Alright so I finally broke in my BFG KDW2s (225-R45-18, and 245-R45-18)

First, straight line stopping distances have decreased noticably. The car pulls down much faster--those tires just grab the road!

It takes a gnarly clutch drop to really break the tires loose now. Where as before it didn't.

Cornering is improved much, but the tires do let you know their 45 series height is a little tall--they squeel on hard cornering. I had to go with stock sizes as I wanted to keep the VDC in check and can't afford new wheels or springs right now.

Unlike the stock tires, the KDW2s don't really give you a sense of progressively losing traction. This is good and bad.

The good is that they are able to go through long sweepers much faster than the stockers and keep you planted.

The bad is there is no warning when they are beyond their limits. You don't know this until you touch the brake and find your tail kicking out and the front going the opposite direction as your steering. You will quickly learn how to manage opposite lock with these tires.

It's like you look down and say, "wow, I am going 95mph in this long turn. It feels like I was much slower and it feels like I could go faster". But then the tires just let go as you push it. Or, if you have to get on the brake harder than you like, the car tends to feel like it's standing on it's tippy-toes and someone just pushed you. That feeling is getting less though as the miles tick off and more rubber is left on the pavement to ponder it's origins and place in life.

PROS:
Great straight line performance (starting and stopping)
Great handling and steering feel
Great dry traction
Awesome wet traction
Looks

CONS:
No sense of tires limits (it's like an on/off switch when they fail)
Highspeed stability questionable, especially for first 1000 miles
Highspeed heavy braking can produce a "tippy-toes" feeling

 

BFG KDW2 OR TOYO T1R : What would your first choice be?

(KDW2rear/T1Rfront might be an option...)

 

I wounder how the KDW compare to the KDW2.

 

The KDW2s have the revised tread pattern (the flames). The biggest difference is supposed to be the sidewall strength. The KDW2s have a much stiffer sidewall and improve steering feel.

Also, wet traction is said to be much better.

For what it's worth, lots of "drifters" use these tires too. But I don't know if that's good or a bad thing, heh.