Size tested: 235/45/17
Type: Ultra-high performance tire
UTQG: 240 AA A
Test car: Project Evo IX

Features:
·    Lower sidewalls reinforced with DuPont Kevlar material
·    Jointless Band Technology to help maintain shape and performance at highway speeds
·    Max Flange Shield to protect rims from curb damage
·    Asymmetric design for easy mounting and tire rotation
·    Motorsport-inspired tread compound that promises dry and wet grip
·    Multi-Radius-Tread Technology that promises to distribute contact patch pressure smoothly during cornering
·    Unique bead fit system helps with tire and wheel mounting pressure

At the moment, it seems most tire companies just want to go to war in the performance street tire market. With outright handling records and SCCA Street Touring autocross national championships on the line, numerous tires have been released with 180 or lower UTQG ratings.

These premiere street offerings provide race tire-level grip but they also come with race-level pricing and incredibly quick tire wear. Not everybody can afford a new set of tires every six months. Luckily, Dunlop has released an ultra-high performance tire for real world street enthusiasts, the SP Sport Maxx TT.

As a summer tire, the SP Sport Maxx TT isn’t designed to be driven through snow or ice. It is, however, designed to provide optimal dry and wet weather grip. Think of it as a year-round Southern California tire (sorry Alaska). Dunlop’s recipe for the tire begins with the construction, which uses Kevlar reinforcement and Polyamide cord reinforced twin steel belts.

The tire tread itself is an asymmetric design that blends large tread blocks, for dry grip, with multiple water evacuation channels, for wet conditions. The SP Sport Maxx TT also features a curb protecting design that bulges slightly to protect wheels from scraping against curbs when parking.

“The SP Sport Maxx TT helps deliver great road feel, which is important for those who really love to drive.  The timely feedback from these tires allows the driver to react to turns and contours in the road,” said Razvan Bosomoiu, Dunlop general manager. By the time you read this, the SP Sport Maxx TT will be available in thirty-five sizes, ranging from 16-22-inch diameters.

On the streets of the real world, the SP Sport Maxx TT is a perfect fit. We tested these tires in a stock size fitment of 235/45R17 (on stock wheels) on Project Lancer Evo IX, which is equipped with stiff springs and spherical upper suspension mounts. Even with hard metal suspension bearings, the tire transmitted very little road noise into the cabin and, with 45-series sidewalls, absorbed bumps and shocks with ease.

Vibration through the steering wheel and directional hunting across the road was almost non-existent as well, which is more than we can say for some edgier performance street tires. With a UTQG rating of 240, the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT should also provide plenty of tire life before wearing out.