Tests – · none yet Owners 73 · 6 reviews
Dunlop SP Sport 01 AS looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Dunlop SP Sport 01 AS vs Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 — 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 0 + 1 road tests and 6 + 1,457 owner reviews. How we score
SP Sport 01 AS is ahead, 71–65
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Tests – · 1 test Owners 62 · 1,457 reviews
Best test result: #6 of 22 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires (tested tread life (miles))
“I just put Firestone Firehawk Indy 500's on my NC2 and I like them and would recommend them. I paid about $635 with installation at Costco but you might even be able to find them for less elsewhere.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
72
Dry
Firehawk Indy 500 +274Why this score
Source SP Sport 01 AS Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 74 77 SP Sport 01 AS: 60% × 70.5 (est.) + 40% × 74.1 = 72
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 77.2 = 74
No road tests of dry for SP Sport 01 AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
No road tests of dry for Firehawk Indy 500. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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73
Wet
SP Sport 01 AS +766Why this score
Source SP Sport 01 AS Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 73 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 74 65 SP Sport 01 AS: 60% × 72.7 (est.) + 40% × 74.3 = 73
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 67.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.7 = 66
No road tests of wet for SP Sport 01 AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
No road tests of wet for Firehawk Indy 500. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
61
Snow
SP Sport 01 AS +1645Why this score
Source SP Sport 01 AS Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 65 (est.) ≈ 57 (est.) Reviews found online 54 27 SP Sport 01 AS: 60% × 65.3 (est.) + 40% × 54.2 = 61
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 56.8 (est.) + 40% × 27.2 = 45
No road tests of snow for SP Sport 01 AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
No road tests of snow for Firehawk Indy 500. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
-
73
Comfort
SP Sport 01 AS +865Why this score
Source SP Sport 01 AS Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 75 64 SP Sport 01 AS: 40% × 70.1 (est.) + 60% × 75.1 = 73
Firehawk Indy 500: 40% × 67.7 (est.) + 60% × 63.6 = 65
No road tests of comfort for SP Sport 01 AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.21).
No road tests of comfort for Firehawk Indy 500. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.21).
-
–
Noise
No comparison65Why this score
Source SP Sport 01 AS Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online – 64 Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 64.2 = 65
No road tests of noise for Firehawk Indy 500. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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74
Treadwear
SP Sport 01 AS +866Why this score
Source SP Sport 01 AS Firehawk Indy 500 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 71 (est.) 70 Reviews found online 79 61 SP Sport 01 AS: 60% × 70.9 (est.) + 40% × 78.6 = 74
Firehawk Indy 500: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 60.7 = 66
No road tests of treadwear for SP Sport 01 AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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77
Handling (owners)
SP Sport 01 AS +671Why this score
Source SP Sport 01 AS Firehawk Indy 500 Reviews found online 77 71
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop SP Sport 01 AS | Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 71 | 65 |
| Dry | 72 | 74 |
| Wet | 73 | 66 |
| Snow | 61 | 45 |
| Comfort | 73 | 65 |
| Noise | – | 65 |
| Treadwear | 74 | 66 |
| Handling (owners) | 77 | 71 |
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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
71
/ 100
SP Sport 01 AS
65
/ 100
Firehawk Indy 500
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
| Discipline | Category | SP Sport 01 AS | Firehawk Indy 500 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #5/10 2014 All Season Tyre Test | #9/22 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A SP Sport 01 AS
Pros
- Exceptionally quiet, smooth, and comfortable ride quality
- Surprising and reliable traction and handling in deep snow
- Good overall braking and grip performance compared to previous tires
Cons
- Reports of weak sidewalls leading to premature damage
- High cost relative to longevity when durability issues arise
Tire B Firehawk Indy 500
Pros
- Exceptional value and affordability compared to premium tier brands like Michelin
- Outstanding dry grip and confident, responsive cornering capabilities
- Surprisingly quiet and comfortable ride quality on the highway
Cons
- Accelerated tread wear and shorter overall lifespan
- Poor performance and loss of traction in cold temperatures (below 40°F)
- Vulnerability to hydroplaning or reduced traction in heavy standing water
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Dunlop SP Sport 01 AS
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
The Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 is overwhelmingly praised as an exceptional value and 'bang for your buck' summer performance tire. Drivers consistently highlight strong dry grip, commendable wet traction, comfortable ride quality, and progressive handling breakaway. Minor criticisms center on reduced performance in cold temperatures, softer steering feedback, and grease on hard track sessions.
s2ki.com
“Quote: Originally Posted by AUaviator I'm having trouble finding these tires in stock. Rears are back ordered and only 1 front available and it's on tire rack. 22545/17 255/40/17. www.simpletire.com looks to have them instock with free shipping and a 60 dollar rebate. A little hard to find but search for them individually by size.”
r/MINI
·20 upvotes ·2025-05-02
“Firehawk Indy 500s As promised, some initial thoughts. These are extremely comfortable. They honestly made it hard to understand how fast I was going because I've come to gauge my speed based on how much I'm being jostled around. I felt almost nothing with these, and there's so much construction on my way to work from the tire place, including a road that hasn't been surfaced properly yet. Perfect testing run for comfort. In terms of performance these bite the road a lot better and it's a lot easier for me to get moving again. Granted, my run flats were almost bald and that's my most recent memory of how they performed, but it's shocking how much I can take a turn or even just accelerate without any risk of sliding or slipping. It feels like a completely different car honestly, and people aren't kidding when they say "just get better tires" on some of these posts asking about mods. It's not as sexy as a new intake, but it makes a much bigger difference. I mean I feel like I was missing out on at least half of my roadster's potential here. So yeah I definitely like them. I don't mean to insult the tire guys' ability to apply tire shine, but I need to redo that disaster when I'm home. I only have detailing spray right now.”
s197forum.com
·2018-03-14
“I have them on my 14 GT. 255 front/285 rear. They have roughly 5k on them and have worn well. Wheel spin has to be intentionally induced now. No more surprises. Highly recommend.”
Top themes
#value for money#dry grip performance#wet road traction#ride comfort#cold temperature limitations#track and autocross use#sidewall and steering response
Based on 141 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop SP Sport 01 AS | B · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 47 |
| Rim diameters | — | 16″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | — | 9 - 10/32″ |
| UTQG | 220 A B | 340 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 - 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
71
/ 100
Dunlop SP Sport 01 AS
65
/ 100
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Winner: Dunlop SP Sport 01 AS — better snow, comfort and treadwear. Where the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points. Dunlop SP Sport 01 AS rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 6 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Dunlop SP Sport 01 AS scores 61 vs 45 on snow.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Dunlop SP Sport 01 AS scores 73 vs 65 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Dunlop SP Sport 01 AS scores 74 vs 66 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Dunlop SP Sport 01 AS scores 73 vs 66 on wet.
Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport 01 AS
Tire B · Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
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SP Sport 01 AS or Firehawk Indy 500?
Which is better in the wet, SP Sport 01 AS or Firehawk Indy 500?
Dunlop SP Sport 01 AS, 73 vs 66 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, SP Sport 01 AS or Firehawk Indy 500?
Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 74 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Which is better in snow, SP Sport 01 AS or Firehawk Indy 500?
Dunlop SP Sport 01 AS, 61 vs 45 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, SP Sport 01 AS or Firehawk Indy 500?
Dunlop SP Sport 01 AS, 73 vs 65 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, SP Sport 01 AS or Firehawk Indy 500?
Dunlop SP Sport 01 AS, 74 vs 66 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