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The Tire Tech section contains important info about tiresWhat Aftermarket Tires Have Been Tried?The OEM Bridgestone RE010 and Yokohama A022H reviews are in the Tire Tech session
[GM - 99/2/8] I tried these several years ago. They were better than the Yokes for wet traction and gave about 50% better tire wear too. But when I switched back to OEM tires I noticed a big improvement in the feel and precision of the steering. IMO this outweighed the other benefits and I've stayed with OEM tires since then.
[BM - 99/2/7] I used them for about 50K... Two sets in a 17/16 configuration on my 91. They wore well, but I could never get sizes that would allow other than having the TCS Off all the time. Handling not as good as the NEXUS/A022H I currently have on, but they did get good wear.
Tread compounds are rubber polymers combined with the reinforcing agent carbon black.
Normally, carbon black structures form grape-like clusters. By lengthening the carbon
structure into long links-L.L.Carbon - they strengthened the compound to better resist the
chipping and tearing that occurs with conventional compounds. Silica is also added to
improve wet traction, especially in cold, wet conditions when conventional compounds get
brittle and lose grip. Through Bridgestone's comprehensive tire technology, they combined
silica with L.L.Carbon to get simultaneous improvements in both wear and grip. The Potenza
S-02 is covered by Bridgestones Platinum Pact Warranty. UTQG 140A. All see 215/40-17 - 24 lbs
(255-40/ZR17) on the rear.
[TS] Have Bridgestone 285/30/18 SO2's (not pole position) in that size on the back with 225/35-17 (Pole Positions)in the front. 10 and 8 in rims. No rubbing, no TCS/ABS problems at all. Plenty of grip! By the way 285/30-18 diameter is almost exactly the same as that of stock 17 in rear combo.
[Promotional Text] In the dry, the pertormance of the normal S-02 gets better with wear. However. with wear the tire's performance in the wet diminishes. To counter that problem, Bridgestone has developed the S-02 Pole Position. While still governed by the laws of physics, as the tire wears its wet-weather capability is maintained for a longer pediod of time. Although the tread patterns are not similar, the Pole-Position uses technology developed for Formula 1, specifically Long Link Carbon. The Potenza S-02 is covered by Bridgestones Platinum Pact Warranty. UTQG 140 AA A 215/40-17 - 22 lbs
[BH] I have been using the Pole Position for a couple months, and I have had one track day with them. I am using 225/35-17s on 17x8" rims on front and 255/35-18s on 18x10" rims on the rear. The tires are very grippy and appear to be wearing well, but it is too early to tell for sure as I have only 600 miles on them. It is difficult to tell how much of the performance gain over my oem set-up has come from the bigger/wider wheels and/or the S-02s, but I have been very happy with them so far.
[TS] I am a little surprised the rear tires (non Pole Position) are wearing rather fast. I have about 3K miles on them with no track time but one vicious Canyon Ball Run. They are about half and evenly worn. The front Pole Position look almost new. I have been very impressed by their handling characteristics.
[EC - 2000/8/3] I have them I my car and they wear EXTREMELY well...Love the look and tread pattern. They are hard to break loose. But, that may be because I have so much rubber on the ground. 225/35/18 front, 275/35/18 rear.
[CA - 2000/8/3] I have tried many tires, and there are not any better tires than the Pole Positions for the street in my oh so humble opinion. They may cost a bit more, but you get your moneys worth from handling, grip (wet and dry) and wear.
[JMA - 2000/8/3] I recently upgraded the wheels and tires on my 1992. I did what I think is a lot of research , and choose Bridgestone Potenza Pole Position tires. 215-40-17 front, 255-35-18 rear. They are fantastic. Low road noise, great wear so far, very sticky on dry surface, very good on wet, and look great. Best of all, they are priced right.
[TK - 2000/8/3] I have the Bridgestone S02 Pole Position tires (oversize, low profile, on 17 front, 18 rear) - love them. They were excellent at Laguna Seca, much quieter on the road than the OE Yokohama's, seem to be getting much better wear.
Directional tread pattern offers exceptional anti-hydroplaning performance and maximum dry grip and handling for high performance cars. Triple tread radius provides increased contact patch area during cornering for greater traction and control. Twin shift noise reduction for quiet performance sophistication. Jointless Nylon Band (JLB) overrlay for excellent ride uniformity and contact patch shape. Steel or Aramid lower sidewall stabilizer for responsive handling and road comfort. MFS Max Flange Shield rim flange protection feature on 17", 18", 19" and 20" sizes, and selected 16" sizes helps protect alloy wheels from curb damage. UTQG 200 AA Notes: Slightly less traction when warm on dry pavement, better wet traction,
better wear (last twice as long as OEM or more). 275/35-18 - 26.5 lbs
[JB] Last fall I couldn't get replacement OEM Bridgestones for the rears of my '94 NSX, so I went to a full set of Dunlop SP Sport 8000s. They make the stock size (for '94+ wheels) for the rears (245/40/ZR17) but I had to go to 225/40/ZR16 for the fronts (just about the same circumference as the stock 215/45ZR16 stock sizes). I have over 4,000 miles on them now including 4 days at the track of very hard driving, and they look new. Plus, they're very good in the rain. No problems with traction control or ABS. That's the good news. The bad news is that they do not have the grip of the stock Yokos or Bridgestones. For lack of a better description, they feel "squishy" up front--like I all of a sudden I had power steering, which I don't in my '94. And a little drama at a recent track event told me that the rears don't grip so hot either. I'm done using them at the track. I use stock '94 alignment specs in case you're wondering. My recommendation is that if you are looking for a street tire that wears well, is good in the rain, and you do not drive the car anywhere near its limits, then the Dunlops make sense. On the other hand, if you are an aggressive driver or plan on using the car at the track, I'd suggest not purchasing the Dunlops. A compromise I'm considering-- albeit an expensive one--is a second set of wheels with track tires (maybe R1's although size becomes a trick then) for track use with the stock wheels and Dunlops for street use. Either that or I go back to Bridgestones or Yokos for full-time use and then contend with the hassle and expense of replacing rear tires every 4-5K miles. Just can't have it both ways with the NSX, but I knew that going in. At least this has been my experience with the Dunlops.
[DHA] I have a 91 with the 94 & later Acura 7 spoke OEM wheels. I am running Dunlop SP8000's: F=225/40ZR16 & R=265/40ZR17. I am very happy with this combination.No TCS issues, and with the Eibach springs, I am pleased with the handling.
[DNG] I'm running SP8000 17/18 combo. They have about 10K on them. The fronts have about 5/8 tread left. The rears have about 1/2 tread left. Front camber is -1.5 and rear is -2.0. No track events, just some fun spirited drives. 215/40/17 (32 psi) Suprisingly, inner and outer wear are visually the same. When measured with a caliper, inner wear is about 3mm more. I was using 36 psi for the rears and that really wore down the center line. After switching to 33 psi, wear is even. At this rate, I'm looking at a ~15K+ life for the rears and ~25K+ life for the front.
[VB - 99/03/16] I have the SP8000s and have run three track events at Laguna Seca with them. Overall, I'm pleased with the grip. I plan on trying the SP8050s which are NSX specific. I've had the Yokohamas before and I find the ride of the Dunlops far superior. The only tire I'll buy.
[DO - 99/6/9] For the SP8000 on the track, I've had good luck with 32-34psi front and 35-37psi rear. Personally, I like the 8000s for driver's schools. They have nice audio feedback and are more controllable past their peak adhesion limit than sticker tires and they're cheap. I think they're a good option for beginner and intermediate drivers who want to sharpen their driving skills while still maintaining a good margin of safety. I think of them as "training" tires.
SP8000 Pressures[BC] I've had my SP8000 265/40/17 rears at 36 psi cold and they seem to have worn in the center a bit more than the edges, so 36 is probably a bit too much. The fronts (225/40/16) show even wear at 33 psi and have lasted an incredible 60k miles - the rears lasted less than half as long. I may try 33 psi all around for the next set of tires.
[DHA] I found that the SP8000's on my NSX, 265/40ZR17 for the rears, run best cold at 31 psi. Of course, I didn't follow a procedure as well thought out as Andy has written, but I did play around over a period of several days. Started out at 40 psi and that was very unstable. So, started lowering the pressures from that starting point. Drove the car to NSXPO (about 3,000 miles last year) and have driven a few more (many more) miles out in the country on southern Ohio back roads. The rears still look like new and grip best at 31 psi cold. Well, grips as well as SP8000's can grip. (had to say this for keN SaX <g> ).
[NM] I have validated these pressures [31 PSI] and notice that they work exceptionally well. I have also not perceived any additional tire wear as a result but other opinions welcome.
Dunlop SP8050Notes: Developed specifically for the NSX.
[SS] It's been raining pretty good here since late Saturday, or at least as good as NM
can get, and I have been having fun in my NSX. Sunday I found a long lonely stretch of
road near a newly planned housing development so I could get up to speed, and then hammer
the brakes to get the ABS system working. Did this several times, gotta keep those
solenoids Driving in the wet is fun. All you on A022, RE010s, Pzeros and MXX3s, loose them. In the same sense as you would loose an ex-wife. Change to Dunlop SP8050, oem sizes, designed specifically for the NSX. The SP8050s are great in the dry and great in the wet. Confident acceleration, braking and cornering, what more do you want? I keep telling you all, you just don't believe me. I don't know what its going to take. Try the Dunlops, Try the Dunlops, Try the Dunlops. Try the Dunlops.
[RL] SP8050s are simply better, IMO, than the stock Yokohamas, and they also ride noticeably better. They can even be a little cheaper to buy. But for NSXers to believe all that, they'd have to stop worshipping at the Yokohama altar. The common belief is that the Yoko's have some magical turn-in characteristic thanks to the way the belts are wound, and are therefore integral to the NSX formula. I'm not sure what kind of technology the 8050s use but I thought they felt just as good and I did use them at the track at NSXPO '97, but these are just subjective, non-scientific impressions. Personally, I never noticed any loss of quick turn-in switching to the Dunlops, only that the Dunlops seemed to handle just as well while being better in other regards. "Looks good on your car, Bob", seemed the general response. In my opinion, nothing was lost and two things were noticeably improved: 1) wet weather traction; 2) ride harshness and noise levels. I noticed these factors both when I switched to them, and then when I switched them off for a new set of Yokos (needed tires quickly and the Dunlops were out of stock) close to the end of the lease. Wear characteristics were about the same, in other words terrible When I went back to Yokos near the end of my lease, since I needed tires for Bridgehampton and I was able to get a set relatively cheap, my impressions were confirmed. If I had kept the car, I would have definitely gone back to the 8050's on the next set. Not that the Yokohamas are bad, I just found them harsh by comparison, worse in the wet, with no appreciable handling advantage. I was never impressed with the Yokos-- especially in the wet and/or cold where I found them pretty scary.
[SS - 99/6/10] Start with stock pressures, then adjust to your liking. This is my OEM type tire of choice. They squeal nicely on the track, giving plenty of warning before getting too loose. Order early, order often. Many times the 8050 is not readily available. Dunlop is not discontinuing them, they just make a batch, and wait a while until they make another batch.
215/40-17 - 19.2 lbs [MCA] I have been running the SP9000 tires since July, and have about 4000 miles on them so far. I like them. 265/35-18 on rear.
Goodyear Comp T/ANotes: Better in the rain than stock, slower steering response, maybe due to
softer sidewall.
UTQG 40-AC Notes: For either auto-cross or road racing; both are street legal DOT tires [BZA - 2000/12/18] I've been using Hoosier RS303 225/45/17 and 275/35/18 on Tecnomagnesio 17x8 and 18x10 wheels at the track. While they offer nice grip, they are thin to begin with and subsequently don't last very long. They also cost more than other track tires in the same sizes and therefore they have the highest cost per mile
[FCG] I think the Michelin Pilot Sport tires (UTQG: 220,AA,A) should be included in the the tire reviews section, particularly since they are one of the few tires with OEM tire sizes available for the later model NSXs. I just put on a set on my 1998 NSX-T Kaiser Silver and am happy to report on how I like them with a less aggressive alignment setup after I have put some miles on them. The cost was $884. incl. shipping from Discounttiredirect for all 4 in standard sizes.
The Pilot SX MXX3 is an Ultra High Performance Z speed-rated tire offering progressive handling with maximum responsiveness on dry roads and superior wet traction for the most demanding owners of the worlds exotic and ultra high performance sports cars.
Notes: [AT] I've changed to Michelin MXX3's when I got the newer 94 stock rims
and increased the size to 255x40x17". This larger size gave the rear end a lot more
adhesion in cornering even though I also changed to 94 specs in alignment settings. In
addition the thread design of the Michelin's seem to be very good in the dry and wet
conditions. I would never have a problem (and I have driven in the rain with them) with
these tires.
[WME] I now have about 12,000 kilometers on my 98 NSX coupe, the first 7,000 kilometers with the stock Yokos (the rears were completely worn), from then on with Michelin MXX 3 (Pilot SX). 225/45 ZR 16 front and 255/40 ZR 17 rear on stock wheels (including 200 kilometers on race track). The improvements: nearly no understeer, oversteer is easy to control, less treadwear, runs straighter at max. speed on the german autobahn, safer feeling in turns, 225 and 255 are cheaper here than the 215/245 combination, size change is legal (all in the papers), no bad effects on TCS or ABS, better track times than the Yoko competitors The disadvantages: Longer transmission ratio due to the larger diameter rear (acceleration is slightly slower), the feeling at fast steering is a little bit less sharp Conclusion: Get them if you can or at least try them (attention, there is also a Porsche version of this tyre, not recommended for our jewel)! UPDATE: I have now driven about 13,000 kilometers with them and have still profile - also on the rears. That means at least more than double the life of the OEM Yokos.
[WME] Sharp "turn in" may be good at low speeds but can cause problems at speeds over 120 mph. I make this experience now every day at the german autobahn because I'm driving a combination of tires that are not recommended for the NSX: Michelin MXX 3 225/45/16 front and Michelin MXX 3 N-1 255/40/17 rear on stock rims. The "N-1 (or-0 or -2)" means a Porsche-version of the tire while the MXX 3 without an "N" is okay for the NSX - unfortunately it is not available here for some weeks or months so I had to change to the "N". Don't take the N-versions (especialy not at the rear when you have the "normal" version in front). I tried that and it's really bad. The Porsche-versions have a much softer sidewall so the car feels very mushy especialy at higher speeds - the tires want to steer with you - very unsafe. The effect is extremely noticable: Much less steering to get in a turn, sharp reactions, but dangerous when you change tracks at high speed - with a tip of the finger you can come way too far to the right or left. With this particular tire combination you'll also notice a "counter steering" of the rear before the load is balanced again after a turn or a track changing - a very unsafe feeling especialy at top speed - a bit like you have marshmallows instead of tires at the rear. So I'll do a little bit slower for a while.... :-(
[WSC] I've been running Michelin MXXX3 285/35/ZR18's on the rears for the past year (-2 degrees camber, .35 degrees toe in), 235/40/ZR17's on the front (-1.5 degrees camber, .22 degrees toe out) with 17x8, 18x9.5in Technomagnesio wheels. I have also run the same setup with Forgeline wheels without difficulty although there is less clearance between the wheel spoke and the Brembo binders. Currently the Forgelines have Hoosiers on them for the track (275/35/18F, 225/45/17F). I have not encountered any problems with TCS. You may wish to reverse the rear tires (turn inside to outside by remounting them backwards on the wheels) after 5-6K miles since the stock negative camber and toe-in on the rear can wear the inside of the rears more quickly than the stock 16 or 17in wheels. You can only do this if the brand of tire is not unidirectional. I have not found significant problems with asymetric wear on the front however there is a little rubbing on the inside right fender liner when the wheel is turned all the way to the right (almost never). This has not caused a problem during routine street driving or at the track. IMO, they wear better than Yoks, but don't stick as well on dry pavement, also make more tire squeal on the corners. Wet traction particularly in heavy Florida rain appears to be better, particularly on the rears.
[KS] This appears to be the only high-performance tire (in addition to the three OEM-spec tires) that comes in the stock front size (215/45-16). The Michelin tire is also very expensive - around $216 front vs $185 for the OEM, $261 rear vs $216 for the OEM.
[BHU - 99/2/9] I use these for my street tires. PRO: great performance tires. CON: friggin expensive.
[TME - 00/1/14] I was using mxx3's, but now that they're discontinued, so i just
switched to michelin sport tires last month and they seem just as good. I got more mileage
out of the michelins than the oem bridgestones. i also felt more confident during turns
with them. with the oem tires it always felt like the rear end was about to break loose in
the turns.
Nitto 501[CA] They arent bad, havent had any other tires on the 17's and 18's so I have nothing to compare to.They wear good for a tread wear of 160, much better than stock, I would say easily twice the wear.
UTQG Rating: Treadwear 140 Traction A Temperature A Notes: About 9k miles on the rears, excellent handling except in wet. Pirelli
apparently has a new asymmetric tread design which improves wet pavement performance.
205/45 ZR16 front ZR17 rear.
P7000 "Super Sport"[From Pirelli Web Site; corresponds to "cutaway" diagram above] A. A central circumferential rib enhances the P7000 SUPER SPORT's steering response. B. Two deep circumferential grooves provide rapid water expulsion from the tread area. C. Numerous diagonal & circumferential grooves minimize hydroplaning. D. Strategically placed sipes improve winter traction and reduce noise generation. E. Multi-Polymer tread compound and dual fillers (silica & carbon black) increase treadlife and wet traction. F. Kevlar-reinforced bead areas deliver quicker steering input. G. Advanced carcass design promotes superior handling. H. "Z" speed rated for high performance speeds over 149 mph. UTQG Rating: Treadwear 320 Traction A Temperature A Notes: [ME] I have the 215/40/17 and 275/35/18 P7000 Super Sports and I love them, no road noise, great ride and best of all they hook up real nice when they get to temp! And last pretty long to from what i understand.
[JWI] I was looking for all season, high tread wear rating, high performance and low cost tires. After much research and 2 strong recommendations from fellow list members, I just purchased 2 Pirellli 7000 Super Sports for the rears on my NSX. I just got back from an exhilarating blast on Mulholland highway from PCH to Kanaan Dume Rd and I am VERY pleased. I have only had them for a week, but as far as I am concerned, they are perfect. I can't vouch for their wet weather performance or true tread wear rating (nominally they are high-- 340) yet, but they are grippy, quiet, comfortable, look great, and are inexpensive ($115 from Tire Rack).
P 7000 "Summer"[SB 99/4/11] Faced with the long backorder of desired sizes in the more mainstream
tires (e.g. Toyo Proxes, Dunlop 9000, Dunlop 8050) with the qualities I desired for my
daily driver - better ride, noise, comfort, and wet performance than the OEM Yokos, I
expanded the envelope a bit and had the Pirelli P7000 SUMMER (225/45ZR16, 255/40ZR17) I was able to find plenty of information and comments on the P7000 SuperSports, but to my knowledge this is the first information available for the P7000 "Summer". The SuperSports are a variant of the P7000, formulated with an all season compound and were the first to be brought to the US. More recently the european version became available, and the "Summer" designation is therefore frequently used to differentiate the two in the US. The tire is actually simply the P7000, and this is what the sidewall reads. In most comparison testing, the Supersport is noted for ride comfort, low noise, steering precision and response, but generally comes up short in ultimate dry pavement performance. Reasoning that this is most likely due to the compromises inherent to its all season compound, I felt that a summer compounded version would be a good possibility for my needs. I have Pirelli W210 Assimetrico's for the winter, and was pleased with their ride and noise, as well as their winter "performance". I had found the OEM Yoko A022's to be too harsh and noisy for a daily driver (especially here in the Midwestern freeze/thaw belt), although it's difficult to improve on their dry pavement performance for you trackies - at least in near 16/17 OEM sizes (at least as of this writing). The P7000's are MUCH quieter, and MUCH more compliant than the Yoko's, soaking up expansion joints, pavement patchings, and reasonable potholes. For those of us looking for these qualities, you will be very happy. Although I have not yet found their limits, I am very pleased with their performance as well. Steering is very responsive and precise, although perhaps not as instantaneous as the YOKOS (not unexpected - I AM accepting mild tradeoffs), and the car remains dead on (up to 100mph anyway) - no hunting. Cornering performance and transitional behavior seems more than adequate, but I'll report more when I have more experience. In summary, for those looking for a more "refined" summer street tire for their daily driver, which only marginally trades off ultimate dry performance for the attributes of ride comfort, noise, and wet performance, the P7000 "Summer" deserves serious consideration. Faced with availablity problems, I was nudged toward the Pirelli's. My only other consideration was the Yokohama AVS Intermeadiate, but I felt this was "dated" technology, and given the 30 day trial, trying the more contemporary P7000's would burn no bridges. Afterall, if noone pushed the envelope, we'd all still be living in caves - or driving Ferrari's.
[Promotional Text] The PZero system combines two different tires from a single design concept, for use in tandem or separately, according to the type of car, conditions of use and driving style. PZero Asimmetrico (Asymmetrical) - This tire represents the most complete and advanced answer to power control and transmission of torque to the road surface, with specialized features for the maximum in high cornering forces. PZero Direzionale (Directional) - A front position tire that solves the problem of wet surface roadholding and aquaplaning for high performance cars fitted with wide section width front tires. Directional Front-Asymmetrical Rear: For high speed use in variable conditions of wet
and dry. This configuration is particulatly suited to mid- or rear-engine cars, front
engined or rear drive axle cars with up-rated wide section wheels and Asymmetric Front and Rear: For high speed road and/or track use, where the requirement for dry surface performance may outweigh the demand for maximum resistance to hydroplaning in normal use. This configuration is well suited to cars with medium to narrow section front tires and is a must for front wheel drive cars and four wheel drive cars.
[HS] My Yokos wore out about 2:1 (r:f) -- about 5K on the rears. Then I switched to bigger, fatter PZeros -- current set is about shot at 13,000 miles, both front and rear wore out at the same time. I drive the car fairly hard. Stock '91 alignment -- fronts and rears both still have some meat left on their outter edges. While the mileage wasn't *that* much better than Yokos, the PZeros are quieter, softer riding, tons better in the wet, and JUST AS QUICK on the road or track (happy to prove it to anyone). These tires are 225/45/16 F and 265/40/17 R (proper f/r ratio for the TCS) -- for 8/10-inch wheels-- you can't even *get* Yokos that big. Use 32 PSI all around.
[DGA] I've a set of Pirelli PZero Asymetric 205/45/16 to the front and 245/40/17 to the rear and they are perfect for the rain and for dry weather too. I drive often at more of 180 km/h (115mph) under the rain and I've never had a problem (I hope that's going to continue). I've made 4000 miles with these tires and they seem like new. Pirelli P-Zero C racing slicksThese R compound tires can be hard to find in the US as many major distributors to not carry them. www.bobwoodmantires.com sells them.
[extexas@earthlink.net] I recently replaced my first set of tires on my 1996 NSX-T after getting on 6,400 miles on the stock Yokohamas on the rear. The fronts were also "cupping" and for the last 2,000 miles had been emitting an ever increasing howl at 55-65 mph in addition to the standard Yoko whine from the rears. The only modification on the car is RM Racing's Sport Spring set (highly recommended for final the final lowered look and the ride performance - dramatically reducing dive and lean while maintaining a very "streetable" ride.) I do not compete with the car, but drive very aggressively. After considerable review of all the aftermarket tires (and being a bit of a risk taker), I chose to install a tire about which little or no information existed relative to its performance on the NSX. The other motivating factor was cost... frankly, forking over almost $1,000 for tires every ~5,000 miles was not a welcome thought. Ordering through the Tire Rack (who dropped shipped directly to my dealer for installation and alignment), I installed Sumitomo HTR Z (not the Z2) tires in 225/45-16 on the fronts and 255/40-17 on the rears. Stock wheels were retained. The cost was an amazing $144.00 each for the rears and $103.00 each for the fronts. That alone would make you want to seriously consider them. But, the final outcome was totally unexpected. I have ridden on many NSX's with both standard and oversize rims sporting over a half
dozen different tires. The Sumitomos are the smoothest riding and absolute quietest tire I
have ever experienced. They are uncanny! The ride improvement on the highway was amazing.
the only word to describe it is silk! In comparison, a Lexus LS 400 comes to Steering response is more immediate over the stock Yokos and cornering much more predictable and with a very smooth transition from adhesion to slide with no apparent diminishment of overall of adhesion. I am ecstatic with this purchase. These qualities combined with a $494.00 total price for 4 make Sumitomos the bargain of the century. Highly recommended especially with aftermarket springs.
[KS- 99/2/13] I totally disagree with the recommendation above. These were on a set of wheels I bought, so I drove with them briefly. They are not very good. And IMO a bargain-priced tire with mediocre performance is no bargain at all.
[AWL - 99/2/9] Well, I agree with Ken on the Sumitomo HTR-Z's. I was the one who sold
my wheels with these tires
UTQG 200-240 AA/A A [TP] I recently installed a set of Toyo Proxes T1 tires on my 91. I have 92K miles on the car and use it as a daily driver rain or shine, logging about 70 miles a day. I live in the San Francisco area, and as you all know, we've had more rain in the last couple of weeks than we usually get in a year. During this period, I've driven in blinding rainstorms, high winds, slippery roads, and with crazy drivers. The Toyo's have been great! At highway speeds I've experienced no aquaplaning and the car tracks straight and true. Wet handling has really improved, with the car cornering at speeds approaching my dry performance and no TCS light! These tires literally transform the NSX in the wet. In the dry, the tires are not as grippy as the Yoko's (obviously), but overall I'm extremely pleased, and will buy them again. I amazed at the wear. Prior to installing the T1s I had my alignment set to 94 specs and now have 12K miles on the fronts and 6K miles on the rears with almost no discernable wear. Mine is a daily driver with about 70 miles per day rain or shine so I need a compromise between handling and wear. The wet performance is excellent and in the dry the T1s seem about 8/10ths as good as the Yokos, and I drive aggressively. All in all, I'm quite pleased with the Toyos and will buy again. The tires are 225/45-16 front (33 psi) and 245/40-17 rear (36 psi). I bought from a local dealer and paid about $180 each for the fronts and $205 each for the rears.
[MJ] I switched to TOYO Proxies T1. They seem to wear very well, no milage figures unfortunately as I hit a "road hazard" resembling a knife and ripped out the sidewall.
I just put Toyo T1+'s on my 93 (w/ 94 wheels) and I'm loving them. They stick and have
unbelievable sidewalls for handling turns. Supposed tohave a good wear rating as well.
excellent wet handling as well.
[JGL - 99/12/12] Just put new TS-1's on rear of 92 with 65K miles. I have tried several tires, and Toyo has outperformed all including Yoko's for much less money. The TS-1's look great, handle great in the wet, and have a 280 treadwear number. I have 16" fronts and 17" rears aftermarket Momo's. I got 22,000 miles on my last set of Toyo's on the rear--this is over 3 times the Yoko's.
[KH - 00/1/15] I have Toyo T1 Proxes.with -0.06" toe in fronts and 0.09" toe in the rears. Camber is -0.4 degrees front and -2.8 degrees rear. I have put 5,000 miles on them with these settings and cannot see that much (if any) wear, my wear bars are 3/8" to 7/16" from the outer tire.
[AWL - 2000/7/7] Try the new Toyo Proxes T1-S...I drove an NSX on the track with these, and they handle better than the older Proxes T1 Plus.
[Promotional Text] With the AVS Intermediate, state-of-the-art technology delivers an
exceptional ultra high performance driving experience. An asymmetric tread pattern
enhances dry traction and deep, wide center grooves allow Notes: [AVE] I have 13k miles on my [Yokohama AVS] tires, and can probably put one maybe two thousand more miles on the rears. I bought the fronts and rears at the same time. For the fronts, its the typical story of getting almost twice as many miles as the rears. I say almost because there is more wear on the inside shoulder as compared to a very uniform wear pattern on the rears. The tread wear rating is 160, compared to 200 on my previous Dunlop SP8000. Aligned to 1993+ specs. Front 225x45x16, Rear 275x40x17. 50/50 street/highway driving with a few track visits including one day at Mid Ohio during NSXPO '98. 215/40-17 - 20 lbs
[AWK] Yoko AVS Intermediate are great tires...similar in performance to Pilot's and Toyo Proxes T1's.
Promotional Text: AVS Sport is Yokohama's street version of their winning Formula Atlantic race rain tire. Its Y-shaped tread pattern featuring a continuous center block, reduces the amount of groove area, provides a larger contact patch, greater stability on wet surfaces and monster grip in the dry. You'll experience a sense of control that's like riding on rails. The even groove distribution of the AVS Sport's Y-shaped tread pattern improves drainage as much as 10% over comparable tires because water travels less distance to the groove. Sub-grooves on the shoulder's edge divide the large blocks and reduce the amount of outside tire noise. Our proprietary Super Performance Silica (SPS) ultra-high performance tread compound resists wear, maximizes dry grip and optimizes wet traction. Yokohama's innovative SofTech belt technology design enhances the AVS Sport's lateral grip to improve handling and riding comfort. Yokohama's jointless cap and layer construction, strengthened by a steel sidewall insert, effortlessly earns a Y-speed rating up to 186 mph UTQG 180 AA A in most sizes.
[TZ - 2000/8/3] Got about 17,000 miles on the set I just replaced. I ran 215/45/17 fronts 275/35/18 rear. I would have gotten another set (doesn't rain much in Las Vegas, 4" a year) but they don't make a 215/40/17 so at full lock the fronts rubbed. I decided to try the Bridgestone S02 Pole Positions this time. Rating 10 - Great to 1 - Bad Dry Handling (new) - 10
The Yokohama A032R is a new tire designed for the track and driving school
participants. They provide great grip with [FG] 1400 track miles, 4000 street miles (mainly highway) Fronts: 3/16" left, even wear Rears: 1/8"+ left, even wear. After having done back to back drives between A032R's on the pre-94 rims and the RE010's on the OEM 95 rims, my conclusion is that while the A032R's offer more grip, they are a little too progressive for me and because of the taller sidewall, you lose quite a bit more feel. I suspect that it is not as bad on the coupes. [HM] My A032R's visually have worn A LOT with only one track event. I run 235/40-17 and 275/40-17 on Forgelines. They do rub slightly in the front on full turns. Keep in mind they sound like truck tires between 40-55 mph! [BHU] I use pretty low pressures in my A032Rs but my alignment settings are non-stock. I used cold pressures of 25 front, 26 rear at my last event. [DH] I like them better than the OEM Yokos for the track. They will wear faster than OEM, but less than R1s, in my experience. They are pretty good in the rain. I get one track weekend and about 30 days of street driving. Or, if I just drive them on the streets only(which I am currently doing), I get about 4000-5000 miles or so on them. I was using 30 front, 32 rear for the street. [LE] I am currently running 225/50-15 and 255/50-16 A032Rs on stock '91 rims. Yes, I can feel the "taller gearing" in my acceleration vs. stock sizes. This is sort of annoying but I really only feel it at low RPM. So I guess that qualifies as a "con". Other "cons" are:
"Pros" include:
[PM] I ran the A032 a couple of weeks ago at Putnam Raceway (10 turn 2 mile course) for the first time. I was particularly impressed with the "songs they sang" powering through the corners. They did in fact provide a lot of feed back especially testing their rain capabilities at speed. The were easy to catch. After the event, we convoyed home in a massive downpour with the A032's on and made it without a glitch.
[HM - 99/6/9] I run 17 x 9.5 rims with 275/40 rears and 17 x 8 with 235 on the front with no problems. The fronts rub slighty on hard turns. (my car is also lowered) Very noisy tires.
[BHA - 99/11/11] Interesting musical note. Last night while driving my 92 with YokoA032s on it I found that by increasing and decreasing speed by a few miles per hour (from 44 to 47 mostly) that I could match the chord progressions of the CD I was listening to in terms of tire whine. So, if you are wondering just how pronounced the whine may be of these particular tires, let this be an example for you. Those Yokos really do sing.
[DOH - 2000/7/31] It looks like I'll be getting 4-5 one-day track events (at Gingerman) on my rears, including 300 mile round trips to the track. The fronts look as if they'll last at least twice as long. I'm running A032Rs in the OEM 15/16 configuration. I played with my alignment settings after my first event with these tires and increased my front and rear camber a little, which seems to be helping tire wear at the track without sacrificing street tire wear too much. Front: Camber -1 degree, toe -0.05" Rear Camber: -2.2 degrees, toe 0.08"
[KZ - 2000/7/31] The A032 Rs are a good initial R compound tire to take to the track.
Comparisons[AWL - 99/2/9] In order, my favorites for cost/value and great performance are:
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