My choice for new shoes:
01-06-2008, 04:16 PM
#11
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Are those the Kumho Ecsta ASX? I'm looking for a 255/55/17 in all season hi performance and i can only find those and some BF goodrich'*, The Kumho'* rated higher so im probably going with them, and they cost less too.
01-06-2008, 04:45 PM
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Are those the Kumho Ecsta ASX? I'm looking for a 255/55/17 in all season hi performance and i can only find those and some BF goodrich'*, The Kumho'* rated higher so im probably going with them, and they cost less too.
01-07-2008, 07:54 AM
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Originally Posted by 1994se
Are those the Kumho Ecsta ASX? I'm looking for a 255/55/17 in all season hi performance and i can only find those and some BF goodrich'*, The Kumho'* rated higher so im probably going with them, and they cost less too.
So far, in comparing both sets, the Kumho'* are better in the cold and snow, the T1R'* are better in the rain and dry, but not by much. Come spring and summer, the Kumho'* should be far better than the old tires in summer traction, and a little better than most all-seasons.
The T1R'* should be freaking sticky tar in the summer.
So far I'm very happy with both sets. Vast improvements on both cars, not just in width.
01-07-2008, 08:56 PM
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Originally Posted by 2000SilverBullet
Are those the Kumho Ecsta ASX? I'm looking for a 255/55/17 in all season hi performance and i can only find those and some BF goodrich'*, The Kumho'* rated higher so im probably going with them, and they cost less too.
Glad to hear you like them because that'* what I am looking to replace my RSA'* with. I wasn't terribly surprised when i saw the horrid reviews they get on tirerack.
01-07-2008, 09:56 PM
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Psst. Your laces are insanely dirty. What good are clean new shoes with dirty laces?
Those are pretty nice, but why did you choose those over some other commonly known good tires such as tripletreds, hydroedges, etc? seems like those would be a better choice for your climate there anyways.
What good are clean new shoes with dirty laces? Those are pretty nice, but why did you choose those over some other commonly known good tires such as tripletreds, hydroedges, etc? seems like those would be a better choice for your climate there anyways.
01-07-2008, 10:00 PM
#18
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William, william, william.
Summer performance tire. Easily chosen. Good until it freezes or snows. Those freezy snowy days, what do I drive? <-------- that'* what the other green supercharged car is for.
If you want a bawls-out pure-bred kick-*** performance tire, you don't choose the ones mentioned in your reply. This particular tire (on the Zilla) is great at temp above 35 degrees F, and in the rain. Below that temp (and most of the winter anyway for that matter) I drive the other car. The Zilla only sees about 2000 miles per year TOPS. Most of that is in good weather.
Summer performance tire. Easily chosen. Good until it freezes or snows. Those freezy snowy days, what do I drive?
<-------- that'* what the other green supercharged car is for.If you want a bawls-out pure-bred kick-*** performance tire, you don't choose the ones mentioned in your reply. This particular tire (on the Zilla) is great at temp above 35 degrees F, and in the rain. Below that temp (and most of the winter anyway for that matter) I drive the other car. The Zilla only sees about 2000 miles per year TOPS. Most of that is in good weather.
01-07-2008, 10:26 PM
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As far as I've seen, some of today'* top shelf all seasons are EXTREMELY summer capable. And also, these are rated somewhat low in the summer segment, there are much better choices. Although, these are quite cheap.
Why not some....say...summer or A/* Pole Positions? They're not cheap, but if we're talking about balls out tires, they're certainly up there on the list.
Wait...who is william? unless you're retorting to...yourself.
Why not some....say...summer or A/* Pole Positions? They're not cheap, but if we're talking about balls out tires, they're certainly up there on the list.
Wait...who is william?
unless you're retorting to...yourself.
01-07-2008, 10:30 PM
#20
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And also, these are rated somewhat low in the summer segment
Did you confuse the tires between the two cars? Which are you talking about? The Kumho'* are rated pretty good in the summer (on the SLE) and the T1R'* are rated VERY high in the summer. That'* all the tire is, a summer traction tire. Purely designed for just that purpose.
http://www.1010tires.com/tirereviews...e_reviews.html
http://www.1010tires.com/tire.asp?ti...+T1R&pc=245640
Toyo T1-R
[1/10/2007] Reviewed by: Aaron Thorp
Applicable to: '90 - '97 '99-'05 '06+ 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
Street performance tire.
Oh! How I love my Toyos! Toyo T1-Rs balance good grip, forgiving breakaway, excellent wet traction and low road noise. The soft sidewall soaks up road bumps and allow for good grip levels on less than ideal pavement. They are quiet on the highway and inspire confidence in the rain. But what I like best is what happens when they lose traction: they give you lots of warning, then slowly begin to slide. Let off a bit, and they come right back. These tires make driving at the limit fun, not scary. I won't put anything else on my car.
These are street performance tires. If you are looking for maximum grip and lightning-quick turn-in, look elsewhere. Expect to get less than 20,000 miles on these tires. Like most summer tires, they are dangerous in the snow.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
[1/10/2007] Reviewed by: Aaron Thorp
Applicable to: '90 - '97 '99-'05 '06+ 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
Street performance tire.
Oh! How I love my Toyos! Toyo T1-Rs balance good grip, forgiving breakaway, excellent wet traction and low road noise. The soft sidewall soaks up road bumps and allow for good grip levels on less than ideal pavement. They are quiet on the highway and inspire confidence in the rain. But what I like best is what happens when they lose traction: they give you lots of warning, then slowly begin to slide. Let off a bit, and they come right back. These tires make driving at the limit fun, not scary. I won't put anything else on my car.
These are street performance tires. If you are looking for maximum grip and lightning-quick turn-in, look elsewhere. Expect to get less than 20,000 miles on these tires. Like most summer tires, they are dangerous in the snow.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Toyo T1R
[6/3/2006] Reviewed by: Rus Hinman - jhinman3@***.net
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Toyo T1R 205-50/R15 with Chaparral 15X7 Wheels
Approximately 2000 miles Dry (I'm in Arizona).
Very Good directional response. Traction is very good. I have mine on my 1995 NA with Sport springs and KYB AGX shocks. The Camber is set at 1.5 for a little more aggresive cornering and they work very well. Like a lot of Miata drivers, I really live to turn, and these are about as sweet as I've found. I got mine through R-Speed in Georgia for a very reasonable price.
[6/3/2006] Reviewed by: Rus Hinman - jhinman3@***.net
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Toyo T1R 205-50/R15 with Chaparral 15X7 Wheels
Approximately 2000 miles Dry (I'm in Arizona).
Very Good directional response. Traction is very good. I have mine on my 1995 NA with Sport springs and KYB AGX shocks. The Camber is set at 1.5 for a little more aggresive cornering and they work very well. Like a lot of Miata drivers, I really live to turn, and these are about as sweet as I've found. I got mine through R-Speed in Georgia for a very reasonable price.
Introduction
To start things off, I have had alot of experience with sporty tires, but never with a "ultra performance" D.O.T. legal race tire. That is the category I consider these tires to be under. I have owned quite a few sports cars, I'll list a few here to give you an example of where I'm coming from along with the tires I equipped them with.
'87 Toyota Celica GTS - Cooper Cobra GTS
'77 Datsun 280Z - General XP2000
'85 Toyota Supra - Kumho Ecsta Supra
'89 Toyota Supra Turbo - Dunlop SP5000
The Supra Turbo is my current car, and the one I am running Toyos on. When I purchased the car 3 years ago it had nearly new Dunlop SP5000 sport tires on it. I was impressed by the handling and braking of this car as it far surpassed what I was used to in my other sporty cars. It is an excellent machine, topping 30K dollars when new in 1989. It is a very heavy car made for high speed highway driving, and is also modified highly with 290 HP at the rear wheels.
Tire impressions
I installed these tires due to the fact I race my car frequently in SCCA Autocross events. These are timed races on a small closed track against other cars in a class and emphasize handling above all else. Speeds range from 30 to 60 during a race. The Dunlops that I was using were not giving me a good launch off the line. Also the rear grip when cornering was not that good and would break loose quickly, often I would start to slide without any prior warning.
I purchased the Proxes T1S at my local Discount Tire outlet. They are very expensive tires, and set me back about $205 each with mounting and balancing. That is quite expensive, but worth it for the best street legal traction you can get.
After installation, I took it easy for a week or so to get them broken in well. I had a race in 2 weeks and wanted to get to know my tires before race day. One Saturday evening found me at a closed industrial park near my house, ready to see what the Proxes were made of. I slipped the clutch at about 4000 RPM and felt my body press firmly into my seat as I accelerated quickly. Well well, better than the Dunlop rubber already. But that was an easy test, lets try a race start. 5500 RPMs humming on my inline 6, heavy into the turbo boost I let it go... A loud chirp, quick spin, and the limited slip put power to both rear Toyos. I positively flew down the asphalt, and grabbed 2nd gear. Once again instant traction, then I decided to try out the braking skills of my new rubber... as I noticed I was rapidly running out of parking lot. I very firmly pressed the pedal down, and felt a slight throbbing of ABS. I came to a stop very quickly and without any slippage. This was from around 70 MPH and I am guessing I stopped a good 20 feet shorter than the Dunlops would have.
Also, there was much less ABS interference meaning more gripping by the tires and less pulsing needed by ABS system leading to shorter stopping distances. The acceleration difference was enormous. If you have a posi or LSD equipped car, you won't be burning your tires near as much. They grip that well.
My races over the last 2 summers have gone very well, and I have enjoyed the traction and cornering supplied by these tires. They have a nice rim saver strip built into the tire, and have kept my chrome wheels scuff free when I have touched a curb or two.
The ride quality is excellent for a high performance tire. It is rougher than touring tires, but my suspension is quite stiff as well. Only a marginal increase in bump transfer in the cabin was noted. They are very quiet, with no tire noise noticeable at all except on certain rough cement sections of interstate. They tend to howl there which the Dunlops did not. Wet weather traction is great, and they channel off water very well. Driving through puddles is safe as it gets with a high HP rear drive sports car.
Negatives
The initial cost is quite high, $814.24 for 4 tires sized 255/40/17 They are a specific summer/race tire and are NOT intended for winter useage. The snow traction is downright awful and you should have a set of winter tires if you have snowfall where you drive. Treadlife is also very bad, I would expect no more than 30,000 miles from a set of Proxes if driven enthusiastically. I have 15K on my set, and the tread depth appears about 45% worn. That includes 9 auto races, which wear tires more than street useage. Since I won't drive on bald tires I'll most likely replace them in another 10K or so.
Bottom line
If you have the cash and want one of the best looking and highest traction tires for your sports car, give these tires a serious look. If you are on a budget or need all season capabilities beyond rain traction I would look to a less specific tire. These are made to give you maximum traction in all dry circumstances and to look good doing it. Prepare to get comments from young men on how good these tires look. Also prepare to park with your wheels turned sharp to give people a better look at the wild tread pattern.
Dry traction - 10
Wet traction - 9
Snow traction - 3
Looks - 10
Final rating - 9
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 814
To start things off, I have had alot of experience with sporty tires, but never with a "ultra performance" D.O.T. legal race tire. That is the category I consider these tires to be under. I have owned quite a few sports cars, I'll list a few here to give you an example of where I'm coming from along with the tires I equipped them with.
'87 Toyota Celica GTS - Cooper Cobra GTS
'77 Datsun 280Z - General XP2000
'85 Toyota Supra - Kumho Ecsta Supra
'89 Toyota Supra Turbo - Dunlop SP5000
The Supra Turbo is my current car, and the one I am running Toyos on. When I purchased the car 3 years ago it had nearly new Dunlop SP5000 sport tires on it. I was impressed by the handling and braking of this car as it far surpassed what I was used to in my other sporty cars. It is an excellent machine, topping 30K dollars when new in 1989. It is a very heavy car made for high speed highway driving, and is also modified highly with 290 HP at the rear wheels.
Tire impressions
I installed these tires due to the fact I race my car frequently in SCCA Autocross events. These are timed races on a small closed track against other cars in a class and emphasize handling above all else. Speeds range from 30 to 60 during a race. The Dunlops that I was using were not giving me a good launch off the line. Also the rear grip when cornering was not that good and would break loose quickly, often I would start to slide without any prior warning.
I purchased the Proxes T1S at my local Discount Tire outlet. They are very expensive tires, and set me back about $205 each with mounting and balancing. That is quite expensive, but worth it for the best street legal traction you can get.
After installation, I took it easy for a week or so to get them broken in well. I had a race in 2 weeks and wanted to get to know my tires before race day. One Saturday evening found me at a closed industrial park near my house, ready to see what the Proxes were made of. I slipped the clutch at about 4000 RPM and felt my body press firmly into my seat as I accelerated quickly. Well well, better than the Dunlop rubber already. But that was an easy test, lets try a race start. 5500 RPMs humming on my inline 6, heavy into the turbo boost I let it go... A loud chirp, quick spin, and the limited slip put power to both rear Toyos. I positively flew down the asphalt, and grabbed 2nd gear. Once again instant traction, then I decided to try out the braking skills of my new rubber... as I noticed I was rapidly running out of parking lot. I very firmly pressed the pedal down, and felt a slight throbbing of ABS. I came to a stop very quickly and without any slippage. This was from around 70 MPH and I am guessing I stopped a good 20 feet shorter than the Dunlops would have.
Also, there was much less ABS interference meaning more gripping by the tires and less pulsing needed by ABS system leading to shorter stopping distances. The acceleration difference was enormous. If you have a posi or LSD equipped car, you won't be burning your tires near as much. They grip that well.
My races over the last 2 summers have gone very well, and I have enjoyed the traction and cornering supplied by these tires. They have a nice rim saver strip built into the tire, and have kept my chrome wheels scuff free when I have touched a curb or two.
The ride quality is excellent for a high performance tire. It is rougher than touring tires, but my suspension is quite stiff as well. Only a marginal increase in bump transfer in the cabin was noted. They are very quiet, with no tire noise noticeable at all except on certain rough cement sections of interstate. They tend to howl there which the Dunlops did not. Wet weather traction is great, and they channel off water very well. Driving through puddles is safe as it gets with a high HP rear drive sports car.
Negatives
The initial cost is quite high, $814.24 for 4 tires sized 255/40/17 They are a specific summer/race tire and are NOT intended for winter useage. The snow traction is downright awful and you should have a set of winter tires if you have snowfall where you drive. Treadlife is also very bad, I would expect no more than 30,000 miles from a set of Proxes if driven enthusiastically. I have 15K on my set, and the tread depth appears about 45% worn. That includes 9 auto races, which wear tires more than street useage. Since I won't drive on bald tires I'll most likely replace them in another 10K or so.
Bottom line
If you have the cash and want one of the best looking and highest traction tires for your sports car, give these tires a serious look. If you are on a budget or need all season capabilities beyond rain traction I would look to a less specific tire. These are made to give you maximum traction in all dry circumstances and to look good doing it. Prepare to get comments from young men on how good these tires look. Also prepare to park with your wheels turned sharp to give people a better look at the wild tread pattern.
Dry traction - 10
Wet traction - 9
Snow traction - 3
Looks - 10
Final rating - 9
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 814