Help me make my mind up.......!!

[Fatrat]

Here's the thing. I have owned a 1998 S1 since June 2008. It is my daily drive and I do about 8000 miles a year in all weather conditions. It's a fairly standard car with the S2 suspension upgrade. I am also planning to do 2/3 track days this year.

TYRES: currently running on Pirelli P Zero's that now need replacing. What should I replace them with. I was thinking Toyo's T1-R's. Is that a good all-round choice?

All opinions welcome!

FR

[nsm3]

I am running T1-R's on my Exige S (pretty much all road use) and have to say that in the heavy rain we had this morning and early last weekend, they are a revelation over the previous AO48's - the car is way better planted in the wet now - so I rate them fairly highly, even though they are a little compromised in the dry compared to the track day tyres?

Expect to pay around £300 for a full set?

[DamienCBR]

Have a look on www.seloc.org a large number of people rate khumos, very competitively priced too.
D

[Gad-Westy]

DamienCBR said:

Have a look on www.seloc.org a large number of people rate khumos, very competitively priced too.
D

Pretty pleased with my Kumhos. Certainly as good as the BFG's that I had before. Not tried T1-R's but from what I gather they are possibly a better wet tyre than the Kumho but can overheat on dry tracks. Yoko LTS sound like the pick of the bunch but are two and half times the price of Toyo's or Kumho's.

[TIPPER]

T1-Rs are a good road tyre and work well in the wet on track. In the dry they tend to overheat fairly quickly if you're pushing the car hard. Not the end of the world (you lose some grip) and for under £300 a set fitted they represent good value. They do have an issue with softish tyre walls and tread blocks that squirm around but they settle down well after about 1,000 miles.
I've just taken off a set of Kuhmos and couldn't get on with them: I just didn't rate them or like the 'feel' of them. The best choice would be the Yokohama Advan LTS from your Local dealer or specialist like Eliseparts. Not the cheapest option but they really are the best all round option for the S1.
Don't bother with stickies (Yoko AO48s or Toyo 888s) as you'll have to uprated your suspension for them to work prop[erly on track and they are compromised on the road in the wet.

[Stu_00]

Hi there,

Another thumbs up for the Yokohama's. I am running AD07's on a S2 111R, and they just keep on impressing - grip is amazing, well worth the money and last well. 17K from the rears and 19K (So far on the fronts.

Again may vary on the S1, but I would imagine the same knowledge would apply to the Advan's for the S1.

[TIPPER]

Stu_00 said:

Hi there,

Another thumbs up for the Yokohama's. I am running AD07's on a S2 111R, and they just keep on impressing - grip is amazing, well worth the money and last well. 17K from the rears and 19K (So far on the fronts.

Again may vary on the S1, but I would imagine the same knowledge would apply to the Advan's for the S1.

17 and 19k miles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Stu_00]

Should I be trying harder?

TIPPER said:

Stu_00 said:

Hi there,

Another thumbs up for the Yokohama's. I am running AD07's on a S2 111R, and they just keep on impressing - grip is amazing, well worth the money and last well. 17K from the rears and 19K (So far on the fronts.

Again may vary on the S1, but I would imagine the same knowledge would apply to the Advan's for the S1.

17 and 19k miles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JTBUSH]

Mines booked in for AD07s next week. Looking like being somewhere north of £500 but hopefully they will be worth the hype!

[TIPPER]

Stu_00 said:

Should I be trying harder?

TIPPER said:

Stu_00 said:

Hi there,

Another thumbs up for the Yokohama's. I am running AD07's on a S2 111R, and they just keep on impressing - grip is amazing, well worth the money and last well. 17K from the rears and 19K (So far on the fronts.

Again may vary on the S1, but I would imagine the same knowledge would apply to the Advan's for the S1.

17 and 19k miles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best I've ever got out of a set of rears is 8k.
Trying harder? No, drive within your comfort zone. Its also got a lot to do with the type of driving you do and how the car is set up too.

[fatwomble]

Kumhos about £200ish a set, excellent for the road and pretty good on track.

[Stu_00]

Must be my Smooth technique!

I hope!

TIPPER said:

Stu_00 said:

Should I be trying harder?

TIPPER said:

Stu_00 said:

Hi there,

Another thumbs up for the Yokohama's. I am running AD07's on a S2 111R, and they just keep on impressing - grip is amazing, well worth the money and last well. 17K from the rears and 19K (So far on the fronts.

Again may vary on the S1, but I would imagine the same knowledge would apply to the Advan's for the S1.

17 and 19k miles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best I've ever got out of a set of rears is 8k.
Trying harder? No, drive within your comfort zone. Its also got a lot to do with the type of driving you do and how the car is set up too.

[mrssumner]

Well the Yokohama Advans have kept me on the road for the past 3(?) years!

[S Works]

I've never tried the Kumho's but have done somewhere in the region of 15,000 road and track miles with Advan Neova LTS's on S1's, and about the same on T1Rs. I would always choose the Yokohama's first unless money really is an object. They are, IMO, the best tyre you can get for the car, and well worth the additional cost.

[mikey P 500]

Another vote for Khumo’s, excellent all rounder tyres. Very progressive when you run out of grip and don’t suffer from the soft tyre walls of the toyo’s. I can’t compare them to the Yokohamas as I have never had the desire to spend an extra £300+ on tyres when the Khumos work well.

[Fatrat]

Thanks for all your comments and although it is more than I really wanted to spend at the moment I have decided to go for the Yokohama Advans.

Where would be the cheapest place to get a set?

[TIPPER]

Its worth calling around the Lotus dealers for prices (apparantly they vary a bit). Also have a look on the Eliseparts website.

[Mr_C]

I paid 480 for some Advans (fitted) from peter smiths but they're cheaper than that now. Best general tyre for a S1 IMO

[mrssumner]

You won't regret it. Biggest improvement to my car's handling was going from old hard P Zeros to Advans.

I don't know where is cheapest at the moment, but prices will vary especially if they include fitting. Bell and Colvill will deliver if you are stuck, but of course you will then have to pay someone else for fitting.

[LivinLaVidaLotus]

TIPPER said:

Stu_00 said:

Hi there,

Another thumbs up for the Yokohama's. I am running AD07's on a S2 111R, and they just keep on impressing - grip is amazing, well worth the money and last well. 17K from the rears and 19K (So far on the fronts.

Again may vary on the S1, but I would imagine the same knowledge would apply to the Advan's for the S1.

17 and 19k miles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bloody hell, I only got 13.5k out of a set of Bridgestone rears and they're supposed to be harder and that was just with road driving (and the first 3.5k were the 1st owner who hardly drove it, let alone pushed on).

Edited by LivinLaVidaLotus on Wednesday 22 April 13:26