Dunlop Sport Maxx Race Sizes & review

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The Sport Maxx Race is Dunlop’s Streetable Track & Competition tire developed for serious driving enthusiasts that want to drive their cars to and from racetracks to participate in track lapping days and High Performance Driver Education (HPDE) events.

Homologated as part of the Mercedes-Benz Original Equipment (O.E.) track package option on C63 AMG Coupe Black Series models, Sport Maxx Race tires meet all the requirements for road use. However, like other Streetable Track & Competition tires, they are not intended to be driven on extremely wet roads with standing water where there is the risk of hydroplaning, or in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice. It’s also essential these tires be stored indoors at temperatures maintained above 32 degrees F.

Sport Maxx Race tires mold a motorsport derived tread compound into an asymmetric tread design featuring a massive outboard shoulder block and continuous center ribs that enhance steering response and cornering stability to help drivers keep their vehicles balanced when cornering in dry conditions. While high-angle outboard shoulder grooves, circumferential grooves and independent inboard tread blocks help preserve wet traction.

The tire’s internal structure includes two full-width steel belts reinforced with Dunlop’s JointLess Band (JLB) Technology to stiffen the tread area and help prevent contact area distortion during aggressive acceleration, cornering, braking and high-speed use.

Sport Maxx Race tires are molded with approximately 8/32″ of tread depth in their grooves and are left unshaved for use on damp tracks. While the tires do not require shaving for dry track use, their durability and lap time performance will improve if shaved to approximately 4/32″ deep tread to begin competitive road racing/track use in dry conditions, however this will sacrifice significant treadlife.

Warning: Sport Maxx Race radials meet DOT requirements, however they are not recommended for driving in wet conditions where standing water is present and there is the risk of hydroplaning; drivers should drive cautiously at reduced speeds if they encounter these conditions. This is especially true of shaved or worn tires. And like other Streetable Track & Competition tires, these tires are not intended to be stored, serviced nor driven in near- or below freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice.

3 COMMENTS

  1. Installed these on my 08 GT2 recently and am very pleased with them. Grip is amazing and very predictable. A better option than the Michelin Pilot sport Cups in my opinion. Be advised that the tread depth is 8/32 not 10/32. Track guys will love them.

  2. I have driven this tire on two C63 AMG Black Series Coupes. The first was on the Nordschleife during an AMG Driving Academy event. With this tire, the C63BS could quickly catch the SLS AMG in the twisty bits. I was quite stunned by this, as my cornering speeds were so high that I had to brake aggressively to keep from rear-ending the SLS.I followed this experience with several track days driving my own C63 Black Series, which came with this tire. Though it is soft and wears quickly, it is actually quite comfortable and not very loud at all. I have two sets of wheels/tires; one for street and another for track. Other than the price and how quickly they wear, I can’t find a single fault with this tire. It is designed for the track, and is only DOT-certified so that you can drive your car to the track, instead of trailering it there. The SportMaxx is the best tire of it’s kind, in my experience. I have tried the Pirelli Corsa and the Michelin Pilot Super Sport, in an attempt to find something better. Though the Corsa is good, it’s no match for the SportMaxx. The Michelin PSS is not even close, IMHO — the SportMaxx blows it away when the going gets fast. This is NOT the tire for you if you want something you can keep on your car all the time. This is NOT the tire to take on the road — or track, for that matter — when it’s chilly and wet. It needs temperature to operate well. Once it gets up to temp, it is the best tire of its kind that I’ve ever tried. Highly recommended!

  3. These need some heat to work well (similar to an RS-3) but are drive-able if temps are in the 60s and above. When hot they are very sticky, one step below a Hoosier. They *need* camber to work, however- my stock BMW 1M only has about a degree up front, and it just rolled these tires over and they car understeered. Very soft sidewall unlike many R compounds, so I can’t recommend it if your car is camber-challenged. They also do get greasy when overheated, I was using water spray to cool the fronts at the AX to prevent them overheating, so narrower operating temperature range than I was expecting. That said the grip is very impressive when they are at the right temperature, and I managed TTOD at the one event I’ve tried them at so far. I feel I need to put more camber in the car to give them a fair shake- I’ll do that and report back.

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