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Drifting cars came into trend in the ’80s, and they still excite the racers. Undoubtedly, it is fun despite the risks involved, or maybe the risk makes the activity more appealing. Whatever the reason, if you are into drifting cars, you will also need the best tires for drifting for an overall experience.
Why is it necessary to pick the best drifting tires? You see, standard tires are not built for the purpose of dragging them along the corners. In the worst cases, they might even explode. Therefore, choosing a robust drifting tire that can give the overall driving experience is essential.
Here we have gathered the best tires for drifting for you, along with their review.
Best Tires for drifting: Review of the top 10
1. Toyo Proxes R35
The Toyo Tire Corp. came into existence in 1966, and they have been delivering tough tires for all terrains since then. Toyo Proxes R35 continues the company’s legacy with its excellent quality and performance.
This drifting tire comes with a top-class grip and traction. And even if it wasn’t designed solely for drifting, it still delivers excellent control and responsiveness. Toyo Proxes R35 has sticky rubber and stiff sidewalls, which let you have casual street fun. You can tell it is one of the best tires for drifting as many sports cars use these primarily while assembling all the parts.
With that said, you must remember that the Proxes R35 is not for wild drivers. The drifting tire only does well with less-powerful cars. Plus, you can get the best out of the tire in hot weather conditions. It also performs well in puddles of water but handling cold conditions is not its forte.
PROS
- Wet traction
- Controllable handling
- Trusted by many sports brands
- Outstanding responsiveness
- Excellent high-speed stability
CONS
- No treadwear warranty
- Not well for frosting conditions
2. Falken Azenis FK510
There is no possible way to talk about the best tires for drifting, not to mention Falken Tires. This company has built its entire corporation based on drifting and is known to deliver the best drifting tires. The Falken Azenis FK510 also falls in that category.
For many reasons, Falken Azenis FK510 is one of the best tires for drifting. You get the trademark Falken high-performance feature accompanied by excellent responsiveness and grip. In addition, it has superb traction, which gives you the precision you need while drifting.
The Falken Azenis FK510 drifting care lets you completely control your car when you make a nasty turn. So whether you are driving in dust or heavy rains, you can be assured of your safety. Also, the tread pattern is quiet, allowing you to drive it both on-street and off-street.
PROS
- The reputed brand for drifting
- Outstanding responsiveness
- Precise controllability
- Excellent grip and traction
- Quieter tread pattern
CONS
- No treadwear warranty
- Harsh ride
3. Kumho Ecsta PS31
If you think drifting is an expensive sport and are shying away from it due to budget reasons only, Kumho is here to prove you wrong.
Kumho Ecsta PS31 features High Grip Resin and stiff sidewalls. These features work together to deliver you a safe but fun driving experience. The company provides the best tires for drifting at affordable prices, thus making the sport of sailing accessible to many.
Due to excellent traction and responsiveness, you can have complete control while using Kumho Ecsta PS31 drifting tires. Due to the subtle tread pattern, you can drive it in heavy rain owing to the wet traction feature and on the highway.
This affordable tire, however, will not suit the professionals. So you might need more powerful tires if you are deep into drifting. But if you are in it for fun, this is one of the best tires for drifting.
PROS
- Budget drifting tire
- Hydroplaning resistance
- Suitable for track and street
- Amazing responsiveness and controllability
- Excellent grip and traction
CONS
- Not fit for professionals
- No treadwear warranty
4. Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Apart from being one of the best tires for drifting, Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 is also one of the best budget drifting tires. With an improved rubber compound and tread design, the Indy 500 tire gives you a shorter stopping distance on wet roads. It has a proprietary Pulse Groove channel in the tread pattern that channels away the water and improves handling and braking on wet roads.
The Firestone Fire hawk Indy 500 comes with broad shoulders. While it provides tire stiffness, it lets you completely control your car when driving on corners. It is one of the best drifting tires offered by Firestone.
You can use this drifting tire not for fun on the streets only but also for a regular drive. In addition, the Indy 500 is durable, along with superb traction. All these features make it a strong contender on the list of the best tires for drifting.
PROS
- Excellent hydroplaning resistance
- Outstanding wet traction and braking
- Responsive
- Budget drifting tire
CONS
- No treadwear guarantee
- Busy ride
5. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2
This is the second version of the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric and is more popular than the first version. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 is one of the best tires for drifting out there, and if you have been using the worn-out previous version, it is time to replace them with this latest drifting tire.
Not only do you get a tire with advanced traction and grip, but it also offers more control to the driver. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 features an advanced tread compound with high-molecular-weight polymers. It enhances the responsiveness of the drifting tire and gives you the safety you need while street driving.
The Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 comes with solid outboard shoulders, so you can make that perfect turn while drifting. You can take it out on a drive, even during rain or on the main road.
PROS
- Most responsive tire
- More control for the driver
- Outstanding traction and grip
- Comfortable ride
CONS
- No treadwear warranty
6. Michelin Pilot Sport 4S
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Michelin, the name itself inspires confidence among the drivers. Known for delivering high-performance tires, Michelin has also given one of the best drifting tires to the drifting community in the form of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is quite famous among professional drivers owing to its 30,000-mile treadwear warranty. The drifting tire features sticky rubber to deliver the best response and control. That, added with wet traction, gives you complete control of your car no matter what surface you are driving on.
The Michelin Pilot drifting tire has splendid traction levels and gives a fantastic driving experience even on the highways. Despite being pricey, this tire offered by Michelin is one of the best tires for drifting.
PROS
- Reputed tire brand
- 30,000-mile treadwear warranty
- Wet traction
- Outstanding responsiveness
CONS
- Expensive
7. Continental ContiSport Contact 5
Another drifting tire is good both on the street and highway. Continental ContiSportContact 5 finds a spot on the list of the best tires for drifting owing to its ultra-performance features.
Continental ContiSportContact 5 has an asymmetric tread design as their USP, along with advanced grip and traction. This gives you complete control over the turns and results in exceptional handling. The drifting tire also features reduced rolling resistance, so your tires don’t explode.
ContiSportContact 5 possesses outstanding responsiveness and can even tackle wet surfaces. Like most drifting tires, ContiSportContact 5 also doesn’t come with a treadwear warranty.
PROS
- Outstanding handling
- Lightning-fast responsiveness
- Enhanced grip and traction
- Splendid wet traction
CONS
- No treadwear warranty
8. Yokohama ADVAN Apex V601
If you are looking for a drifting tire that fits your budget and gives you an outstanding drifting experience, Yokohama ADVAN Apex V601 is the one for you.
Yokohama ADVAN Apex V601 has wide circumferential grooves that protect the tires against hydroplaning. This is crucial when driving your car on the highway or on wet surfaces. The Apex V601 gives you the best performance both on-street and off-street.
Equipped with exceptional grip and traction, the Apex V601 gives you total control over the turns you make. Surprisingly, the drifting tire also comes with a 25,000-mile treadwear warranty which is a rarity even with the best tires for drifting.
PROS
- Affordable price
- 25,000-mile treadwear warranty
- Amazing grip and traction
- Enhanced hydroplaning resistance
9. Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R
To start with, Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R possesses exceptional handling abilities. It won’t be wrong to say that this is the main reason it is charted on the list of the best tires for drifting.
Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R responses as soon as you put in the inputs. This also lets you have total control over the turns and the drift. You don’t have to worry about safety with these tires.
The Potenza RE-71R comes with wide circumferential grooves, which gives the driver confidence while making unexpected turns. It also features hydro evacuations surface ridges on its inner walls for enhanced wet traction and braking.
PROS
- Top-notch handling
- Outstanding responsiveness
- Excellent grip and traction
- Amazing wet traction
CONS
- No treadwear warranty
10. Falken Azenis RT615K+
The Falken Azenis RT615K+ is another tire by Falken that has landed on the list of the best tires for drifting. It has won many racing series owing to its excellent performance.
Falken Azenis RT615K+ features a 4D Nano Design summer tread compound. This gives the upper hand to aggressive drivers. Thanks to its top-tier grip and traction, you can also drive it safely on the highway.
This drifting tire has super-stiff sidewalls resulting in excellent responsiveness. In addition, it is DOT approved, so you can drive it without getting in trouble with the authorities. The only drawback of this drifting tire is the low hydroplaning resistance.
PROS
- Outstanding grip and traction
- Precise control and response
- DOT-approved
CONS
- A bit uncomfortable
- Hydroplaning resistance could be improved
Considerations to make while buying Drifting tires
Kind of Tire
You can choose from the myriad of tires the market has to offer. The tire industry provides all kinds of tires ranging from all-terrain to all-season, snow tires to mud tires, and sand tires to all-weather tires. However, I recommend you go for summer tires.
Drifting is a sport that increases the temperature of the rubber regardless of the air and track. Tires made of summer rubber compounds can withstand the extra rise in temperature. They are built to be driven in hot climates with temperatures over 86 °F (30 °C).
Summer tires for Street Racing
If you are only interested in street driving, I recommend high-performance summer tires. These tires provide better handling than regular passenger tires, which is necessary for street drivers. In addition, you get shorter braking distances and overall better responsiveness.
One thing to note is that high-performance tires are suitable only for street drivers. These tires come with stiffer sidewalls, which makes them much more controllable at the limit. I advise pairing them with lighter cars.
Ultra-High-Performance Tires for Drifting and Track
While High-Performance tires are for street drivers only, ultra-high-performance tires are for the big players. These tires deliver outstanding performance not only on the street but also on track. You get better handling, upgraded response, and a top-notch grip.
The traction of these tires is so, which makes them perfect for drifting and the track. They are a level up to high-performance tires.
The Real Racing Tires
When I talk about real racing tires, we mean max-performance tires. These tires are the best option for drifting on the street and track with super-stiff sidewalls. These tires come with all the benefits of street tires with a little something extra.
Max-performance tires can withstand higher temperatures, thanks to their sticky rubber compound. They also offer better handling and control than ultra-high-performance tires.
Extreme Performance Tires
Undoubtedly extreme performance tires are the supreme leader when it comes to drifting. Be it stiff sidewalls, top-notch responsiveness, and overall control of your car. These tires deliver it all. They can withstand extreme temperatures with no damage to the tread.
Warranty
Drifting tires are very prone to rapid wear out. And the results can deteriorate even more when you choose the wrong pair of tires. That is why very few companies offer treadwear warranties on their drifting tire models. Still, you will find certain brands on our list that provide treadwear warranties. Some brands also offer a warranty against defects and on tread life.
It is better to buy drifting tires with a warranty, so you don’t have to spend much on the maintenance of the tires in the starting years only if anything goes wrong.
FAQs
Can you drift with regular tires?
To be exact, yes, you can drift with standard tires. But only if you take up drifting as a hobby. For real driving enthusiasts, drifting tires are always the best option. These tires are designed to withstand extreme temperatures, which is a crucial feature for tires used for drifting purposes.
Regular tires run a huge rise of exploding while you drift. Thus it is wise to opt for drifting tires.
What does drifting do to your tires?
When you drift along corners, your rear tires may lose their grip. Consequently, the car will be thrown in the direction of the turn. There’s a drifting technique for racers to prevent their tires from over-rotating. But as far as the tires’ grip goes, you will need to buy either extreme performance or high-performance tires.
Are drifting tires expensive?
Yes, that’s a given when you purchase tires for drifting. Drifting in itself is an expensive sport. You require a powerful sports car and pair it with high-performance tires. The drifting tires are sometimes twice what you can get standard tires for.
But that is how it is. You can not enjoy sports with a regular car or standard passenger tires.
CONCLUSION
We have reached the guide’s end to the best drifting tires. Before buying a drifting tire, you must check if it is only street-friendly or if you can drive it on tracks too.
And choose your cars wisely too. If you are a professional, get a car with over 300 hp. Finding the best drifting tires might be expensive, but your purchase will be sturdy and durable. Also, if you want your tires to run for a long time, make sure to buy from reputed brands.
We have taken care to mention affordable best tires for drifting too. If you don’t want your tires to explode, buy a tire specifically designed for drifting and handling severe weather conditions.
Let me know if I missed any potential names in the list of the best tires for drifting.
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