I thought about if I should respond to the recent post or not, since there is such stupidity on the Internet, but as so much has been quoted that is just totally incorrect then I though I ought to.
My first point would be why does a single line or point question deserve more than a single line answer? These questions are in the vast majority asked by someone who thinks they have found something cheap and now wants their purchasing choice validating. I did actually consider my response and made it as least offensive as posible to the manufacturer and actually be informative as posible in the short time available.
The strong response from what was a new poster, quoting “facts” and “race drivers” opinions then suggested quite strongly to me that this was actually a post from someone connected to the manufacturer or the UK distributor Oak Tyres.
Regardless, let me just correct a few things. The MK1 MX-5’s do, in the main, in the UK run on a road tyre and always have done regardless of the supplier. The reason is too much grip detracts from driver skill and would make the racing processional. MaX5 is the only series to run on a track tyre, which has been the Nankang NS-2R for last couple of years. The others run on road tyres. BF Goodrich has, to my knowledge, never been used and I have been supplying MK1 race cars with tyres for nearly 10 years. And as for being on par with them in just 2 years would again sugest a rather partisan post. The series which is being refered to is 5 Club which last year ran on the Nankang NS-20 and has changed to the Devanti tyre this year. The reasons why, I do actually know, but that would be for Alyn Robson to say, if he wanted to, and not me.
As for stating that “their lap timings should fall with the new tyre” (another partisan comment) you would know if you had spoken to a single driver who had driven on the tyre that times are way, way off. Someone actually quoted to me just this very weekend that they were 5 seconds down on previous times from Oulton Park. There is not a single driver that rates them, most think they are awful, one describing the driving experience as “the front will turn in, the back will be like a flag”
I personally drove on them during the original Rockingham testing earlier this year and to quantify the above comment, they were quite positive a braking and turn in, but mid corner and relase from the corner just saw the car wanting to go sidewards all the time and the only option was to drive slower. The biggest issue which will present itself on the road however is the very poor grip in damp conditions particularly in tight corners where the tyre just skates across the tarmac. Roundabouts and the like would be particularly hazardous.
Now this might be very different on a heavy front wheel drive car but we are not on the Mondeo forum. Now if you represent the manufacturer you already know this, which is why you have modifications in progress. If however you represent Oak Tyres, sorry, but you did ask.