Kumho updated three of four versions of its Ecsta Sport Line tire, the Sport All-Season, the Sport, and the Sport S. The update included changes to the compound, of course, but also a several interesting adjustments to the construction. And to test it all out, Kumho rented Atlanta Motorsports Park and set up an autocross, a wet skidpad, and opened up the racetrack itself.
The changes to the tire construction included a few things. First, Kumho added these ridges at the base of each treadblock, which allows the tire to resist stretching and deforming under load. Along the same lines, engineers used interlocking sipes, called K sipes, which move less independently. Finally, in order to keep tire noise down, Kumho shaved the edges of each block to reduce the slapping effect as it rolls over the road. Kind of like a beveled edge.
When put to the test on the different courses, using a variety of vehicles, the Kumho proved a worthy, consistent tire to drive at the limit. And that’s in the wet or dry. You do not get as much ultimate grip as the best from Michelin and Bridgestone, but you also do not pay nearly as much either. If you want performance on a budget, the Kumho Ecsta makes a strong case for itself.
Views on Vehicles focuses on new car reviews and news, presented by Robin Warner, a perennial car nut. The reason for the channel’s focus becomes crystal clear when you look at Robin’s experience. He spent five years of his adult life as an engineer: four years in traction and stability control calibration, and little over a year in vehicle dynamics. He also spent 15 years of his adult life as an editor at various magazines, including stints at Car and Driver, Road & Track and Autoweek.
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Here is the transcript, cleaned up via AI and edited by a staffer: Hi everybody, Robin Warner here. I’m outside of Atlanta, Georgia, at Atlanta Motorsports Park. I’m a guest of Kumho Tire to test out their two new ultra-high-performance summer tires and a new all-season tire. I’ll be driving a few different cars in a few different places. There’s an autocross course, a wet skid pad, a drifting session, and some time on the racetrack as well. I’ll walk through each module and explain what’s going on beforehand. But first, let’s go back to my desk so I can tell you more about the new tire.
There are three new tires in the Ecsta line: the Ecsta Sport All-Season, the Ecsta Sport, and the Ecsta Sport S. The latter two are performance summer tires, while the first is an all-season. For the all-season, Kumho made several changes. First and foremost, the compound was updated with a new mix of polymers and silica. They also made interesting changes to the tread.
Kumho added ridges at the base of each tread block to help resist stretching and deformation under load. The engineers also introduced interlocking sipes—what they call “kypes”—which move less independently. Finally, to reduce road noise, they beveled the edges of each tread block to soften the slapping effect as the tire rolls.
So, what does all of this mean in the real world?
First, I tested all three tires in different scenarios. I started with an autocross course, where the Ecsta Sport was mounted on a Mini Cooper GP3.
Autocross in the Mini Cooper GP3
All right, I’m about to drive a tight little autocross course in a Mini Cooper fitted with Kumho’s new tire. This is a front-engine, front-wheel-drive car, so we’ll see how it handles.
This corner has a really late apex, so I have to be patient and let the understeer happen. This section feels a bit more balanced. Longitudinal grip is solid, and lateral grip is about what you’d expect for a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout.
On lap two, again—have to manage the understeer. That was a little sloppy. I need to stay patient; there’s good grip here, but it can’t completely overcome the inherent front-heavy nature of this Mini.
Still, the car rotates pretty well, especially given how tight this track is. Overall, the tire is holding the road nicely.
Wet Skid Pad in the Ford Mustang GT
Next up, I hopped into a Ford Mustang GT fitted with the Ecsta Sport All-Season and headed to the wet skid pad.
Time to play around a bit. First, a hard acceleration followed by full ABS braking—fun without traction control.
Then onto the polished concrete surface of the skid pad. Grip is limited, of course, but we can still get the car to slide a bit. Through the slalom, there’s reasonable grip in the wet. The tire does a good job managing the conditions.
Track Session in the Porsche GT4 Clubsport
Then it was on to the full Atlanta Motorsports Park circuit in a Porsche GT4 Clubsport fitted with the Ecsta Sport S, the grippiest of the three tires. This was a lead-follow session, with me tracing the line of a track pro in a Mazda Miata.
This came after a previous session in a Porsche 911 fitted with the Ecsta Sport (non-S), but we didn’t reach the lateral limits in that session—so I’m focusing on this one.
Now I’m in a more serious car with a more serious tire—the GT4 and the Sport S. Let’s see how it feels.
Good grip—definitely much closer to the limit. The Miata ahead is moving around a lot, but the GT4 feels composed, not even breaking a sweat. The car itself is neutral and well-balanced, and the tire is gripping well.
The front end feels stiffly sprung, so initial turn-in is a bit delayed, but once the car sets, grip improves. You have to be careful with throttle application; it’s easy to push the front end wide. On long sweepers, the tire holds up nicely. We caught up to the group ahead rather quickly.
Overall, this is a solid performance tire. I’d prefer sharper turn-in, but it offers good balance and communicates the car’s limits well. It’s a tire you can trust on track.
Drifting as a Passenger in the Cadillac CTS-V
Finally, I had one more experience with the all-season tire—this time from the passenger seat of a drift car. The front tires were the Ecsta Sport summer tires, and the rears were the all-seasons.
I rode along with Ducky, a drifting instructor, in a Cadillac CTS-V. We had the option between a Corvette and the Caddy—I went with the CTS-V for that raw V8 sound. Ducky’s an experienced drifter, and I’d seen some footage ahead of time, so I was looking forward to it.
The drift was long and continuous, and the tire held up surprisingly well. It offered consistent lateral grip without major drop-offs. Ducky confirmed that it was still a handbrake car—not aggressively tuned for automatic drift initiation. Instead, it’s a matter of gearing. He explained that coming down the hill, the car runs out of gearing in third gear, so he uses the handbrake to check the car’s speed.
Since it’s a street car, it has limited steering angle and camber—about 70 degrees of steering—but it’s a versatile daily driver that can still handle drifting duties.
When asked about the tires, Ducky said they’d been consistent all day, regardless of temperature. No chunking, no delaminating—just steady performance from morning to afternoon. They even sprayed water to manage temperatures and maintain uniform wear.
From my perspective, once the drift was initiated, the tires offered consistent, predictable behavior. That made it easier for Ducky to control the car smoothly and precisely.
He summed it up nicely: “If you want a good seat-time tire for drifting—even if you’re trying to drift your Honda Odyssey—this tire will do the job.”
It was a full day at Atlanta Motorsports Park learning about Kumho’s new Ecsta tire line and how it performs across different driving conditions. It’s clear that these tires are making a strong case for themselves.
I’m Robin Warner—thanks for watching.
