Express News

Express News
.
Japanese car magazine, Option, had a
special feature on Asian brand drifting
tires. Renowned professional drifters
and drivers Kobyashi from MCR,
Okamura, Koguchi and Kumakubo
tested the 595RS from
GRASSA (SUNWARD).
Federal 595RS
Front: 215/45-17
Rear: 235/45-17
Okamura –
“The RS would perform superbly
even in large, international racing
circuits!”
Vertical and lateral grip are both
outstanding. Handling has also left me
Okamura
speechless. In 3rd gear, the performance
of the 595RS is comparable to top-tier Japanese brand UHP
tires made for strong grip and handling. In other words, due
to the soft compound of the tire surface, handling is made
even for easy for the driver. Had the test tires been 18 or
19 inch tires, I believe the results would prompt everybody
to be addicted users of the RS. This is a very strong
performing and well-made tire, it is definitely made to race
and drift.
Kobayashi
Kobayashi from MCR –
“Grip of the RS exceeds my wildest imagination!”
An exception, high performance tire made for vehicles lower than 500hp.
Handling and grip is exceptional, and the tires seem to follow every
direction of the driver.
This is very important for a driver like me, I am
most concerned about grip at all speeds and
levels. However, fitting these onto a 500hp car,
when braking and turning, the stiffness of the
sidewalls is a bit too soft. In conclusion,
performance of the RS varies greatly
depending on the horsepower of the vehicle,
and is optimal for cars 500hp or lower.
Kumakubo – “This tire really smokes!”
Recently, Federal’s tires has appeared quite often
at the Ebisu Racetrack, and this must be because of
the new 595RS! I am very impressed by its pattern,
but even more shocked after taking it for a spin. All
around performance makes this tire very easy to
handle. When drifting, performance is fabulous and
the smoke caused by the spinning tires is also an
awesome sight. I only have two concerns - its price
is considered a bit high when compared to other
Asian brands, and due to very few grooves, wet
performance still has to be tested.
Kumakubo
GRIP
Koguchi –
“Can be used on high horsepower vehicles too!”
A true performance tire offering exceptional grip
and speed. Lateral grip is extremely solid.
Handling and overall steering both meet my
standards. This tire should not be a problem
for timed lap racing. The RS was able to handle
my 600hp S15, so this tire should be much more
than enough for most modified cars available
today. Even after extreme driving, spinning and
drifting, tread blocks
are still intact, and
wear is very even.
Koguchi
595RS,the higher grip
version than SS595
which is popular among
drifting mania.
With the features of
softer compound and
wider thread.
Express News
www.federaltire.com.tw
.
Kobayashi
Yashio Oka
Huruguchi
On the same day, two other tires were tested – Wanli and Nexen –
by the same drivers, and their comments are as follows:
Kobayashi - “I would never use this tire for straight line acceleration.“
The front tires seem to lose control when braking at high speeds.
However, considering, that today is my first time drifting, this tire
drifts very well. I am not sure whether this means that this tire is
great for drifting, or whether it should be seen as a tire with weak grip.
Huruguchi – “Firstly, grip is weak!!“
The tail of the car tends to lose control when braking – this should
be due to the sidewall and the surface being too soft. Lateral grip is
much better than vertical grip.
Yashio – “Not suitable for timed lap races.“
Wanli S-1088
Front: 215/45-17
Rear: 225/45-17
The tire is not stiff enough, front tires are not too responsive, and grip on turns is
not that great. Although not as bad as snow tires, speed must be reduced dramatically
to enter into sharp turns safely.
Nexen:N5000 & N3000
Front: 215/45-17 N3000
Rear: 235/15-17 N5000
Kobayashi
Kumakubo
Yashio Oka
Kumakubo – “The rear tires are ok.”
The N5000 is a much stronger performance tire. These tires are good enough for those
just starting to learn how to drift, and for vehicles of a low horsepower. I would have
preferred to test the car with N3000s in the front and rear.
Kobayashi – “Not a suitable tire for professional race circuits.”
Handling is not too good during turns and braking. This should be due to the extreme
lack of stiffness in the sidewalls. Had this been a Japanese brand tire, this would not be
acceptable. Not able to handle high speeds, but should be ok for normal road driving.
Yashio Oka – “Enough if just driving for fun.”
Grip is quite normal. Hardness of tire surface and stiffness of the sidewalls is much less
than expected. Not recommended at all for professional racing. I imagine it would be
like using snow tires on asphalt.
Express News
www.federaltire.com.tw
.