Thread is updated at the end with discussion of the new Vredestein Ultrac Vorti in 245/35/19 F and 285/30/19 R fitted to 2008 stock wheels


Hi there! I had lots of questions regarding these tires when I was shopping around for some new rubber. So I wanted to address all the answers I found here in one thread for others to have as a reference.

I am using the stock wheels (19x8 and 19x9)
I have upsized the tire: Front 225/40/19 --> 245/35/19 Rear 255/35/19 --> 275/30/19.
The stock rolling diameter is 26.1 inches and the new size are within 1-2% of that 25.8 if I remember correctly.
Others have stated that there is NO rubbing, clearance or ABS, Traction issues with this size on a non lowered car with stock wheels and offset. According to the Tire Rack and others 245 is the widest you can go on an 8" wide wheel and 275 is the widest you can go on a 9" wheel. So we are OK there.

The tire is the Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta. This is a Dutch brand tire. They were recently acquired by Apollo Tire of India. The tires are manufactured in Holland as marked on the side of the tire. They have been very popular in Europe for a very long time. Vredestein's bicycle tires have been distributed for a long time in the US but there vehicle tires have limited distribution in the US. Mine were purchased via Performance Plus Tire in Long Beach California. They seemed to have the best price and shipping options, etc. for me. $889 for all 4 shipped with California Sales Tax (9.25%, ouch).

The tires fall into the Extreme Summer Performance Category, with a high silica content compound. They have tested well up against the Michelin PS2, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Continental, etc. They are very popular in the G35 group and M3 group. So I thought I would give them a try. At Half the cost of a new set of PS2's I thought why not. Comments from installers have said that they are extremely round tires and balance up easily. Vredestein credits this to the fact that there factory uses the absolute newest in technology for making their tires. Detailed at their website: http://www.vredestein.com/
Here are some pics. They are being installed today and I will come back with some driving impressions, both initially and after they are driven in and have the mold release is worn off.

Cheers!

The Set


"Made in Holland"


Ultrac Sessanta


Front Width (ruler is lined up with side wall on left, camera angle changes perspective)


Rear Width

 

Cool Let us know how you like them

 

aewsome finally a thread about these tires with the same setup i am planning. Stock everything with the upsize tire width. Let us know how they compare sound wise with stock tires,even though i have the bridgestone. Also more importantly how long they last, and how they handle.

oh and just to make sure it is $889 out the door? and how long did they take to get to your door step from the day your placed your order?

thanks

 

Thanks for the write-up! Please post your impressions after 500 and then a few thousand miles. Interesting tread pattern there.

 

I've had mine for about 1K, and I think they are great. Quiet, confident at speed, very good dry traction, I have not had a chance to run them in the rain but the small amount we get in Cali, I'm sure they will be fine. The tire has a good look to it along with an aggressive tread pattern; I think you will like them. For the price they are a very good option for our cars

I read many reviews on BMW, Corvette, and Porsche forums, before I made my purchase and most all were positive. So good luck, and enjoy the new shoes.

 

What were OE tires you have before replacing with the new ones? Let us know how steering wheel feel with the new tires, lighter or heavier?

 

Heard about a few others who have had these tires on and enjoy them quite a lot. Nice writeup and keep us updated with how you like them

 

$889 Out the Door (with CA tax and shipping) Here is their website: http://www.performanceplustire.com/
Shipped next day, arrived in 4 days FedEx ground

My OE tires were Michelin PS2. Steering feel is LIGHTER despite being wider.


Over all very early first impressions:
Fitment is PERFECT. The come out flush to the edge of the wheel with NO bulge. (pictures to come).

No rubbing, clearance issues as expected. plenty of room (2.5 FINGERS) clearance to rear fender.

They are a bit slick right now because they still have the mold release on them. Rears are settling down after a few burn outs, front will take a little more time to get off the oily residue.

They are QUIET. So much quieter than my aged Michelins.

I will update after a few more miles and add some pictures.



They are

 

I've had vreds for a while now and the PS2s seem more stable and predictable than the Vredestiens. Overall dry grip of the ps2 was noticeably better than that of a wider Vredestien as well.

I think where the Vred shines is in the wet... I had to drive home in a a freak snow storm, uphill and they really did well...

 

Fitment Pics:

Front




Rear

 

something seems off about the direction of the tires. one side is facing the opposite of the other.

 

My friend had these and hated them. But GL to you though.

 

I had them on my G35 and I loved them.

 

Good point, I didn't notice that. I will look into it.

Any of the other owners here have this with theirs? Is there supposed to be a right and left?

Based on this graphic it looks like it is normal and they way they are supposed to go. Strange. The claim is this:

 

On my recent trip to Arizona for the Route 66 run, myself and the Vette club I was with ran pretty hard on the way, and while out there, and I think the Vreds. were much bvetter than the Bridgestones my F came with as far as stability at speed. But I will see if they maintain that feel over time.

The tires are multidirectional, and can be rotated side to side unless you are running OEM wheels, then the wheels themselves are directional.