Tyre Options for the MGF

Okay, why worry about those rather dull looking bits of black rubber that frame those sexy shiny alloys on your MG? Well, some rather good reasons actually! They form an essential contact between the the car and the road. They filter much of the road surface's irregularities from the occupants by absorbing bumps through tyre wall deflections, whilst also providing mechanical grip ensuring that you and your car keep on the road through rain and shine. Depending upon how the tyre is constructed, you will also get varying amount of information being transferred through to the steering wheel, providing the driver with essential information regarding grip and road surface.

So what tyres are on your MGF? If you've bought your car new, and your car has 15" wheels, then it is extremely likely that you have Goodyear NCT-3's fitted, whereas if you have 16" wheels, you'll have unidirectional Goodyear F1's. The performance of these two tyres are poles apart, as you might predict given the positions that each of these tyres hold in the Goodyear range and the difference in price!

Goodyear Touring NCT-3s are the only tyres that Rover recommend for the MGF equipped with 15" wheels, and following some reports of ill-handling with similar specification tyres from other tyre manufacturers, Rover issued a warning that no other tyre should be fitted to the car. Largely, this is to prevent confusions and ambiguity- limiting any come back to MG.

For starters, it must be noted (as mentioned above) that MG Rover themselves specify Goodyear F1 years for MGFs fitted with 16" alloy wheels. So it would be inaccurate to assume that no other tyre would be suitable for the F, although it would appear that high performance tyres better suit the car. Ultra-performance tyres bring with them a price: higher weight. MGFs require V-rated tyres- ultra-performance tyres have a far higher speed rating and a Z-rating is typical. This is not a problem per se, BUT because they are engineered to cope with far higher velocities, they are also heavier, and this can cause problems with excessive un-sprung weight, which will impact upon ride and handling.

There are other issues too, but there is not space to cover them here (look at the Tyre bible for more information), so to determine the best tyres for our cars, a recent survey on the MGF BBS has revealed some interesting options.

For more information on tyres, and what the lettering on their sides mean, have a look at the Tyre and Wheel bible.

tyre_nct3.jpg (35369 bytes)

Sizes: 185/50 front, 205/45 rear

Goodyear NCT-3

Rating:

*****

BBS Rating:

4.6/10 "Slippery when wet"

These tyres provide excellent ride and wear characteristics, and are found as OEM on a number of warm and hot hatches. Their tall small bloc pattern design mean that they are unable to generate extreme cornering adhesion as they tend to 'bend' and under extremis, over heat.

In the wet, the non-symetric pattern is not the best at clearing water from the tread pattern, but are certainly better than the majority of other tyres in this class.

WARNING: DO NOT FIT ANY OTHER BRAND OF 'PERFORMANCE' TYRE- DOING SO CAN RESULT IN POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS HANDLING.

WARNING: NO NOT MIX BRANDS OF TYRE ON THE SAME AXLE, AND IT IS HIGHLY ADVISABLE TO KEEP TO THE SAME BRAND FOR ALL 4 WHEELS.

MG Rover themselves specify Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres to cars fitted with 16" rims. These are excellent tyres with superb wet weather performance. These tyres fall into the 'Ultra-high performance' tyre class. In fact, other brands of tyre can be considered from these flagship range of rubber!

Sizes: 195/50 front, 205/50 rear.

Bridgetone S-02 Pole Position

Rating:

*****

BBS rating:

9.9/10. "Superlative grip, progression and feel. Simply the best."

Available for fitment on both 15" and 16" rims, these tyres come in a variety of sizes including 195/50 R15, 205/50 R15 suitable for front and rear fitment, plus 205/45 R16 for 16" wheel fitments.

Great asymetric directional tread design. Large tread blocks. Very stiff tyre walls, with a shoulder to help prevent damage to alloys- nice feaure!

Communication and progressive on limit adhesion is unparralleled. If you ever had any doubts with regard to your MG's handling this tyre will restore your faith.

Sizes: 195/50 front, 205/50 rear.

Pirrelli P7000

Rating:

*****

BBS rating: 9/10. "Great grip in the wet and dry."

Available for both 15" and 16" rims. Highly rated by those who have fitted these tyres. Asymetrical design again. Nice!

Sizes: 185/50 or 195/45 front, 205/45 rear.

Goodyear F1

Rating:

*****

BBS rating:

8.8/10. "Great looks, great grip. A great tyre"

Available for fitment on both 15" and 16" rims, these tyres come in a variety of sizes including 195/50 R15, 205/50 R15 suitable for front and rear fitment, plus 215/40 R16 for 16" wheel fitments.

Fantastic looks (possibly the sexiest tyres ever made- if tyres could ever be considered truely sexy!) from asymetric directional tread pattern. Big, wide tread block design clearly designed for performance purposes.

Good communication of on-limit adhesion, grip is great- especially in the wet.

Not quite as good as the Bridgestone S-02...

tyre_toyo.gif (20837 bytes)

Sizes: 195/50 front, 205/45 rear.

Toyo T-1 Proxes

Rating:

*****

BBS rating:

7.5/10. "Looks good, and grips well in the dry. Great budget buy."

Terrific looking asymetrical tyre pattern- almost as good as the Goodyear F1 in fact- praise indeed! Good grip under the majority of conditions, although not so confidence inspring in the wet.

SIzes: 185/50 front, 205/50 rear.

Pirrelli P6000

Rating:

*****

BBS rating:

7.5/10. "Good tyre."

The baby brother to the P7000, it is little wonder that the tyre does not rate as highly as the other tyres here. Lacks the ultimate grip of the other tyres here. From personal experience, I know that on Bridgestone S02s that I can take more speed through the tricky Craner curves at Donnigton than a friend's VVC on P6000s. Less grip and less confidence inspiring. It's simply outclassed in this company, but not a bad tyre.

tyre_RE720.jpg (37456 bytes)

Tyre sizes: 195/50 front, 205/50 rear.

Bridgestone RE720

Rating:

*****

BBS rating:

7.4/10. "An excellent budget alternative to the S-02/ S-03"

These tyres have acquired an excellent reputation amongst MGF enthusiasts as a good performing tyre, with plenty of grip wet and dry. They wear wear well, and represent value for money.

Not as good as the S-02 or S-03 flagship tyres, but an excellent compromise choice for high mileage drivers.

Tyre sizes: 205/50 front, 205/50 rear.

Yokohama A520

Rating:

*****

BBS rating:

7.4/10. "Better than the NCT-3s!"

One of the first performance tyres to be tried on the MGF, it has terrific grip in the dry, but is not quite as confidence inspiring in the dry. Nonetheless, many owners are impressed with the good value attributes of this tyre.

Tyre sizes: 205/50 front, 205/50 rear.

Bridgestone S-03

Rating:

*unavailable*

BBS rating:

Awaiting comments

This is the tyre that has replaced the legendary S-02 as the flagship tyre of the Bridgestone range. Perhaps not as sporty as the S-02, these tyres have not recieved as strong a welcome from the trackday community as one might expect. However, these are nonetheless extremely competent tyres well worth considering as first choice for your MGF.

Recommended tyre sizes	Front	Rear
15" wheel styles	185/55 (standard) or 195/50	195/50 or 205/50 (standard)
16" wheel styles	195/45 (standard, Trophy 160), 205/45 or 215/40 (standard, all other models)	205/45 or 215/40 (standard)