[Blue Devil]

Hey everyone I was looking on Tirerack.com last night for my next set of tires for this season.

There's no choices due to the front tire size. And I used 235/40/17's A048 M compound last time for the rear and that size isn't shown anymore. Most true slicks the closest front size all them have is 205/50/16.

? How do Proxes R888 compare to A048's? Their 100 treadwear vs 60, and they are 200 cheaper?

Toyo RA1's aren't anywhere near the right sizes. R1R's are still made I was looking on wrong side of tires offered.

 

[TachItUp]

205/45/16 hankook RS3s are coming out in may.

 

[Blue Devil]

That's a good option for the track, but I was thinking of trying to drive on some trips in the coming future. I was looking to go with 195/50/16's and 235/40/17's, besides the A048 and the R888 from Toyo nobody makes a 195/50/16, a 205/50/16 is only .4 inches more in diameter so that's doable. But as far as road tires that are 140 treadwear or softer there's only 3 choices from Tirerack, I believe. Yoko AD08's, A048's, Toyo R888

:mw:

 

[da40flyer]

I have used these from Tire Rack. Good value.

Kumho Ecsta XS
215/45R16
245/40R17

 

[driftwood]

I read threads about R1R's but those aren't made anymore,

news to me...

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...5WR6PR1R&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

 

[Ryephile]

That's a good option for the track, but I was thinking of trying to drive on some trips in the coming future. I was looking to go with 195/50/16's and 235/40/17's, besides the A048 and the R888 from Toyo nobody makes a 195/50/16, a 205/50/16 is only .4 inches more in diameter so that's doable. But as far as road tires that are 140 treadwear or softer there's only 3 choices from Tirerack, I believe. Yoko AD08's, A048's, Toyo R888

:mw:

What's the real goal here; just saving some coin?

The R888 in stock LSS sizes are fantastic street tires for this car.

The rears will last at least 8K miles with a couple track days and Tail of the Dragon runs, and the fronts about double that. You only other rational option is going to an all-season, which would ruin the driving experience, IMO.

 

[Blue Devil]

Ryephile-thanks for the response I was looking for a bit more life out of the tire and a bit better in the rain, with close to A048 grip. If you read my first post I was trying to see how R888's compared to A048's
P.S. your right engineers put A048's on our cars for a reason I wanted to keep them, but w/o a 235/40 I'm looking at other options.

driftwood-thanks I wasn't looking on the left side of the Toyo tire's available cause I was looking on the lower right side where autocross/competion tires duh my bust. are people really happy with R1R's compared to A048's

da40flyer-no offense but I don't think I can put Kumho's on my Lotus, that being said have you ever had A048's how do they compare?

All thanks for your reply's

 

[aschen]

Aint nothing wrong with excsta xs they are gretat street tires. I prefer to run Max performance street tires (kumo xs, bfg rivals, hankook rs 3, dulop star specs) to mild r compounds (r888 or advan A048). You give up maybe 5 percent of track grip at temp, but they are more predictable on the street, wear better, and are tolerant of colder temp.

Note I have never had a set of r888, so it is my conjecture that they are more similiar to the yokos than others.

 

[da40flyer]

I have run A048's, R888's and the Kumho Excsta XS's both on the street and on the track. While the 888's are the grippiest once up to temperature (IMO), if you are looking for mainly a street tire with occasional track use, the XS's are the best bang for the buck... No need to pay almost 2x, especially for street driving (again IMO). As for the A048's, I personally don't care for them on the track.

 

[Lotusmotion]

You only other rational option is going to an all-season, which would ruin the driving experience, IMO.

Not based on my actual experience.

My '06 Exige wears General AS-03 (all-seasons) for street duty and Toyo R888s for track duty, and both sets of tires come in LSS / OEM sizes.

The Generals provide terrific rain evacuation and wet traction on the street, and they provide plenty of grip for canyon runs that could land me in jail. My street driving experience has been improved because of confidence regarding wet traction, tires are quiet, ride is a bit more civilized, and there is plenty of traction for evasive maneuvers and running the twisties.

The R888s provide comparable level of grip comparable to the AO48s based on my limited track experience with the R888s (one day) versus AO48s (more than a dozen track days).

In the end, tires are highly subjective and your level of satisfaction will depend on your objectives versus what the tires can deliver. For me, I adjust my objectives based on the driving environment: street versus track.

 

[sturgeongeneral]

I recently went through the same dilemma. I had the Advans A048s and went to the R888s. Now I only have about 400 miles on them but they feel comparable. However there does seem to be a breakin period for the R888s and I haven't had them on the track yet.

 

[antinym]

In my experience I have found that cold r888s have way more grip the Direzzas.
And even worn out r888s have more grip than new Direzzas.

 

[sprocket3]

205/50/16 fronts rubbed pretty bad on my car. My next set will be R888 in 195/50/16..

 

[sarenar]

I've used both. AO48 to start off then went to R888. The AO48 provide just a touch more grip than the R888 but unless you are an advanced track driver I don't think you will be able to tell the difference. I was buying the AO48's at first but the price difference was just a little much. So I tried the R888 and they were just as good for me for a better price. The AO48's are not good in the wet but the R888 are better but not nearly as good as the all seasons. For the price and with the OEM sizes I don't think you would be disappointed with the R888's.

 

[pwildfire]

I am running the hankook 205/50/16 C71 slicks on the front. They do rub a little bit on the liners in the front but not an unacceptable amount to me. My car is lowered about 1.5" in the front on Nitrons.

Hoosier R6s in 205/45/16 rubbed the same amount, btw.

 

[Blue Devil]

Everyone thanks for your inputs, it's exactly what I was looking for, R888's it is.

Lotusmotion-I would love for Car and Driver to do a instrumented test of the A048's compared to the Generals AS-03's, skidpad, salom, braking? Those General tires with a 480 tread wear, I can't believe they give you the amount of grip for canyon runs you speak of. And $320 for a full set of tires on the Lotus, that would make the Wife very happy. :up:

Sounds like a 4 dollar cigar that I can really enjoy, that I haven't found yet.

 

[Lotusmotion]

Those General tires with a 480 tread wear, I can't believe they give you the amount of grip for canyon runs you speak of.

Don't just take my word for it, check with Lotuscupcar. He was pondering tire choices and seemed impressed after a canyon drive.

The Generals are hard compound all seasons and will never compete with R-compound tires or even summer tires. But for street use they provide a lot of benefits including more than enough grip for very spirited driving. If you want track-level grip in LSS sizing for street use, then the AO48 or R888 are the way to go.

Maybe the best compromise would be having two sets of wheels and tires - one set for track and one set for street. It takes me 20 minutes to change tire and wheel sets on my Exige, and that includes removing the tire storage wrappers and refilling with air.

 

[Kimgt]

I'm moving from my original set of Yokohama A048 to Toyo R888 this weekend. will post my impression of the new tires, but I'm very sure the R888 will blow me away since the A048 tires are over 7 years old and probably super hard.

 

[jjdrivesajazz]

I hope R1R's aren't discontinued, I just ordered a pair of 235/40/17 for the rear, now I'm debating if I should order a pair of fronts for spare

 

[realrundell]

Concerning...
da40flyer-no offense but I don't think I can put Kumho's on my Lotus, that being said have you ever had A048's how do they compare?

I have used both, including the 235/45R17 A048's that you have used. The knife edge response of the A048's goes away with the Kumho's, but the overall grip is quite similar. As for grip longevity, or how long the tires maintain that new tire grip, the Kumho wins hands down. The Yoko's cycle out so quickly on the street that I couldn't bring myself to buy another set. I figured I'd experiment with the Kumho and if they didn't work, I'm not out much. To my surprise, they are pretty damn good. They ride much better, they are very predictable, they just lack the immediate scalpel response-more like a steak knife. That said, I will continue to use them. As for the fit, I have them mounted on cup wheels and the diameters are nearly identical to the factory Yoko's. Don't be so hard on Kumho; they make a tire worth owning.