
24H of Nurburgring – Falken Tyre Takes 3rd in Class
Maybe it was the great camera work, maybe it was the hot grid girls or maybe it was the drama of sports car racing, but I could have watched this video for another hour or so. It’s way too short, but it does show Falken Tire’s efforts at this year’s 24 Hours of Nürburgring event. Their NISMO Type 380RS Competition (based on the 350Z) took 3rd in class and finished 12th overall, impressive when you consider the entries from BMW (including the event winning M3 GT2) and Porsche (including the 911 GT3 Hybrid).
Falken Tire probably does more to promote their brand through racing than any other tire company, especially one of modest size. In the U.S., Falken runs cars in the ALMS series and in Formula Drift; like all good motorsport brands, what they learn from racing helps them to build a better product for the street. I’ve never run Falken Tires, so I can’t offer any first hand experience; anyone out there care to comment on them? Are the Azenis as good as their hype?
That’s a 350z, you jackass.
And so it is. I’ll be back as soon as I correct the post and slam my testicles in a bathroom drawer in pennance.
That is a Nismo 380RS Competition car built for Japan’s Super Taiyku Series. Thanks for the feature Kurt!
No problem Skylar – you’ve got a fan here! Now if only you’d make the Azenis in 205/45-17…
I’ll yell at some people but no promises!
Fair enough and appreciated!
I’ve had Falkens on 3 cars to date, and they weren’t Azenis (no need for *that* much performance) but either Ziex ZE-512 or ZE-912.
On a 7th-generation Civic, it was an experience! It literally changed the behavior of the car, even with a bone-stock suspension. No more changing lanes when crosswinds occured, and those tires grip like you’re tied to a rollercoaster track.
On a 2001 Focus ZX3, same thing.
On a 2005 Focus ST, after eating the original P6’s I had two summers of serious fun – never was I able to lose the rear end, however hard I pushed the car. When the Falkens were.. let’s say “deteriorated beyond reason”, I wasn’t able to get new ones quickly, so I settled for Kumho Ecsta ASTs – I’m going back to Falkens as soon as I wear them down.
Around here, Falken tires are not well known, they are viewed as being among the cheap chinese tire brands like LinLong, Triangle, Wanli and others whose names I can’t recall. But anyone I managed to convince came back with a very large smile!
Bob, thanks for the feedback! It’s almost time for new skins on my ’06 MX-5,and I’ll definitely consider Falkens.