Speed is an exciting proposition especially when you’re behind the wheel and it’s even more of a rush (no pun intended) when you are paired with the right set of tyres. The new Bridgestone Potenza Adrenalin RE003 tyres will do just that as members of the Malaysian media discovered recently in Brisbane, Australia.
We were taken to the Performance Driving Centre in Gold Coast which is a world class driving centre and Australia’s leading Advanced Driver Training facility, to try out the new “treads” (as opposed to threads or swag).
The RE003 replaces the previous RE002 and this premium series is aimed at “medium-class sports cars” such as the Golfs, EVOs, WRXs, the GT86s and the likes.
Kuroki
With a name like Potenza Adrenalin RE003 Sports, you would think that this has all the performance credentials attached to it, and it does. But if you’re still not convinced, there is the prefix RE which stands for Racing Equipment and the tagline ‘Awaken the sports driver in you’. Excited yet?
Before we got to test the tyre’s performance on track, we had breakfast and a presentation of the new tyre at the Performance Handling Centre. The RE003 is designed for precision handling and maximum control while offering powerful traction, handling stability and a quick initial response. Even in wet conditions, the tyre maintains optimal handling and braking. This is the result of a new silica-based compound used in the RE003 combined with the tread pattern which consists of the Triple and Half groove for better cornering and braking in the wet; and the Pulse groove for better drainage and anti-hydroplaning performance.
For dry roads, the tyre’s curved groove-wall enforcement at the inside of the centreline, rigid wide centre rib and connection block is designed for precise handling and cornering.
“The new Potenza Adrenalin RE003 offers sharp responsive turn-in, direct steering feel and greater cornering stability without compromising on comfort,” said Bridgestone Corp international tyre administration division director Minoru Kuroki. Then we were off to the track where three obstacle courses were laid out to test the tyre’s capabilities in handling, traction control and performance.
For each course, two cars were on hand and one was set up with the new RE003 tyres and the other, the previous RE002 or a competitor’s products for comparison.
The first obstacle was the slalom course and a Subaru WRX fitted with RE002 was the first car we drove through it followed by another WRX with the new RE003 tyres.
I was already impressed with the RE003 because it felt like driving two different cars.
The RE003 was smoother, quieter, handled better (and seemed faster too) when driving both cars at the same speed.
I found that I was not the only one with that impression as my fellow motoring journos were really surprised with the difference the RE003 makes as well.
The following obstacle was the skid pad on a circular course constantly hosed with water. The purpose of this test was to highlight the tyre’s wet-handling capabilities.
All I had to do was go fast enough that it would induce understeer and then see how the tyres recovered when I eased off the throttle.
The cars used here was the Volkswagen Golf GTI mk7 and this time, a competitor’s tyres were fitted for comparison.
I had a go with the Golf fitted the competitor’s tyres first and its performance was impressive. When I tried the Golf with the RE003 tyres then the subtle differences emerged.
When understeer occurred, the competitor tyre would lose grip suddenly and recovered in a slightly jerky motion. With the RE003, I could perceive from the feedback of the tyres when it was about to lose grip and when it does, it sort of slides smoothly and as soon as I eased of the accelerator pedal, the car recovered instantly without hesitation.
Learning from the expert. A driving instructor pushing the Bridgestone tyres to their limit as a motoring writer experiences the moment.
Finally, the last test was a series of obstacles around the track which involved last-minute swerving to avoid the traffic cones (or witches’ hats as the locals call it) and another slalom course but this time, at higher speeds. And yet again, the RE003 tyres showed just how well it recovered compared with the competitor’s tyres when swerving sharply to the left and right at 75kph.
This was a bit of a heart-stopping test because you’re headed straight for the three-cones lined in front of you, waiting for the instructor to yell “Now!”, and then quickly turn to avoid the cones and straighten immediately.
Suffice to say, the RE003 performed much smoother and without fuss compared to the competitor’s tyres.
The RE003 not only showed how much bite it has (all stability control on the cars were turned off by the way) but it also proved to be nimble and inspires a lot of confidence when driving at speed.
If you love hard driving, then RE003 could be right for you.
The Potenza Adrenalin RE003 is available in 46 different sizes, fitting wheels sizes from 15 to 20-inch and 60 to 30 series profiles.
The Bridgestones were pitted against those of a competitor in the same class.
