I was looking at the newest Kumho Ecsta-MX and the tread looks like a clone of the Bridgestone S-03.

Even reading the Kumho technical marketing for the MX shows a similar silicon technology.

Anyone know what's up?

If the ECSTA-MX are 90% of the SO-3's and 50-60% cheaper, I just may go with the Kumhos.

Check it out at:
http://www.kumhousa.com/pages/pass_uhp_mx.htm
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/bridgestone/bs_s03.jsp
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/kumho/ku_ecsta_mx.jsp

:-) neil
1988 360TE AMG
1993 500E

i have the ecstas on my 944 and they are great. no noise, handles like a dream, very good grip,even when wet

go with the kumhos you'll like them, oh , and dont let those folks tell ya the they are crap i have talked to a few tire dealers about the return rate of the kumhos (ecstas) and was told that people didnt run the correct pressure in them and that was the reason for the premature failure. but you be the judge its your car and money

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Keith AKA Keith & Lisa

Keith- do you have the ECSTA 712's or the MX?

Thanks,
:-) neil

i have the 712s i didnt know about the MXs when i got the 712s and tire rack didnt offer them (still dont i think) thats how i found out about the kumho brand

__________________
Keith AKA Keith & Lisa

Bridgestone bought out Kumho's manufacturing plant in China, but not Korea, nor R&D. So while Kumho might have it's own R&D & manufacturing plants, I'm sure Bridgestone has lots of influence.

Taken from:
http://www.atimes.com/bizasia/BB01Aa01.html
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Kumho sells Chinese tire plant to Bridgestone
SEOUL - Kumho Industry said Monday it has sold its tire plant in Tianjin, China, to Bridgestone Tire for $140 million. The company turned over its 94.5-percent stake in Tianjin Kumho Tire, which was set up in May 1997 with an annual production capacity of 3.5 million tires. It has another tire plant in Nanjing. The sales proceeds would go to reduce Kumho's debt ratio from 240 percent to 190 percent. Kumho will develop the Nanjing plant to focus on supplying tires to Korean auto plants in China.
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Taken from:
http://www.bridgestone-firestone.com/news/corporate/news/acv00_01_06/00131a.html

Here's an excerpt:

Bridgestone Acquires Second Tire Plant in China
Purchase Includes Chinese production and sales subsidiary of Korea's Kumho Tire

Nashville, Tenn. (January 31, 2000) -- Bridgestone Corporation has acquired control of a Chinese manufacturer of radial tires for passenger cars and small commercial vehicles from the Republic of Korea's Kumho Industrial Co., Ltd. Representatives of Bridgestone and Kumho signed the share purchase agreement today in Tokyo, culminating several months of negotiations.

The transaction gives Bridgestone a substantial majority interest in Kumho Virgin Islands Inc., the holding company of Tianjin-based Tianjin Kumho Tire Co., Ltd., effective January 31, 2000. Kumho Virgin Islands owns 94.5% of Tianjin Kumho, and a Chinese company, Tianjin Tyre & Rubber Industrial Co., Ltd., owns the other 5.5%. Bridgestone is paying $75 million for Kumho's equity in Kumho Virgin Islands.

now thats interesting thanks for the info.

__________________
Keith AKA Keith & Lisa

Keith et al., note my revisions. Bridgestone bought out Kumho's China manufacturing plant.

Bridgestone does NOT own Kumho in Korea nor it's R&D plant. But again, I'm sure they have some influence.

:-) neil

seems like there's a number of manufacturer's mimick'ng an S02 and S03 tread design

I've been told that Michelin mimick'd tread design of the S02 for their current Pilot Sport....and there's a number of S03 tread like designs out there

Latest cheap performance tire on the market I've noted is the Dunlop FM901 which looks a bit like an: old S02/P7000/ Potenza RE730/ Ecsta 712 ....supposedly the FM901 is vastly superior tire to Dunlop's old bargin performance W-10

-fad