Tyres overview

[GT TVR]

Lot of questions about tyres, so I thougth I might try to sum it up; and I have some questions:

ROAD TYRES:
Goodyear F1 asymetric
Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta
Toyo R1R

so which one is best?
and why not "famous" tyres like Pirelli Zero Rosso or Michelin Pilot Sport?

TRACK ORIENTED:
Toyo 888

why not Pirelli Corsa or Michelin Pilot Sport Cup?

[BDM]

Bumping as i would love to know. In the market for some good road tyres next month. Have 888's at the moment but have to wait for it to be relatively dry to use them Want to keep them for track use i guess if and when i get round to one some day...

Edited by BDM on Sunday 7th June 23:22

[jilap]

I have the Goodyear F1 asymetrics and I am very happy with them for road and light track use.

[GT TVR]

I have Goodyear F1 asymetrics myself and indeed very happy (incl occasional track use). Not sure about their behavior at high speed though since I have changed my geometry (brilliant) but haven't been able to test high speed yet (French motorway now more crowded with gendarme than with civilians).

Why is it that nobody is running tyres like Pirelli Zero Rosso, the choice of a lot of supercars?

[BDM]

Do you get alot of tram lining with the Goodyears? Ive read the Ver...(whatever they are called) are a good value for money tyre... Note sure how many of you run them?

[GT TVR]

Before the geo changes the F1's tramlined a lot; now hardly ever although as said haven't tried them over 110 mph yet.

[TVR_owner]

GT TVR said:

Before the geo changes the F1's tramlined a lot; now hardly ever although as said haven't tried them over 110 mph yet.

GT,
The sidewalls on the F1 are too soft for hard track use and you will start to roll them over (N/S front on your car wiil be shot after Zolder.... did someone mention Zolder). The F1 is a very good tyre in the wet and dry and the only fault for what I think you would need is this soft sidewall..

R888s are noisey and go off quickly if you start to push hard. Some say they are pressure sensitive, I've tried lots of different pressures and the've gone by 8 hard laps. If I were looking for a good track tyre, I would look elsewhere, maybe Dunlop or Yokohama.

The two supercar tyres you suggest have an execellent reputation, but I can't comment on them from personal use.

[GT TVR]

hi JS,
Sidewalls of the F1 too soft? I found them excellent at Guadix but maybe it was just the car...
Soft sidewall could explain why some drivers are complaining about tramlining with the F1 (like the Toyo T1-R)

So what is the best tyre for the Tuscan/T350/Sag?

I read about the Dunlop Sport Maxx TT that has Kevlar sidewall inserts (used e.g. on the Renault R26R). Sounds good.
Also, the R1R's are supposed to have sidewalls like the 888. (Rens, you have them, can you comment? Done any trackdays with them yet?)
And the Sessanta's also have reinforced sidewalls.

Also surprised by your comment about the 888; thought they were your favorite. I really loved them on the Griff. Seems to be the TVR trackday choice. You had them on the Sag, didn't you?

Zolder, what's that?

[TVR_owner]

GT TVR said:

hi JS,
Sidewalls of the F1 too soft? I found them excellent at Guadix but maybe it was just the car...
Soft sidewall could explain why some drivers are complaining about tramlining with the F1 (like the Toyo T1-R)

So what is the best tyre for the Tuscan/T350/Sag?

I read about the Dunlop Sport Maxx TT that has Kevlar sidewall inserts (used e.g. on the Renault R26R). Sounds good.
Also, the R1R's are supposed to have sidewalls like the 888. (Rens, you have them, can you comment? Done any trackdays with them yet?)
And the Sessanta's also have reinforced sidewalls.

Also surprised by your comment about the 888; thought they were your favorite. I really loved them on the Griff. Seems to be the TVR trackday choice. You had them on the Sag, didn't you?

Zolder, what's that?

GT,
My prefered tyre on the Sag was Dunlop Super Sport Race.

Soft tyrewalls disguise tramling. It's the stiff walls that cause the bother!

[GT TVR]

Ah, every day we learn something, thanks.

So is the Dunlop Super Sport Race a track tyre? If so, how better than the 888? The 888 has stiff walls right? It made my old Griff feel much more stable (at any speed).

Then the question is: should we go for a softer sidewall tyre or not on these cars? With my new geo setup tramlining should be non existant. Definitely need to test the F1's, maybe on my way to Heerlen. So maybe I'll arrive earlier than expected or not at all ...

[BDM]

So for general road use you want a tyre with a soft sidewall to eliminate trammlining which means the Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta are out the mix?

[TVR_owner]

GT TVR said:

Ah, every day we learn something, thanks.

So is the Dunlop Super Sport Race a track tyre? If so, how better than the 888? The 888 has stiff walls right? It made my old Griff feel much more stable (at any speed).

Then the question is: should we go for a softer sidewall tyre or not on these cars? With my new geo setup tramlining should be non existant. Definitely need to test the F1's, maybe on my way to Heerlen. So maybe I'll arrive earlier than expected or not at all ...

The Dunlop Super Sport Race was a track tyre....no longer available but I'm sure a call to Dunlop will advise the replacement. How better than the 888? Took another lap to warm up but 20-25 mins and still loads of grip!

The 888 has stiff walls correct.

I think the stiffer sidewall, the more compromised the ride. F1 is an excellent all rounder, but thats what it is...the next move is two sets of wheels.

Take your time arriving and do your testing at the track, that way you can arrive safely and share a a beer

[GT TVR]

BDM said:

So for general road use you want a tyre with a soft sidewall to eliminate trammlining which means the Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta are out the mix?

Don't know anymore, BDM, soft wall or hard wall, I'm as lost as you are. Geo setup is crucial in any case. Will let you know how the F1's perform at high speed and on track.

[GT TVR]

TVR_owner said:

Take your time arriving and do your testing at the track, that way you can arrive safely and share a a beer

Need to do 120 mph+ for at least a minute or so to test high speed behavior, can't do that at Zolder.
(BTW do you know what the max cruising rev is for the S6?)

[TVR_owner]

GT TVR said:

TVR_owner said:

Take your time arriving and do your testing at the track, that way you can arrive safely and share a a beer

Need to do 120 mph+ for at least a minute or so to test high speed behavior, can't do that at Zolder.
(BTW do you know what the max cruising rev is for the S6?)

Vary the engine load is the best advice. The car will be more than happy at 4,5-5K with stops between fuel. 170-190 kph?

If it were mine and I were in a hurry too get to Zolder, I would leave a day earlier and take my time, but then I'm just a steady older type happy to sit at 120-130kph .

[FLAT 6]

My Tuscan tramlines more now with the Chinese Eagle F1s that it did before on Pilot Sports. I still have pilot sports on the rear.

If I'd have known about the soft sidewalls on the Chinese F1s I'd have stuck with the Pilot sports on the front. My rears are due for a change and I think I'll stick with the Pilot Sports and maybe even change the F1s early.

Main problem with the pilot sports is the price - £200 plus vat is the cheapest I can get then at.

The TVR service specialists here in N.Ireland suggest the extra load pilot sports - they have stiffer still sidewalls than the 'standard' pilot sports. £230 plus VAT!!!

The Toyo R1-Rs seem to be getting OK reviews - may be a cheaper option but I can't vouch for them.

Everything was easier in the days of 15 or 16 inch rims and SO2s!!

[GT TVR]

What's this then, Chinese tyres??

The Pilot Sport is the standard choice of most Porsches and other sports cars, but I haven't seen them on a TVR before. You obviously like them, interesting ... Tell us more.

Trying to reach some conclusion:
I think most drivers report improvements when switching to a tyre with a tougher side wall (R1R, Sessanta) while most F1's seem unstable (soft side wall). Of course geo set up plays an important part, so it's hard to make a good comparison between cars.

If I were to change tyres now, I think I would go for the R1-R's: in fact a slick tyre (888) but slightly more civilised, strong side walls and good in the wet.

[GT TVR]

JS, I found the (new) Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec, could this be the successor of the SP Sport Race? It is supposed to be a tyre for extreme sport usage and club track days (spot on!).

[TVR_owner]

GT TVR said:

JS, I found the (new) Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec, could this be the successor of the SP Sport Race? It is supposed to be a tyre for extreme sport usage and club track days (spot on!).

They look like they would do the job very well.

[BDM]

TVR_owner said:

GT TVR said:

JS, I found the (new) Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec, could this be the successor of the SP Sport Race? It is supposed to be a tyre for extreme sport usage and club track days (spot on!).

They look like they would do the job very well.

They do look like quite a good allrounder... However whats the price and avaliable from where?