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by The Leningrad Cowboy on January 14th, 2005

The Leningrad Cowboy

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Why do sports cars have wide tyres? Wouldn't the extra friction slow them down?

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  • by ben91069 on January 16th, 2005

    ben91069

    You are very observant to notice that tire contact friction will slow a car down, however, this is a minor factor for the trade-off of why they use a wide tire. This same friction that slows them down also enables them to grip the road better. In fact, the tires used for racing and performance often are made from softer compunds that make them have a higher coefficient of friction than a normal tire.

    The benefits of having better road adhesion is that the wheels will not be as likely to overcome this in cornering, braking, and acceleration. Whenever a car loses traction, it is an out of control wasted energy. The idea of a sports car is to give the driver better performance and control. A wide tire is less likely to spin when you hit the gas, less likely to lock-up when you hit the brake pedal, and less likely to over or under steer when cornering.

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