The Ventus Z214 radial is Hankook’s Racetrack & Autocross Only racing tire developed for drivers who participate in autocross, time attack and road racing competition, as well as for track-day drivers seeking race-slick like grip in dry and damp conditions. The Ventus Z214 is designed to blend dry traction, cornering power and steering response to inspire driver confidence and quick times.
While Ventus Z214 radials meet DOT requirements, they are not appropriate for highway use. Ventus Z214 radials 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. And like all Racetrack & Autocross Only tires, Ventus Z214 radials are not intended to be driven 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.
Most sizes of the Ventus Z214 are available in two high-grip tread compounds, with the C51/Medium compound focused on track use and the C71/Soft compound tuned for autocross competition. Each tire’s tread compound is identified by a colored sticker and is permanently branded on its sidewall.
Note: The 275/35ZR18 size is also available in a C91/Very Soft compound.
Ventus Z214 radials feature a symmetrically designed semi-slick tread with 4/32″ of beginning tread depth that’s only interrupted by two circumferential grooves to reduce squirm, undesirable heat buildup and eliminate the need for tread shaving. Heat cycling is recommended to enhance consistency and wear. Ventus Z214 tires feature directional rotation arrows branded onto their sidewalls to identify correct mounting rotation that will enhance tread splice integrity and durability. Following the rotation arrows, the use of a symmetric tread design allows Ventus Z214 tires to be mounted on either side of the car (and later be remounted inside out to further extend their life). The tire’s internal structure includes twin steel belts reinforced by a spirally wrapped nylon cord on top of a three-ply nylon cord casing.
Founder at Tiresout. Used to be working as an engineer at Bridgestone Tires Akron Technical Center. The responsibilities included but were not limited to technical computing, indoor & outdoor testing of new tires.
I used the C51 (medium compound) for the first time at an enduro event (2x 90 minute races in one weekend) on a track that is in need of repaving, very abrasive surface that eats tires pretty quickly. I bought them thinking they would last longer (4 to 6 enduro’s hopefully) than R7’s or BFG G-Force R1’s.I cannot say how quickly or easily the tread wears, but I can comment on the grip and driving performance.Grip: on a 2 minute track, I’d say about 1-2 seconds/lap slower than an equivalent set of R7’s. That being said, the first time out with a set of brand new Z214’s you had better be in qualifying and you had better put down your fastest lap within the first 5 fliers because these tires fall off FAST! I was much faster in qualifying than in the race, and most of that is contributed to tires falling off. The conditions warmed-up about 20F ambient between qualifying and the race, but on day two the qualifying times and race times were the same, despite the 20F ambient temp difference between qual 2 and race 2. Qual 1: low 1:48, Race 1: low 1:50 Qual 2: low 1:151, Race 2: High 1:51Driveability: driving at the limit with these tires is easy, period. The tires let go, but not suddenly. They are easy to slide around on and they are easy to recover on. For a track day tire, they make perfect sense.Verdict: If you’re looking for all-out speed for a short race, or even for a really fast set of tires for one weekend of enduro’s, get the BFG or R7. If you are looking for a good R-compound tire on a budget, this could be your tire. My decision was 100% budget-oriented, and these were $500 less than the equivalent BFG or R7’s for a set.
Dedicated R-Comp tires for Autocross use ONLY. (c91 extra soft). They work great, excellent traction on dry. Damp course was a challenge, while a course with standing water was plain scary. IF you EVER have to race on wet, have a spare set of wheels with non slicks.
Used this tyre for full competition racing. Got 3 full meetings with no drop off in performance or grip despite being pushed harder than originally designed for. Still enough tread left for some private practise sessions.
Make sure that you are getting a C51 compound NOT a C91. Made the mistake of going with a C91 because Tire Rack are out of the C51 with no ETA and tire almost completely failed after 30 minutes. Completely delaminated the outside of the tire while cording the inside. Went back to a set of C51 I had left over and no issues. There is a HUGE difference between the C51 and C91 compound and considering TR doesn’t have any C51 and I can’t be without track tires in the middle of the season I am switching to Hoosiers. Sold out from May-August… Nice job for a track tire.
Ran the tires for two track day events. Put 12 sessions at 20 minutes each session on these tires and one event was wheel to wheel. performed was good with no complaints. Very predicable performance and cornering. I really abused and over drove these tires with the 51 compound. I over heated them a few times and they got slippery when overheated. If I would have done a better job of rotating them I could have gotten another track day of use. I really abused the right front corner and didn’t get it rotated out when I should have.
As others have said, MAKE SURE YOU GET THE RIGHT COMPOUND!!! There’s a big difference. If you would use a R6/R7 Hoosier, use the 51 compound. If you would use an A6/A7 Hoosier, use the 71 or 91 compound. The 51 compound probably won’t warm up enough to start to stick for autocross, and the 91 compound will probably overheat and fall apart on the track. My car is 2400 lbs with driver and the 71 compound in a 225 width works well for autocross. Better on hot days than cool days. YMMV, of course.These stick well when they’re in the right temperature range, and seem pretty forgiving for a slick tire. They wear well, and as others have said, they seem to run out of heat cycles before they run out of rubber. They’re sensitive to temperature, so it pays to keep that in mind. I let them spin and slide a little at first to get them to warm up, then once they’re warm, don’t let them slide so they don’t overheat. Once they’re overheated, they’ll get slippery again. They’re still progressive at the limit, the limit is just much lower.