A properly quick 200TW trackday tire with standout dry pace and control, plus wet ability that's better than you'd expect in this class. It's performance-first rather than polished, and it can be a bit particular about heat and how it's run in.
The Potenza RE-71RS earns its reputation as a serious trackday and competition option: it repeatedly comes out at or near the top for dry handling and outright lap-time pace, and owners consistently describe it as “track ready” with genuinely strong, confidence-building grip. It also bucks the usual expectation for an extreme-performance summer tire in the wet, delivering notably strong wet braking/handling in comparative testing and, for many drivers, reassuring wet grip with good resistance to aquaplaning in standing water.
The trade-offs are mainly about consistency and refinement. Heat management is hit-and-miss: some drivers find it holds up well, while others (and some tests) note it can get overwhelmed on heavier cars or hot days, which can make long runs less consistent. It can also ask for a proper warm-up/bedding-in to access its best grip, and as it wears a minority report a more pronounced drop-off in performance and a tendency towards uneven wear if alignment/rotation isn't kept on top of. Road manners are acceptable for the category rather than plush, with noise and a slightly less sharp steering feel than the very best-feeling rivals in some back-to-back comparisons. Overall, it suits drivers prioritising lap time and wet-capable trackday pace, and who are willing to manage temperatures, setup and wear to keep it in its sweet spot.
The quick answer
Owners say83%from 18 owner reviews94% would buy againRead the reviews
Strengths & weaknessesClass-leading dry grip and track paceExcellent dry handling and controllability near the limitHeat management can be inconsistent on longer/hotter sessionsNeeds a proper warm-up/bedding-in to deliver peak gripSummarised from the tests and owner reviews
Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tire - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated September 2026.
The Bridgestone Potenza RE71RS is AutoView's narrow winner: best in both braking columns, fastest single-lap pace at Yeongam (1:25.15 - 0.01 s ahead of the A052 and inside AutoView's 0.03 s dead-heat threshold, so the two are effectively tied for outright pace), and the most balanced steer character of the three. A demanding tire that punishes overdriving, but the most rewarding when driven cleanly.
Strong: Dry Braking, Dry Handling, Wet Braking
Every independent test of the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS, newest first
How good is the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS in the wet?
Across the 2 wet-braking tests it has featured in, the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS stops 8.3% shorter than mid-range rivals and 12.4% shorter than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews wet score of 90/100, and owners rate it 7.3/10 in the wet from 18 reviews.
How good is the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS in the dry?
Across the 2 dry-braking tests it has featured in, the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS stops 3.4% shorter than mid-range rivals and 0.3% longer than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews dry score of 81/100, and owners rate it 9.6/10 in the dry from 18 reviews.
What do owners say about the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS?
Across 18 owner ratings the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS averages 83%. Owners rate Handling highest at 9.7 out of 10 and Comfort lowest at 6.3. 4 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 94% of owners score it 70% or better.
How comfortable and quiet are the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS?
Owners rate the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS 6.3 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 17 reviews.
How well do the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS 6.7 out of 10 for wear across 17 reviews. 4 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 1,300 miles.
More questions about the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS(6)
Would owners buy the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS again?
94% of owners say they would buy the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS again, based on the 18 owner reviews that answered the question. 78% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
What do owners say about the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS's dry grip?
Of the 18 owner reviews analyzed for the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS, 11 mention dry grip: 11 praise it (strong dry grip) and 0 criticise it (limited dry grip). One owner wrote: "My first impression was that they were instantly on". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS's heat resistance?
Of the 18 owner reviews analyzed for the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS, 8 mention heat resistance: 4 praise it (resists heat fade) and 4 criticise it (fades when hot). One owner wrote: "track ready tire (which i do 1-2 a year)". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS's tread life?
Of the 18 owner reviews analyzed for the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS, 8 mention tread life: 5 praise it (long-lasting) and 3 criticise it (wears quickly). One owner wrote: "the tread is still at 60-65% left (always with Hondata Traction Control)". Read those reviews
What does the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS replace?
The Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS is the successor to the Bridgestone Potenza RE71R in Bridgestone's range.
Has the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS been replaced?
Questions and Answers for the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS
Sorry, we don't currently have any questions and answers for the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS. Why not submit a question to our tire experts using the form below!
Owners rate the Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS highly overall (average 83%), with most praising its standout dry grip and strong dry handling, often describing it as 'track ready' and capable of meaningful lap-time gains. Wet performance is also a pleasant surprise for many, with confident wet grip and good resistance to aquaplaning for a 200TW-focused tire. The main drawbacks are consistency-related: opinions are split on heat management, and around one in five mention a frustrating bedding-in/warm-up requirement. A similar share report that wear can become uneven and that performance drops off notably once worn.
What owners mention most counted across 18 reviews
Tap one to read only the reviews that mention it.
Owner ratings averaged from 18 ratings
Owner score83%
Handling97%
Dry Grip96%
Road Feedback88%
Wet Grip73%
Wear67%
Comfort63%
Featured reviews
Most helpful 70%
“1992 camaro 18x11 S71 Forged wheels 295/35r18 Autocross: no a good tire to use as a single driver warm up is semi slow compared to the A052 unless it's 80F+ out a A052 user will beat you they have turbo stiff side walls...”
“A tire that can do autocross and track days. the 71RS warms up fairly quick and has good grip, more temp has a small drop off in grip, but it levels off. Means you have 1-2 flyer track laps then times will drop 1 second...”
“I would say this is the perfect road enthusiasts tire you could get. Grips well, quick warm ups, track ready tire (which i do 1-2 a year), and surprisingly good wet performance. My car is 380hp FWD, and I drive hard...”
I have these tires for 3 years. Imported from Japan because like many good things they are not available in Europe. I' ve been to some Hot lap competition back then and i was really disappointed. It was close to freezing and i couldn't make them work properly no matter what , in those 2 laps. I was running out of the track and spun , locked the brakes multiple times in practice and completely lost confidence.
However, yesterday in normal conditions i've been to the same track ( Karting track- very technical) to properly try them vs my AD08RS i use every day.
First feeling wasn't that good starting with 2.2 BAR cold. Just the 3rd lap they were good.
When i checked the lap times they were 2 seconds faster than the brand new Yokohama. Dropping the pressure to 2.2 BAR hot ,more than 3 seconds. Also the feeling improved a lot compared with the feeling i had on higher pressure .
Prelude being FWD and very safe in general on these tires the feeling of rotation was very close to the feeling i have driving my S2000 to the limit. Still easy to control no matter how much i pushed them . Getting in the trance i felt like my internal organs were mixing and the parts of the car were flying but the car was still going where i wanted and faster in the corners than i ever drove before.
Lap times were good enough to be on the podium in the last Hot lap. Even if is double wishbone all around , 10 ball joints and definitely the best FWD car ever made for handling ! is still not far from stock and very poor weight/ power ratio compared with specially built cars.
I just can't believe tires like these are available in Walmart or places like that for everyone but not for passionate drivers in Europe.
After coming home on the highway for 6 hours they were smooth again , just some slight wear on the outside.
They say in US these tires win every competition in the class and i am sure is true.
For Japanese cars , not very heavy and not extremely powerful,driven on track in normal weather they really do miracles.
I would say this is the perfect road enthusiasts tire you could get. Grips well, quick warm ups, track ready tire (which i do 1-2 a year), and surprisingly good wet performance. My car is 380hp FWD, and I drive hard every single time. The tires never failed me. Rotation every 6 months and it’s already been 2 years and the tread is still at 60-65% left (always with Hondata Traction Control). The climate im in is in west Australia so the tires is used on various temperatures from 1c right down to 44c, rain or shine. Ive yet to try the RZ perhaps when this is done, i will..
Initial Impressions87% 300 miles
Was wondering what was all the rave about the re71rs, so i decided to get these tires for my daily after my AD08R had worn down to 40% (4 years of use). After breaking in for 500km and turned it down to 30psi, I had my first chance to hoon around. I was gobsmack, the dry grip is just unbelievable. I cant say how much lateral grip this tire holds, the tires were just begging for me to push. If i was on my Michelin PS5, the car would had wrap itself around a tree. Turn in was crisp and sharp. I would expect it to be loud too, but it wasn’t. The comfort and tire noise was comparable to my PS5 (winter set). I would highly recommend this tire, even for your daily. The tire has transformed my Type R to a complete street weapon. I cant say much about wear or wet review yet, but will update this as it go. I don’t mind the wear tbh (even if it last only 10000km with aggressive street driving), as I have already committed/able to replaced these tires every year. So Im not too fuss about wear. If you want downright GRIP. This is it, bar-none.
Check out how the BEST all seasons tires perform against premium summer and winter tires!
These tires are specifically for my autocross/track car. My first impression was that they were instantly on, very compliant regarding the weather (40-95f). They perform amazingly in all facets. I would drive hundreds of miles to and from my events ON THEM, and I put on thousands of miles on top of the laps I was doing. They performed excellently. I didn't even realize they had gotten worse until one cold lap I ended up looping my vehicle. Turns out I had 1/32nd of tread left, but it gave it all up until then. I liked them so much I got them again for this season. Will swap them out half way for either the RE71RZ or the A052.
Tires last about 5 track days over the course of 7 months and 1,842 miles. Overall, they give you about 5 good laps before they become greasy, but are still very manageable after laps 6-7. They do become slower though. Fastest lap needs to be achieved early on in the session. Second half will not yield a personal best, even if you are driving faster/better.
The Potenza RE-71RS perfected suits my NA Miata autocross car and has several advantages over the previous RE-71R. I did not expect such a significant improvement in comfort and noise compared the RE-71R, but the result is a very pleasant on road driving experience. Wet grip is excellent, it feels comparable to Conti ECS now and very confident. Heat tolerance also seems better based on a few autocross event - the Miata is too light to give stress these tires but I feel they are faster with each run whereas with 2 drivers the RE-71R could become slightly greasy feeling on a hot day. Dry grip is incredibly strong although it feels like more slip angle is required than the RE-71R. Steering has traded some of the instant response of the RE-71R for a more progressive limit behavior and improved on-center tracking. I prefer the slightly more relaxed steering response and stiffer effort buildup for street driving. For autocross I preferred the immediate response of the RE-71R, but have been able to quickly adjust to the RE-71RS. Overall this is a solid improvement on the RE-71R. I have only done 3 autocross events so it is too early to rate wear, but so far this is looking like a longer wearing tire than the RE-71R.
The RE-71RS's track pace lives up to the reputation, but it's also a very intuitive tire to drive with good steering feedback right up to the limit and forgiving recovery. On the BRZ consistency has been decent. It's definitely quicker in lap 2-3 on hot days than at the end of a 20 minute session, but after the peak it is still precise and stabilizes at a pace still quicker than the Hankook RS4 tires I previously ran. On a cooler day (50-55F) I set my quickest laps on the 5th or 6th lap and consistency felt good through the whole 20 minute session. After 3 track days and at -1.6deg camber in the front the center rib is down to 2/32nds on the front tires. The outer shoulder still have 4-5/32nds, so I'm hoping with more frequent rotations to get 3-4 more track days from this set of RE-71RS. Even if the wear slows down, I'll change back to a more endurance focused tire since these are just too expensive to consume multiple sets a season. They're well worth it if lap times are a high priority.
Some other high points of the RE-71RS include great wet grip and surprisingly decent comfort for a 200TW tire. It feels stiff, but not punishing and has a very controlled feel after impacts. It's still an enjoyable tire to drive on the street as the precise steering is noticeable at street speeds too.
A tire that can do autocross and track days.
the 71RS warms up fairly quick and has good grip, more temp has a small drop off in grip, but it levels off.
Means you have 1-2 flyer track laps then times will drop 1 second or so.
but it levels off and you can PSH hard without any lap time increases.
track days do increase the tire's hardness, and that makes warming up for autocross harder.
the RS71RS at 75F sitting are about 55 on the durometer
after 113 autocross laps and 15x 20min track secessions, the durometer at 75F is about 70.
A BIG increase in hardness. at that point it's a track only tire or you need LOTS of temp to get any grip back.
113 autocross laps and 15x 20min track secessions and not corded yet, a durable tire.
-3.5 camber +6.0 caster Zero toe on a 1992 Camaro.
Rear end is a Solid axle
wet grip is bad unless you can get the tire warm
the A052 will still win out in low temps and rain conductions
the RE71RS tend to work better on heavier cars, 3,000lbs+
The lightweight cars like Miata 's tend to favor the A052
I drive my m2 competition to and from the track here dry Arizona. The Bridgestone re71 rs has lasted 2500 street miles and three track days. I do time trials so I am driving very hard doing about 2 time trials and 3-4 open track rounds per event. So in total the tires still are useable after 60 track laps and the 2500 street miles. Not to mention I improved my lap times by 4 seconds compared to the Michelin sport 4s. I highly recommend these tires if you're someone that drives to the track and wants to put in competitive lap times.
Autocross:
no a good tire to use as a single driver
warm up is semi slow compared to the A052
unless it's 80F+ out a A052 user will beat you
they have turbo stiff side walls that make them a good choice for FWD cars or cars that can't add a lot of camber
I run -3.2 camber and could probably get away with -3.0
hot days are pretty good
tire likes be be around 120F-125F with a pyrometer
Track:
they warm up quick, and go 2-3 Hero laps
then fall out 1-2 seconds
but they stabilize and you can drive flat out from then on out
wear is pretty good
These re71RS have more lateral grip than braking and acceleration.
they don't seem to like combining both acceleration and turning
A052 and Hosier A7 seem way more tolerant of that.
steering is very quick
feedback is good
I race a 370z in time attack up in Ontario, Canada and these tires get overlooked by a lot of drivers that solely run CR-S and I can’t understand why. Over my last two years, 13 races, with about a handful of lapping days I’ve went through two sets and have already bought my third set. The tires in the dry, handle phenomenally!! The cars becomes very predictable pre corner and in corner and you can really put the power down on exit! I have never had issues with heat soaking. They do like higher hot psi, I run fronts around 35psi and rears around 34psi (depending on air and track temps as well). They build up speed and hold consistent lap times once at full hot operating temps, usually my first lap is slowest and 3rd lap is fastest. Tremendous amounts of grip as well throughout a race day.
Wet driving on road and track are amazing as well! On the wet road they’re just any other ordinary tire with lots of grip (provided they have tread still), on a wet track (which I haven’t had may wet track days) they held up better than I could have imagined, held grip throughout the wet until the track started drying off and never once encountered any under or oversteering. I was about 3-5 seconds slower in the wet vs dry time. On wet tracks I’d run 37psi front and 36psi rear.
Overall amazing longer lasting tire for a great price.
I went from a 340 treadwear year-round performance tire to the RE71-RS on my E36 and they blew my mind right from the first trackday. The level of grip is just so much higher. I did run the pressures a little low at the first trackday and they got a bit hot after 4 hotlaps, but I bumped the pressures up slightly and they felt even better. In the damp and patches of standing water they are so good, no noticeable aquaplaning. I managed to better my PB around our local circuit by 1.0sec in the damp vs my previous PB which was in the dry. Super happy with them!
