Top 5 performance cars sporting Hankook tyres

Many of the world’s finest performance cars come with Hankook rubber as standard, but which is our favourite?

Hankook (much like fellow South-Korean manufacturer  Hyundai with its  N series) has enjoyed an explosion in popularity recently thanks to a fantastic and versatile performance range.

These tyres have proven to be so good in fact, that many class-leading models have opted to fit them as their OE (original equipment) choice. Here’s our top five performance cars that wear Hankook boots from the factory.

5. VW Tiguan R – Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3 SUV

Image credit: VW

Dropping the internals from one of the world’s fastest and most revered hot hatches (the  Golf R) into the body of a spacious and practical family SUV, is a bit like cross-breeding a trusty old Clydesdale with a Grand National winning thoroughbred. The end result is one fairly innocuous looking missile of a horse, that’s not bad at pulling a trailer either. Tenuous analogy aside, the  Tiguan R is a seriously consummate all-rounder.

With 316 bhp and dependable 4-motion traction, the R is just as comfortable dragging the whole family up a sodden campsite, as it is leaving sports cars for dust with a sub 5 second 0-60 mph dash. Achieving a combined 28 mpg, it’s even pretty reasonable at the petrol pumps too.

4. Audi RS5 – Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 2 SA

Image credit: Audi

Although the current  RS5 has been around for five years now, it still offers an intoxicating blend of unflappable all-weather performance, style, and relative practicality despite that swooping roofline.

With a 2.9 litre 444bhp twin-turbo V6 and the legendary Quattro four-wheel-drive system working in tandem, you can blast to 60 mph from a standstill in just 3.9 seconds. Keep your foot planted and the RS5 will run all the way to an — electronically-limited — 174 mph top speed.

And, while it might not be the last word in handling finesse compared to rivals like  BMW's M4, it’s hard to argue with the ruthlessly effective way it covers ground. Plus, if you nudge the adaptive suspension into comfort mode the RS5 transforms into an effortless long-distance cruiser.

3. BMW X3M – Hankook Ventus S1 Evo Z

Image credit: BMW

In a world of downsized four-cylinder turbo engines (see the new 2.0  Mercedes E63 for example) it is refreshing that you can still buy an  X3 with BMW’s renowned straight-six motor. Creamy smooth and producing an almost musical note as you climb the rev range, the 3.0 in the X3M is as punchy as you would expect given the 503 BHP on tap.

For a high-riding SUV it’s also endowed with plenty of precision and response in the bends and the rear-biased X-drive system will let you enjoy some tail-out action on corner exit.

And the best thing of all? It doesn’t share those bold Kidney grilles fitted to the latest Bimmers.

2. Porsche Taycan – Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3 ev

Image credit: Porsche

As you might expect,  Porsche is rather particular when it comes to choosing the brands it works with – small wonder when they have spent the last 92 years building a reputation for producing some of the world’s finest drivers’ cars. It’s a big compliment to Hankook then, that the engineers at Stuttgart went with the  Ventus S1 Evo 3 EV tyre for their revolutionary new electric  Taycan.

Touted by much of the motoring media as the most dynamic battery-powered car on sale, the Taycan helps to reassure petrolheads that the gradual demise of fossil fuel doesn’t have to spell the end for driving thrills. With the lowest centre of gravity in the range and over 400 bhp of instant acceleration (even in the base model) there’s a lot to like about this electrified Porsche.

1.Mini JCW GP3 – Hankook Ventus S1 Evo Z

How does a  Mini with a 164mph top speed sound? Bonkers, right? And we’re happy to report that with the JCW GP3 the craziness doesn’t stop there. You just need to look at the extravagant exterior styling (vents, grilles, spoilers and aero cladding included) to know that this little go-kart means business.

As the fastest Mini money can buy the GP3 leaves nothing on the table. Any unnecessary weight has been shed by removing the rear seats, rear windscreen wiper, and fitting the lightest wheels to ever feature on a modern Mini.

This weight saving, combined with an enormous 302bhp sent exclusively to the front wheels, should make the GP3 a bit of a handful to drive quickly; however Mini has honed the chassis to perfection and when paired with Hankook’s Ventus S1 Evo Z tyre, the JCW GP3 is an incredibly polished and agile hot hatch.

The only slight fly in the ointment? A heavy 8 speed automatic gearbox which isn’t really in keeping with the car’s otherwise stripped down, back to basics mantra. You can’t win them all, we suppose.

So, there you have it. From jacked up performance SUVs, to sleek and luxurious electric sports saloons, Hankook tyres are the OE option for some seriously special machines. But do you agree with our number one pick?