Cheers mate! 🙏🙏

I was surprised by their 'out the box performance' too! Like you say... Even with very little temp they feel confident and informative, in the wet they feel great too for and 'inter' but when they have some heat in... They're really REALLY good 👌 I think as modern cars get heavier, they can handle a more extreme tyre for every day use, and for me personally, i had to have a tyre that looked the part aswell as performance, and this just does it for me.

@VersionOneUK Totally true, they do look great as well! I'd be lying if I said I didn't like the look of the tread pattern lol. They really are great from the moment a fresh set is mounted (I had Tire Rack heat-cycle mine before shipping, but I do that with every tire), I could feel the difference from the moment I pulled out of my race shop and got on the first freeway ramp. Just oodles of grip everywhere, the steering went from good to excellent, my car's giant brakes suddenly felt as intense as they look (giant 400/380mm discs, 6 piston F, 4 piston R), and the compound itself is simply fantastic. I definitely agree that more cars can handle aggressive tires these days, with cars in general becoming so much heavier, they're able to use more of the tread in every condition (except for snow lol). My M2C and your Megane aren't exactly super-heavy (the M2C is about the same weight as an E46 M3, about 3400lbs, just wider, and I figure the Megane is probably just a touch over 3000 or so, or maybe a bit under 3k), but all the new cars seem to be getting heavier and heavier (hell, the brand new, very-ugly, base M2 is damn near 2-tons, new M3 and M4 are even a bit more), and we're not even talking EV weights. Have you seen the bargain-bin tires that Tesla tosses on most of their cars? At least in the US, where we don't have any TUV or VIA requirements, Teslas are always running the cheapest tires and those cars are far too heavy, torquey and poorly-calibrated to run anything less than something seriously sticky. Those cars are death traps to start with, but it could be mitigated a bit if they used tires that actually grip. I see way too many Tesla's with tires that are practically worn down to the wires. AD09's may be needlessly extreme for alot of daily-drivers, but for all these heavy, high hp cars on the roads nowadays, they could be pretty much perfect. Certainly much better than all the Michelin's folks are constantly raving about (my least favorite thing about the Cup 2's, whether they're standard 180tw or the star-spec 230tw version, is that they get so incredibly greasy on-the-limit and become very unpredictable, and just kind of suck in the wet. Michelin's are really well-developed, but they all have some of that greasy feeling). We've been getting our yearly heavy-rain in Northern California the last few days, and the 09's have really been surprising me. The compound is just excellent in the wet, especially for this type of tire, probably from all the silica in the compound, but it's also, in large part, the new tread design. It seems to really grip *through* the water and grab onto the road (as long as it's a reasonable amount of water on the road; if we get inches and inches of rain, I'll simply avoid driving, especially in CA where half the drivers have no idea how to handle wet roads). They seem to have put a bit of extra focus on the middle section of the tread-design to reduce aquaplaning and tramlining, which was something that the old AD08R's weren't very good at. I'm sure the AD09's *really* help with tramlining on FWD cars (that was the biggest weakness of my old JCW track car on the 08, 08R and even the 052). I never tried the 08RS (not sure we got those in the US, tbh), but I've seen lots of reviews and they seem almost universally worse than the 08R, and the AD09 seems to have remedied nearly all of my problems with the previous models. I'd love to take a bash in that Megane RS one day, btw! We don't get those at all in the US, and it's a shame cause they make some of the most well sorted, high HP FWD cars I've ever seen. I could see myself buying one of their stripped out, 2 door track-specials if we got them here. What is the one that is totally stripped out with a cage in the rear, is that the Trophy R? I got to drive one on the Nurburgring during a trip to Germany a few years back, and it was such a little monster. Really reminded me of my old JCW, except it came fully track-prepped from the factory. It was like the GT3 RS of hot-hatches, but it's a full homologation-special. I know they didn't build many, but it was such a special car.

@@doggodproductions2259 the trophy R mate yeah, dashes or carbon fibre everywhere, no rear wheel steer, no rear seats and the S007's it comes with are also a great tyre!

@VersionOneUK Ah yes, the Trophy R, really such a fantastic little beast. That thing could out lap just about anything on a twisty track. It barely understeers, it was just extremely neutral, even has a bit of controllable oversteer without "snapping". That thing is just so old-school and analog, I loved it. I heard you mention the rear-wheel-steer your RS has, I didn't realize they had that feature before I saw this video. Seems like it would be extremely interesting on a FWD hot-hatch (or I guess a "super-hatch", in the case of things like a Megane RS). No doubt it helps in daily driving by reducing the turning circle, but judging by the way Renault dials in their sport hatches, I'm sure it would improve track performance in a number of ways, as well. Makes me wonder if that is their way of addressing mid-corner understeer. Does it kick in during launches to keep the torque-steer in check? Or is the RS fairly free of torque-steer? Asking because it looked like it had a very straight and stable launch in that shot early in your video, whereas many other fast FWD cars like to rip the wheel out of your hands while accelerating. It's just kind of the nature of the beast with fast FWD, I know my JCW had some serious torque-steer until I put a Wavetrac diff on it, but the fast Renaults always seem to be steps ahead of other hot-hatches when it comes to drivetrain refinement. The Megane RS might be one of the first FWD cars I've heard of with rear-steer, and it just makes a bit more sense to me on a FWD car than on a RWD car (sure, Porsche has it figured out well for rear-drive on the newer cars, but it's extremely subtle in practice, until it bites you). I imagine it's much more noticeable in the Megane RS, and likely much more helpful in keeping the chassis settled. I like it on the new Porsche's, but there are times where it feels like it makes the chassis over-rotate, whereas with something like the Megane, I can imagine it's much more helpful in a number of situations, on and off the track. They really need to bring some of the RenaultSport cars to the US, even if they don't sell a ton of them (because so many US drivers just want the biggest, dumbest boat they can legally fit on the road). I've been hearing that Renault plans to make some Alpine A110's for the North American market, which I'm very anxious to see happen. They should send a run of Megane RS' over, as well, because we are *seriously* lacking any decent hot-hatches these days. Nobody bought the Focus RS, for some reason, and I think even the Fiesta ST is basically dead here, as well. Mini is really the last holdover, but they haven't done a proper hot-hatch since the JCW GP2, and the GP3 was just a giant, ugly disappointment. I'm not sure if we're even getting the Abarth Fiats, anymore. I used to see alot of Abarth 500's here, but they've all seemingly disappeared too. The only hot-hatches we still get are the Civic Type R and the Integra Type S, which are just variants of eachother. I guess we also technically get the GR Corolla, but I've literally never seen one on the road or the track. Great cars, but I'd be much more compelled to get a RenaultSport car than anything I've mentioned above.

I have an M4. Was going to buy the AD09's mainly because of user reviews (yours included) but the speed rating is only 270kph and I definitely go faster than that quite often. I will try the sportcontact 7, but I really wanted semi-slicks. I have tuned mine to 600hp and need every bit of grip available. Even bought wider rims so I'm running 275/35r19 front and 305/30r19 rears. I hope I don't get disappointed with the conti 7's.

Unreal aren't they!!?

What tire pressure do u use on them ?@@VersionOneUK

@@ApostlePatrikWiedemann for the road im on 2.1/2.2 cold. Haven't messed around with them since getting them on tbf mate, will drop them a bit when it heats up

Rim protection i think you're talking about mate... These tyres are a lot more serious compared to the ps5 etc so maybe figure out if you want a good road tyre or you're prepared to sacrifice some comfort for performance. I don't doubt the ps5 are a good tyre btw, haven't driven anything with them on

@VersionOneUK a good road tyre generally not planning on tracking it. I was disappointed with ps4s they didn't last long at all but ps5's were a vast improvement. I am tempted to go with what I know already tbh. 👍

@@VersionOneUK Let me know when you come to the Nurburgring! I'll take you for a lap. I've only driven with PS4S on all of my cars on the ring.

​@@lucagevaert61AD09 is miles better on the ring then ps5

Thankyou dude 🙏🙏 appreciate it. I would 100% recommend these tyres, but they're a serious performance tyre, so they won't be as comfortable as your PS4/5 etc but will outperform them all day long. So its worth considering, just depends what you want from your car

Do not get Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 if you want performance tires. Also be aware the AD09's are a W in speed index. That's 270kph, depending on your car it might not be enough. Only reason I passed on the Yokohama's. Their Advan V107 is great for daily and plenty of traction.

@Salpeteroxid I was thinking of Hankook Ventus V12 Evo (or Evo2) tbh. I had them on my previous car (clio) and I could never lose grip, unless it was icy. But I'll have a look into those as well when summer comes Thanks a lot btw, good piece of info.

Cheers dude! The SS's were a very good tyre, but on this platform they were very aggressive and pulled the car all over the road under acceleration, but performance wise very good in the dry and wet... However... These AD09's will outshine them pretty much everywhere besides comfort and wet handling, saying that they are A rated in the wet

if I can chime in with the F1 SS. I have them on my M3. They are relatively agressive, which can be good (depending on your preferences and the car that you're driving), BUT they surprised me with tyre noise. They make quite a bit of racket! These yokohamas should be 2 dB quieter according to the EU label and that's quite a difference.

@@jurajhrivnak4638 that's interesting... I don't recall them being loud but it was a while back now... Like i mentioned in the video too, the yoko's aren't any louder than the cup 2's i had so there was no sacrifice there for me. Thanks for the information though dude, hopefully will help someone make the right choice for their whip!

Thanks dude! Surprisingly... These tyres don't need a lot of heat to make you feel comfortable in the car, sure when they're hotter they're even better but I've had no moments of insecurity over the last couple weeks and its been -2 at some points where i live. I haven't been able to test them alongside the potenza sports no as I really didn't like the S001's that came on the car so steered clear of that brand. (I know the S007's are a much better performance tyre) As for tyre sling, i wouldn't say any more than a normal wide wheel, the cup 2's i had previously were definitely worse

@@VersionOneUK Cheers mate! I'll be looking forward to your follow-up video of the total mileage these AD09 will last, I'm hoping a good 30,000km~40,000km!

Potenza are not all that mate, this is coming from a near 500bhp FWD Focus RS owner, these AD09's have my attention though, so do the AR1's too, albeit the AD's are edging the bet atm

@@MK2.75_Focus_ST-InstaG AR1's are some serious rubber mate, not sure how they'd get on in the wet... The AD09's are probably the best performance tyre I've had on the meg at this point. So confident

I'm on a 9j wheel mate with the 245/40

@@VersionOneUK that settles it, thanks brother!

@@bryantpeters5547 no probs dude! 255 will still be fine just MIGHT be a little bit girthy 😂 Appreciate you checking out the vid, don't forget to sub! Really helps us out 🙏

No idea mate! I get loads of grip but I imagine yours come on boost a lot stronger. As with most front wheels drive cars they're better on a roll 😂

I've driven them in bad weather, including minus temperatures and heavy rain with no issues at all, however... I haven't had any experience with them as far as standing water goes so i can't fully comment on aquaplaning dude

With some heat in i reckon they might mate... They're very applicable considering the style of tyre they are

100% mate. You'll love it! I drive mine every day, and lets put it this way... Its in sport mode at LEAST 85% of the time 😬😂

@@crissssssttttttttttt they're 18x9j mate. 245 would be too much for an 8j wheel. 235 would probably be as far as I'd go on the 8j wheel

@@VersionOneUK yeah..I agree, i'm seeing on the Yokohama website and they suggest, for these size 235 e 245, width 8-9.5... but ad09 Is not avaiable on 235/40/18 🤷

@@crissssssttttttttttt oh really!? That's strange!!

Hello mate! Congrats on getting into a meg 👊 short answer to your question, yes. Those S001's are crap. Too hard, crashy, no cold grip etc You can never go wrong with Michelin mate, all depends what you're after personally

@@VersionOneUK Mainly solid traction and good in the rain. Anything that comes to mind?

@@VersionOneUK Thinking about getting an exhaust too, but really wondering wether I should go resonated or non-resonated milltek because resonated is road approved and for when I need to go to yearly inspection. But non-resonated is supposed to be quite abit louder haha

@@alexvnp tyres wise the PS4S will be the better tyre on the 19's, loads of grip, don't need much heat, good in the wet...the PS5 is a replacement of the PS4 so they're quite a bit softer, more compliant. As for exhaust, i wouldn't say these cars are really THAT loud, even non resonated, but that was on my trophy which has a valved system and had a big ol GPF on the downpipe, where as I'm assuming your 280 has just a simple cat in there which will naturally sound a bit more free

@@VersionOneUK Weird, thought I posted this earlier, mayby youtube removed it. This is a flyby from yesterday filmed by my mate kzfaq.info/get/bejne/i8l8isKj1NSVnWg.html

They're A rated in the wet dude, which is VERY high for a 'semi' especially in that price range, much higher than my previous cup 2's... And its 245/40 18 on all corners.

@@VersionOneUK true but those ratings are sometimes theoretical, for example ns-2r is rated B but aquaplanes like crazy in wet

@@kristianrobertsson8286 the first 3 days of using these tyres were wet roads and rain, I'm sure a road UHP will be a bit better in those conditions but the car still felt planted and informative. The only thing to consider is weight... Your 220 will be quite a lot lighter than my Megane so i don't know how that will affect certain handling characteristics of this specific tyre.

@@VersionOneUK True the weight is a huge factor but if it feels planted and acts predictably it is what I am looking for, so thanks for the insight 👍🏻

@@kristianrobertsson8286 oh they're VERY predictable mate... The megs got rear wheel steer which makes it VERY quick to adjust especially at low speeds, but the stiff tyre wall really does well with the quick change of direction. I haven't had an instance yet where I've felt the car go or do something i couldn't handle, and we've been down to -4 degrees some days here

Noooooo!! 😭

HA! That is the exact size AD09 I just bought for the17x8 KE Motorsport Pro T12s (replacing a same size set of TD Pro Race 1.2s) going on my Mk7.5 Fiesta ST here in the states! Ironically, the much more 'pedestrian' street tire I was originally seeking, the Pilot Sport S5 in that size is PLENTIFUL over on that side of the pond, but NO ONE would sell it to me here in the states, at all, from sellers on EITHER side of the Atlantic! For tire variety/choices in any given size, (maybe holds for wheels as well) in most cases YOU have it much MUCH better over there than we do here in the USA.

AR1's are some serious rubber mate, not sure how they'd get on in the wet... The AD09's are probably the best performance tyre I've had on the meg at this point. So confident

The AD09 is the replacement for the R mate... As for sizes, they're all over the place. It was quite difficult to get these here in a 245/40 18, time of year definitely plays a factor in that as was looking for these in the approach to winter so companies stopped stocking them, so i had to find somewhere with leftover's.

@@VersionOneUK so there will be no R compound from this? :O

@@FreestylerAlbert That's what they're saying mate. Don't get hung up on the name, this IS the new R. They knew the RS didn't do well but by the looks of it they're just dropping all the letters from their UHP tyres. This tyre was designed and developed alongside max orido, taniguchi and shibata, the same development drivers for the R.

@@VersionOneUK "Dear Mr. XXXX, i checked with our product planning and have bad news. The requested size 215/40/17 cannot be sold in Europe because the R117-02 cannot be obtained for this specific product size. Best Wishes, Your Yokohama Team " :( No Yokos for my NSX :(

@@FreestylerAlbert noooooo!! 😭

The Bridgestones are absolutely rubbish mate, got them off asap when i got the car. I've tried the ps4 and ps4s, f1 SUPERSPORTS, cup 2's and these ad09's are leaps and bounds

@@VersionOneUKi have tried all those and conti sportcontact 7 too. Conti is my fave so far. How do you compare ad09 to the rest you have tested in wet or cold-wet?

@@fer1306 easily as good as my previous performance tyres mate, better than the S001's in all conditions, the goodyears probably had a bit more bite from a dig but pulled me ALL OVER the road, and the cup 2's were pants in any situation besides a perfect day. Very VERY surprised how much these AD09's can do with various different weathers and temps, obviously they aren't at full potential when cold/wet but the car still feels absolutely nailed down

I'm having the same question, trying to find out which tire is better, the conti sport7, or these ad09. By the way, it didn't bother you the Yokohama are speed rated W and not Y?

@@shlomilevi1457 the conti and these ad09's won't be comparable dude... Out and out performance, these will outshine the conti's everywhere BUT the comfort levels will definitely be better on them. It all depends on what you're wanting from your driving experience, the conti is a performance road tyre, where as the ad09 is definitely leans towards the track more which does make for some incredible confidence in the back roads.