German Car Zone

Scuderia, RS, CLK63 are all on R-tires and they are more trackcars than streetcars. So on top five, three of the cars were on R-tires and are more for the track than on the street.
In my eyes R8 and M3 impress me the most since they werent on R-tires. M3 is also the only top 5 car with a proper backseat to transport 2 adults in comfort

^gotta give it to you there..
you really know how to make the best of a situation..
impressive

Indeed. They Superleggera is also criticized for a soggy brake pedal after continued hard use.

EVO judge the handling of these cars and tires don't have that much of an impact unless your timing the car around a track or something. But the M3 did very well considering that it's a spacious GT.

Tires do make a big difference in handling. When ever I swap to cups (from Michelin PS2), I can tell the difference after the first turn - there is way more turn in grip and things are way more immediate. And once the tires warm up - it is at a whole different level.

Tires do improve grip but they don't affect rigidy, body roll, how the car steer and the cars dynamics. Give the CLK63 BS better tires than the GT3RS and Porsche will still give you a more sporty and thrilling experience.

I'm not saying that tires aren't important but they don't change the characteristic and formula of a car to a degree that makes a difference in joy and driving pleasure.

Fact remain that RS , Scuderia and BS are more trackoriented than many other cars on the list and at the same time by no mean are they any practical cars.
Like one famous carmaker says about their car thats on top 5 list: "designed for the racetrack, ready for the roadway" or "the ability to complete the most important journey: from the track into your garage".

I disagree. They do make a difference in the car's driving pleasure - I am saying this from personal experience having driven my car on: all weather tires, PS2 and Cups. They effect more than just the grip. The biggest difference is how immediately the car responds to your steering inputs, in fact that is the difference you feel even more than the difference in the grip level (which you only feel at the limit). This is because usually the sportier tires have much stiffer sidewall with way less "give" - so your steering inputs are more direct and immediate.

Grasping at straws here I see.

Who is?

I think it's not so much the tires even if the team says that for instance the Cooper would benefit from better tires and of course tires makes a huge difference in how a car behaves, not the track time. The things that separates the R8 and M3 from the BS, Scuderia and RS are obviousy not only the tires, look at the whole package. But as said before there are yet no RS-version of the R8 and no CSL-version of the M3.

Jsut look at the interior.







I think that about sums it up.

No evasions, just plain and simple conclusion that the RS8 and M3 are another type of cars and still managed to do so well. Good job! On the other hand no one says that a "RS8" or M3 CSL would have done better against any of the other three but it would have been more of an apples vs apples comparison. Look for instance at the SL which failed even if it should have been right up there... but with both the R8 and the M3 the only few negative words were that they both seemed a bit civilized.