The Quiet Upgrade: Two Decades of Tires Getting Better, Not Worse

While plenty of things have slid backward over the last twenty years, the tire has bucked the trend. A fresh look at lap times across that span shows steady, measurable gains in grip and performance, the kind of improvement a driver can feel through the wheel long before it shows up on a stopwatch. For collectors and track-day regulars alike, it is a reminder that the compound under the fenders can do as much for a car's pace as anything bolted to the chassis.

With reporting from The Drive.