Tests 75 · 1 test Owners 68 · 12 reviews
Falken ZE512 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza Race vs Falken ZE512 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 1 + 0 road tests and 12 + 27 owner reviews. How we score
Potenza Race is ahead, 71–37
Add your size for an exact match
/R
Both Amazon links then search this exact size.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
77
Dry
Potenza Race +3740Why this score
Source Potenza Race ZE512 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 76 ≈ 50 (est.) Reviews found online 80 25 Potenza Race: 60% × 75.5 + 40% × 79.8 = 77
ZE512: 60% × 50 (est.) + 40% × 24.6 = 40
No road tests of dry for ZE512. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
-
73
Wet
Potenza Race +3439Why this score
Source Potenza Race ZE512 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 75 ≈ 47 (est.) Reviews found online 71 28 Potenza Race: 60% × 74.9 + 40% × 70.8 = 73
ZE512: 60% × 47.1 (est.) + 40% × 27.6 = 39
No road tests of wet for ZE512. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
65
Comfort
Potenza Race +2738Why this score
Source Potenza Race ZE512 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 60 (est.) Reviews found online 64 24 Potenza Race: 40% × 67.7 (est.) + 60% × 63.6 = 65
ZE512: 40% × 59.7 (est.) + 60% × 24.3 = 38
No road tests of comfort for Potenza Race. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for ZE512. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
-
57
Treadwear
Potenza Race +2235Why this score
Source Potenza Race ZE512 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 61 (est.) ≈ 48 (est.) Reviews found online 50 16 Potenza Race: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.4 = 57
ZE512: 60% × 48.4 (est.) + 40% × 15.8 = 35
No road tests of treadwear for Potenza Race. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
No road tests of treadwear for ZE512. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
80
Handling (owners)
Potenza Race +5822Why this score
Source Potenza Race ZE512 Reviews found online 80 22
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza Race | Falken ZE512 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 71 | 37 |
| Dry | 77 | 40 |
| Wet | 73 | 39 |
| Comfort | 65 | 38 |
| Treadwear | 57 | 35 |
| Handling (owners) | 80 | 22 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
71
/ 100
Potenza Race
37
/ 100
ZE512
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Potenza Race
Pros
- Phenomenal dry grip and cornering performance that rivals or beats direct competitors like Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
- Surprisingly good wet weather traction and safety for a track-focused compound
- Precise steering response, hard sidewalls, and excellent road feedback
Cons
- Extremely fast tread wear and short lifespan under track or aggressive driving conditions
- Tendency to pick up stones during street driving
- Steering feel can initially start out slightly numb until the tire is pushed harder
Tire B ZE512
Pros
- Affordable price point
- Satisfactory dry pavement grip when new
- Generally quiet and comfortable ride quality
Cons
- Extremely rapid tread wear and short lifespan
- Poor wet-weather traction and hydroplaning resistance
- Soft sidewalls prone to damage from potholes and curbs
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza Race | B · Falken ZE512 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 18 | — |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 22″ | — |
| Tread depth | 7/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 200 A A | 360 - 420 A A |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
71
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza Race
37
/ 100
Falken ZE512
Winner: Bridgestone Potenza Race — better handling, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Bridgestone Potenza Race rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 12 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Bridgestone Potenza Race scores 80 vs 22 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Bridgestone Potenza Race scores 77 vs 40 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Bridgestone Potenza Race scores 73 vs 39 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Bridgestone Potenza Race scores 65 vs 38 on comfort.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza Race
Tire B · Falken ZE512
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Potenza Race or ZE512?
Which is better in the wet, Potenza Race or ZE512?
Bridgestone Potenza Race, 73 vs 39 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza Race or ZE512?
Bridgestone Potenza Race, 77 vs 40 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Potenza Race or ZE512?
Bridgestone Potenza Race, 65 vs 38 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Potenza Race or ZE512?
Bridgestone Potenza Race, 57 vs 35 on our treadwear score.
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.
Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology