limiter on my all season tires and haven't had any issues. Which is harder than any car should be run on the street. I've also never been jailed or had my car confiscated. I also don't NEED the highest performing tire available.

I have pulled 1.0G laterally (according to the gauge in my car) at 65 mph on my all season tires and don't know how much more I could squeeze out of them as I don't want to wreck my ride. Can your PSS do better? If so, why would you NEED to pull more than that on the street being 78 years old?