Tyres: has anyone tried Toyos?

[Kiwi LE]

Have done the tyre pricing comparison Toyo/Yoko Advan Neovas and the Toyo's win by miles in price NZD $860 vrs $1500 ! So they will have to wait for a Lotto win or large bonus !!

I have chased another Elise on the track (similar set up trye sizes suspension etc, he had few more hp's 145 vrs 160) he was wearing Toyo's, me on P Zero's - apart from the hp advantage, he stuck in the corners, were i was sliding the rear ?? similar corner speed and he was averaging .75 seconds faster over 1.4 km course, under braking it was similar......in the wet - P Zero's Suck !
So now the question is the sizes ?

I noted the Yoko's Advan's where sized at
195/50 R15
225/45 R16

Has anyone tried Toyo's of this size ?
How do they fit the rim, does it mess with the balance of the car ? do you get tyre/rim transition movement ?

Toyo do a good range of sizes -
Front - 195/45, 195/50, 195/55
Rear 215/40, 215/45, 215/55, 225/40, 225/45, 225/50

Has anyone tried to mix sizes ?
How do the Toyo sizes compare to other tyres, I have heard the Toyo 225 is a wider tyre/foot print and doesn't fit the rear as well in the 225 range ?? also reports that the Toyo's aren't that good, but seems to me they out do the P Zero's with ease ??

Comments please ??

[quistii]

I had the Yokohama Advans fitted a few weeks ago when I needed the rears replaced. Cost just over £400 for all four corners - I don't like mixing tyre types. They've been fine in both dry and wet, although I haven't had them on the track yet which is the reason I bought them. Heck of a lot more noise though! Although that could be the stormy wintry Sundays we've been having.

[Kiwi LE]

Thanks for the feed back, i think with the price of the Yoko's, I might try the Toyo first before making that much of an investment in tyres...........how did you find the tyres as far as movement on the rims with the wider tyre ?

I really want to hear from someone who has knowledge on the tyre up-sizing and what affects it has on the cars handling ?

I have heard Lotus have down sized the front on the new S2 175/55 for the front ! not sure how true this is ? but I found with the Pzeros' that it was lacking in the front on hard braking turn in's and pressuring the rear in turns was breaking earlier than a similar car with Toyo's (predictable though) ?

I have been checking with Toyo and they recommend stay with the 185 front and increase the rear slightly to a wide and lower tyre 215/40, I'll see what happens and let you all know ? if anyone has any thing to add let me know.................

[Bombjack]

You're correct about the S2 fronts, they are indeed 175's. Interestingly Lotus say that the contact patch is actually larger than that of an S1 running 185's.

[Kiwi LE]

That makes sense, as the rim dia is up too front 16" and rear 17".
Has anyone put agressively low profile tyres on a S1 ?
Apart from th harder ride how does it affect the handling of the car ?