# Alternatives to R888's



## Maggi200 (Aug 21, 2009)

So I plan on making the best use of my car, bought the cup so seems a shame not to actually track it at some point. Now I don't intend on using the continentals on a track at all. 

These will be going on spare alloys regardless of which I go for now, but I don't wanna be spending £150 or so per corner for a track day and had a few suggestions made to me...

Maxisport RB5 which is as far as I can see remoulded tyres? And would fit cup alloys which I've already seen in 17" keeping it looking the same and work out about £65 a corner.

Or Maxxis ZR9 Victra's which are only slightly cheaper but are only available in 195/50/15, meaning I would need to find smaller wheels (which won't look as good but what does that matter on a track ) 

Anyone know anything more about either of these and have any feedback?

Much thankness


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## byrnes (Jul 15, 2008)

Maxxis, are supposed to do some decent tyres.
I've not personally used them, but they get some decent reviews.


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## msb (Dec 20, 2009)

what about yoko ado8's or federals, both quite well regarded from what i'm lead to believe, hankook rs2's are also supposed to be ok


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## Ollie133cup (Apr 22, 2011)

Maggi ive just ordered some Yokohama ad08 for my Twingo for track days he'll of a lot cheaper the R888's and possibly just as good.

Although I've gone for 15's on Ronal Turbos..


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## lee b (Mar 27, 2011)

FALKEN FK 452 are a nice tyre but nothing i have found is better than the r888s unless you use proper slicks.
what size tyres are you after and up to what price


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## nope-mx5 (Apr 4, 2010)

Federal 595RS-R hands down.
Cheap, better in rain than R888, longer lasting, almost as sticky.
(R888 = TW100, 595 = 140).

They are my next tire.

-n


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## ant_s (Jan 29, 2009)

R888's if you've got the money and are able to get them and a spare set to the track incase it rain's, wouldn't want to be thrashing around a wet track with 888's lol.

Or imo Proxies t1r's, pretty cheap and very very good, really sticky and dispite the claims that they wear fast, on my last track day they lasted good. You've got abit more power than me, but lighter, and could almost sure they will do you good on the track, in both wet and dry.


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## nope-mx5 (Apr 4, 2010)

ant_s said:


> R888's if you've got the money and are able to get them and a spare set to the track incase it rain's, wouldn't want to be thrashing around a wet track with 888's lol.


Have you tried R888 in the wet?
I had them on my daily driver/track toy last two seasons.
They stick like crazy even when it`s wet.
Surprisingly so 

Only issue is Toyo jacking the prices a lot this year.

-n


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## MickCTR (Mar 4, 2006)

Just my 2p but on a twingo cup I'd opt for something a bit less grippy. You haven't got stacks of power so you'll get more fun from some slides and you won't need an r888 equivalent to help you get the power down. I'm a big fan of yoko paradas, sticky without being ridiculous and decent in the wet. Not a bad price either. If you are set on a trackday tyre though then I have heard good things about rs2's and 595rsr's.


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## ant_s (Jan 29, 2009)

nope-mx5 said:


> Have you tried R888 in the wet?
> I had them on my daily driver/track toy last two seasons.
> They stick like crazy even when it`s wet.
> Surprisingly so
> ...


Naa, haven't tried them just when I was speaking to a few lads at different tracks, they all mentioned how their performance dropped in the wet.

No problems with me and Toyo yet, can still get my proxies fitted for £50 a corner, albeit 195/45/16's.


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## Matt. (Aug 26, 2007)

Ant, where do you get Toyos fitted at that price?


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## gatecrasher3 (Jul 21, 2006)

I wouldn't use anything other than R888's even on the road except in winter. I love 'em. Shame that they will become illegal for road use soon.


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## nope-mx5 (Apr 4, 2010)

R888 illegal for street use?
They are dot approved, why would they suddenly become illegal?

-n


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## BAXRY (Aug 11, 2009)

maggi133 said:


> Or Maxxis ZR9 Victra's which are only slightly cheaper but are only available in 195/50/15.


Maxxis are by far the best option on that list :thumb: and smaller tyres = better acceleration!


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## ant_s (Jan 29, 2009)

mattastra said:


> Ant, where do you get Toyos fitted at that price?


A place local to me does them, can't remember the name now, but will find out for you. Only found him due to my dad's unit being next to him, but I won't use anyone else now. My mate had some fitted to his 182, can't remember the size, but I know they're 17"s and think they were £54ish, and another mate had some fitted to his scooby, again don't know the size apart from 17"s and think they were around £60ish fitted.


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## gatecrasher3 (Jul 21, 2006)

nope-mx5 said:


> R888 illegal for street use?
> They are dot approved, why would they suddenly become illegal?
> 
> -n


Originally Posted by Apparently Autoexpress
a recent legislation has dictated a likely end to road legal track tyres as we know them in november 2012, tyres including toyo R888 and dunlop's direzza are two examples of tyres that will fail the new laws. they won't conform to radical criteria that all road tyres will need to meet, including decent wet weather performance." it carrys on to say that "the manafacturers will try to work round the new rules but regular tread patterns will be a necessity in order to dissipate standing water, although softer compounds would go some way to providing a compromise on grip.

More here http://www.evo.co.uk/news/evonews/236977/trackday_tyres_to_be_outlawed.html


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## Maggi200 (Aug 21, 2009)

Eugh whoever suggested the prada's! I drove an abarth 500 today reasonably hard and it had 205/40/17 prada's on which were all reasonably new and all I got was horrid understeer and it felt horrible! The last abarth I drove felt totally different, iirc it was wearing pirellis. 

Reason I want alternative tyres is I want to keep the continentals for every day, and to not wear them out by taking them on a track as I enjoy them for road use, they're proving to be very nice to drive with. I will have whatever I settle on fitted to a spare set of alloys I plan to pick up, the size will probably depend on the tyres I decide to get. And whilst I loved the t1r's on my old car (in fact they totally transformed the car!) they won't be needed for road use at all for the same reason, so why not get something trackday orientated. 

Think I'll look into the maxxis a little more closely


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## Matt. (Aug 26, 2007)

ant_s said:


> A place local to me does them, can't remember the name now,* but will find out for you*. Only found him due to my dad's unit being next to him, but I won't use anyone else now. My mate had some fitted to his 182, can't remember the size, but I know they're 17"s and think they were £54ish, and another mate had some fitted to his scooby, again don't know the size apart from 17"s and think they were around £60ish fitted.


Yes please.


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## nope-mx5 (Apr 4, 2010)

gatecrasher3 said:


> Originally Posted by Apparently Autoexpress
> a recent legislation has dictated a likely end to road legal track tyres as we know them in november 2012, tyres including toyo R888 and dunlop's direzza are two examples of tyres that will fail the new laws. they won't conform to radical criteria that all road tyres will need to meet, including decent wet weather performance." it carrys on to say that "the manafacturers will try to work round the new rules but regular tread patterns will be a necessity in order to dissipate standing water, although softer compounds would go some way to providing a compromise on grip.
> 
> More here http://www.evo.co.uk/news/evonews/236977/trackday_tyres_to_be_outlawed.html


Wow, that sucks.
Hopefully this wont be valid for all of Europe.

-n


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## MickCTR (Mar 4, 2006)

I guess the paradas maybe don't suit all cars then but with 200bhp I can honestly say they all but eliminate understeer in the ctr. They bite hard and turn in well and give very good grip. I have tried quite a lot of stuff too so I speak from experience. My only complaint is that I can go through a set in 7-8 thousand miles of road driving


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

I used to use the toyo T1's for the pulsar, loved the grip, hated the wear.... I did get as low as 2k for a full set once..although I was driving pretty hard...

Used the toyos on the wee yaris and the FTO, and they are magic (imo) 

:thumb:


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## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

Hankook RS2 Z212


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## gatecrasher3 (Jul 21, 2006)

MickCTR said:


> I guess the paradas maybe don't suit all cars then but with 200bhp I can honestly say they all but eliminate understeer in the ctr. They bite hard and turn in well and give very good grip. I have tried quite a lot of stuff too so I speak from experience. My only complaint is that I can go through a set in 7-8 thousand miles of road driving


To be fair they were good on my EP3 with my geometry set up.


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## Maggi200 (Aug 21, 2009)

The original continental eco contacts (horrid hard things) on my old car went within 8000 miles and the t1r's were still good after another 16,000 miles of reasonably hard driving :lol: and they were very good but I'm sure there's better out there for the money tbh 

How much do prada's go for on 205/40/17? I would expect them to be much more expensive than what I'm looking at


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## MickCTR (Mar 4, 2006)

I get 215 40 17 and they are about £80 each fitted mate.


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## Maggi200 (Aug 21, 2009)

Just realised I can't use 215's without spacers as they'll catch so 205's is the max I will go


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## Matt. (Aug 26, 2007)

Ant did you find out about the tyres?


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

The Cueball said:


> I used to use the toyo T1's for the pulsar, loved the grip, hated the wear.... I did get as low as 2k for a full set once..although I was driving pretty hard...
> 
> Used the toyos on the wee yaris and the FTO, and they are magic (imo)
> 
> :thumb:


I've got T1 Proxes on my mundano front at the minute and can't fault them tbh.

I know what you're talking about with the pulsar too, my 440bhp one used to need tyres like they were going out of fashion, every 2-3 months 4 new tyres.

James, have you had a look at the Colway F2 semi slicks for track use? They come in most common sizes and are reasonably priced too.


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