In days past, I’ve had the grand pleasure of replacing tires on a few European models — Porsches, BMWs, Mercedes, etc. But this would be my first opportunity to lay hands on a fine machine from Italy. Mark was on his journey to Laguna Seca, and he needed new tires ASAP. Fortunately, yours truly was able to score set of Kumho V730 tires at a moment’s notice the day before his special event.
The lucky size this time around was 245/35/19 for the front and 305/30/19 for the rear, which I believe may be a bit wider than the factory-equipped rubber.
Mark’s F430 was originally equipped with Bridgestone Sport tires, but he desired more– something better suited for track purposes, while still paying mind to value for money spent. The recommendation was the Kumho V730 because at the time of this wiring, it’s one of the best track tires available in terms of “bang-for-buck.”
Here’s a comparison of the original Bridgestone on the left, followed by the Kumho. The Kumho focuses much more on dry grip with that WIDE tread pattern on the outer half of the of tire while the Bridgestone is a more balanced wet/dry summer tire with more valleys for water channeling.
The 305/30/19 Kumho V730 on the high’ish offset rear wheels of the Ferrari barely fit on my balancer. Luckily though, it balanced with no issue. Afterwards, the tires were torqued back onto the F430, and Mark would be on his way to NorCal immediately after.
A few bonus pictures of Mark’s Ferrari; the factory sports interior is just so awesome. It’s the type of interior that a lot of people aim for when modifying their “normal” cars. But this one comes that way from the factory. So cool!
