It is raining, another race weekend is about to be cancelled, and I was getting ready to order tires for Fontana and was thinking through my options. I thought this might be interesting to some and wondered if anyone disagreed with my thoughts or had something to add? I will base this info on a typical ~90 second Q track driven properly (no power on oversteer, or overdriving and scrubbing the front tires causing excessive wear).
The fastest tire would be a full racing slick, they last about 1 track day, and cost $1k+ per set.
About 1 second slower, are the Hoosier tires, they last 2-3 days and cost about $1K.
Another second slower would be the Victorracers, they last 5-6 days and cost about $700.
The Toyo RA-1's are next. They seem to be a couple tenths slower when new, but catch up to the Victorracers as they were out. They last 8-10 days and cost about $750.
Another second+ slower would be the Azenis, they last 12-14 days and cost about $650. (limited sizes available for Porsches)
Next I would say all the 'ultimate' performance name brand tires are about 1 second slower. I haven't really noticed much difference in times among the tires. The expensive tires in this category tend to ride smoother and quieter, but not necessarily improve times. There are a LOT of variables here, so I may be missing some tire, but basically nothing has stood out in the last few years, though some tend to chunk and fall apart after 1-2 days if you are not very gentle with them. These tires range in price from $600-1,300 and last from 10-20 track days.
I am basing the above on my experience in a Boxster S, 996 and 944 turbo.
Anyone disagree or have something to add?