GR Yaris Tyre for trackday & road

[Yohz78]

Hey,

My stock PS4S start to be too tired for upcoming track days this autumn. I'm going to kill them this summer then change for a few trackdays scheduled sept to november.

I used to have AD08R on my previous cars and absolutely loved them for road&track use. However, they are not for sale anymore in my country (neither are the AD09).

What would be a "modern" equivalent to AD08R ? Semi-slick or close to it that can handle trackday and a bit of water on the road when going to work. R888 or NS2R do not seem to be as capable as the AD08R for road use.

I read that modern CSC7 / PZ5 / PS4S can supposedly handle track abuse but I hardly believe it as I find the PS4S not sporty enough for B-road blasting already. They make a lot of noise, do not seem to handle temperature that well, do not have that much grip and the tyre wall are not rigid enough. Pressure are 2.7 F 2.5 R when hot. I don't want to lower them on road as I do daily the car so maybe this issue would disappear on trackday when I can play with pressure ?

I don't care about tyre comfort or noise. My car is fully stock except camber bolt. Best tyre I ever used was AD08R and I'd really love a similar tyre ...

 

[micsub]

Hey,

My stock PS4S start to be too tired for upcoming track days this autumn. I'm going to kill them this summer then change for a few trackdays scheduled sept to november.

I used to have AD08R on my previous cars and absolutely loved them for road&track use. However, they are not for sale anymore in my country (neither are the AD09).

What would be a "modern" equivalent to AD08R ? Semi-slick or close to it that can handle trackday and a bit of water on the road when going to work. R888 or NS2R do not seem to be as capable as the AD08R for road use.

I read that modern CSC7 / PZ5 / PS4S can supposedly handle track abuse but I hardly believe it as I find the PS4S not sporty enough for B-road blasting already. They make a lot of noise, do not seem to handle temperature that well, do not have that much grip and the tyre wall are not rigid enough. Pressure are 2.7 F 2.5 R when hot. I don't want to lower them on road as I do daily the car so maybe this issue would disappear on trackday when I can play with pressure ?

I don't care about tyre comfort or noise. My car is fully stock except camber bolt. Best tyre I ever used was AD08R and I'd really love a similar tyre ...

I tested the Yoko A052 on my GRY, bluffed by the exceptional grip on the wet and ofcourse excellent on the dry. Tire walls are nice and rigid, without any track did 8500 km with them.
Now I'm on PS Cup2, very good on the dry, haven't tested them on the wet yet, but I don't expect them to be as good as the PS4S on the wet.

 

[Yohz78]

I tested the Yoko A052 on my GRY, bluffed by the exceptional grip on the wet and ofcourse excellent on the dry. Tire walls are nice and rigid, without any track did 8500 km with them.
Now I'm on PS Cup2, very good on the dry, haven't tested them on the wet yet, but I don't expect them to be as good as the PS4S on the wet.

Hey,

Those two are definitely the better suited for my use given that AD09 is not available in 225 40 18. A052 is incredibly expensive so I'm looking at the cup 2 a lot, especially given the fact that GR used it as the reference semi slick when developping the car.

I'm going to a track on 12th of july (à Clastres )

My PS4S will probably be cooked afterward. Short list is :

- PZ5 - Pretty cheap at 100€ a corner. Excellent for winter rain, should be able to handle a bit of track work. Supposedly the best UUHP tyre of the moment
- PSC2 - More expensive, 170€ a corner, should allow to survive winter rain. Should be pretty good on track with raisonnable wear given using the right pressure.
- NS2-R Cheap semi slick at 92€ a corner, slower than PSC2 but a lot cheaper of should handle a LOT of track work. Should also survive winter rain.

I guess I'll decide after the trackday. If the stock PS4S are really too road oriented, I don't expect the PZ5 to be a major step-up. Depending on how it goes, I may choose the PSC2 if I want to be quicker or the NS2R if I want to do more trackdays ...

 

[MrSkubi]

If you don't see lower milage per set than AD08R as negative factor I'd highly recommend A052. From semi slicks which I've had chance to try (AR-1, CR-S, R888R) their performance on dry and wet is outstanding and for it's performance level is very compliant as road tire (For me it has noticeably more daily friendly sidewall than aforementioned tires) . One thing to watch out for is pressure during hot summer days especially on longer road trips as they tend to wear down quick if too hot.

 

[LittleMav]

I tested the Yoko A052 on my GRY, bluffed by the exceptional grip on the wet and ofcourse excellent on the dry. Tire walls are nice and rigid, without any track did 8500 km with them.
Now I'm on PS Cup2, very good on the dry, haven't tested them on the wet yet, but I don't expect them to be as good as the PS4S on the wet.

How would you rate the A052 against the MPSC2?

 

[banzai2]

I think the answer is to have two sets of wheels. Do not use expensive (original ) wheels and expensive track tyres on the road. Get a set of AR1 Nankangs or similar and put them on the std wheels for track use. Then use whatever works for you as an aftermarket road wheel and tyre. The GRY is so good on the road that the tyre is almost irrelevant.

 

[Michael Knight]

I think the answer is to have two sets of wheels. Do not use expensive (original ) wheels and expensive track tyres on the road. Get a set of AR1 Nankangs or similar and put them on the std wheels for track use. Then use whatever works for you as an aftermarket road wheel and tyre. The GRY is so good on the road that the tyre is almost irrelevant.

i think there is big difference on the steering feel between various tyres. my special set is with forged bbs and cup2. superb steering feel.
but it is all up to what you're after. maybe if you trash the car all the time on track stronger tire and less fancy wheel is better.
didn't like the numb steering feel and feedback of ns2r on track, wasn't talking much if grip was leaving the chat.

 

[Yohz78]

I think the answer is to have two sets of wheels. Do not use expensive (original ) wheels and expensive track tyres on the road. Get a set of AR1 Nankangs or similar and put them on the std wheels for track use. Then use whatever works for you as an aftermarket road wheel and tyre. The GRY is so good on the road that the tyre is almost irrelevant.

I do not really agree with you there. Original wheels are great, light and really nice looking. I 100% want to use them on the road and don't see any reason why I wouldn't. They are meant to be used. Keeping them clean and without scrap is on you. Mine are clinical.

I also agree with Michael that tyres are a huge part in the feel of the car. The main thing that bother me with PS4S for instance is the flex of the sidewall. You really lean onto them when pushing the car. Having bad tyres is one of the best way to make your car trash. I remember when I went from Toyo T1R to AD08R on my DC2. Totally changed the car. I was on the verge of selling it and it totally stopped me from doing it. With the T1R, it was one of the worst handling car I've ever had. With AD08R, it was definitely the best one.

I'll 100% use std wheels on the road with proper tyres. Michael has tested a lot of tyres and seems to like PSC2 a lot. I will probably give them a try knowing that GR developed the car with them as the benchmark semi. No wonder the feel is awesome with them.

What I do agree with you on however is that if I do end up doing trackdays a lot more than I actually plan to, I'll probably buy 17" wheels if it fits with wider semi slicks. For now, I wan't to keep the budget in check and look for a compromise, knowing that it is not optimal.
(Yokohama, please take my money and give me that 225 40 18 ADO9 !!)

 

[Heliomalt]

A052!

On twisty Swiss mountain roads, driven aggressively, they don't last long, after 3500km the outer tread is slowly disappearing at the front, but they are still ok at the rear. I'll probably change the front tyres at 4000km. Absolutely brilliant tyre, massive grip, no slipping, creates a lot of confidence and cornering speed is crazy, no comparison to a UUHP tyre.

 

[banzai2]

I do not really agree with you there. Original wheels are great, light and really nice looking. I 100% want to use them on the road and don't see any reason why I wouldn't. They are meant to be used. Keeping them clean and without scrap is on you. Mine are clinical.

I also agree with Michael that tyres are a huge part in the feel of the car. The main thing that bother me with PS4S for instance is the flex of the sidewall. You really lean onto them when pushing the car. Having bad tyres is one of the best way to make your car trash. I remember when I went from Toyo T1R to AD08R on my DC2. Totally changed the car. I was on the verge of selling it and it totally stopped me from doing it. With the T1R, it was one of the worst handling car I've ever had. With AD08R, it was definitely the best one.

I'll 100% use std wheels on the road with proper tyres. Michael has tested a lot of tyres and seems to like PSC2 a lot. I will probably give them a try knowing that GR developed the car with them as the benchmark semi. No wonder the feel is awesome with them.

What I do agree with you on however is that if I do end up doing trackdays a lot more than I actually plan to, I'll probably buy 17" wheels if it fits with wider semi slicks. For now, I wan't to keep the budget in check and look for a compromise, knowing that it is not optimal.
(Yokohama, please take my money and give me that 225 40 18 ADO9 !!)

Hi, my point was that a.) The std circuit wheels are expensive and unnecessary for fast road use as they can be replaced with cheaper wheels that will be way better than you need for a road car on the road. If you damage an orig wheel on the road it is expensive to repair or replace and other than looks it gives the car little performance benefit on public roads. However on a track day the orig alloys are much less likely to be damaged and their light weight will be an advantage. I understand that you may wish to use the orig alloys on the road as they look good. It becomes a trade off of style versus practicality. In the UK the roads are so shit that expensive wheels/all wheels will be damaged well before you get to explore the outer limits of your ultimate car tyre spec, assuming they are not stolen.

 

[Yohz78]

Hi, my point was that a.) The std circuit wheels are expensive and unnecessary for fast road use as they can be replaced with cheaper wheels that will be way better than you need for a road car on the road. If you damage an orig wheel on the road it is expensive to repair or replace and other than looks it gives the car little performance benefit on public roads. However on a track day the orig alloys are much less likely to be damaged and their light weight will be an advantage. I understand that you may wish to use the orig alloys on the road as they look good. It becomes a trade off of style versus practicality. In the UK the roads are so shit that expensive wheels/all wheels will be damaged well before you get to explore the outer limits of your ultimate car tyre spec, assuming they are not stolen.

Well I guess we live in a different environnement which means we have a different analysis. Here in France, lots of roads are windy enough and with a good enough quality of tarmac. I can definitely push the car 100% on some occasion, even on the road. So I want the original wheel also because of the driving benefits they give. Maybe if I were living in the UK I would share your analysis but here even the worst road are still good enough to not have any fear of damaging the wheel due to pothole ect.

Some night driving on some road which I wont reveal allow you to push the car safely too. I reach the limit of the PS4S on the road for instance, without putting myself or others in danger.

 

[Yohz78]

A052!

On twisty Swiss mountain roads, driven aggressively, they don't last long, after 3500km the outer tread is slowly disappearing at the front, but they are still ok at the rear. I'll probably change the front tyres at 4000km. Absolutely brilliant tyre, massive grip, no slipping, creates a lot of confidence and cornering speed is crazy, no comparison to a UUHP tyre.

This guy for instance may share some of my roads

Duely noted for A052, they definitely seems like one of the best tyres out there. Pretty good in the wet too. The cheapiest I found is 230€. Do you maybe have some good place to buy them ?

Else I may try either PSC2 or Potenza race (165€~each)

 

[Heliomalt]

Well, I live in the eastern part of Switzerland, far too far away from France, so the recommendation for my tyre dealer won't help you much.

I paid just under 900 CHF/964 € for 4 tyres including fitting, which was about 200 CHF/214 € per tyre.

 

[Yohz78]

Well, I live in the eastern part of Switzerland, far too far away from France, so the recommendation for my tyre dealer won't help you much.

I paid just under 900 CHF/964 € for 4 tyres including fitting, which was about 200 CHF/214 € per tyre.

That's pretty much the price here too. Found a 226€ each offer. I have a trackday booked the 12st, PS4S will be cooked afterward. I may try a052 ...

 

[Heliomalt]

Go for it and enjoy your trackday.

 

[Yohz78]

Well on the topic of PS4S, here is what it looks like under constraint during a right turn. PS4S are NOT good for track, sidewall is far too soft. Yes they can handle it, no they are not a sport tyre per se ... (this front tyre had 2.2 bar pressure hot)

 

[micsub]

Well on the topic of PS4S, here is what it looks like under constraint during a right turn. PS4S are NOT good for track, sidewall is far too soft. Yes they can handle it, no they are not a sport tyre per se ... (this front tyre had 2.2 bar pressure hot)

View attachment 36775

View attachment 36776

Definitely not a dry track tyre. Good road tyre, and can be used on track when wet.

 

[Onehp]

If you want cheap fun tyres, maybe try Valino drift tyres, 8mm full thread and made to last in the dry. And if you can get some heat in them, not terrible in the wet. Cold rain good for easy awd drifts. The Greeva 08D has quite some thread noise, haven't tried the Pergea 08C but was going to try them. Not ultimate grip or feel, but fun tyres. The Ebisu Matsuri, the hardest, allowed for dry awd drifts if one can get the rear diff to stay locked.

Just a very different suggestion for driving fun. Probably not very different to the NS-2R, maybe the Pergea 08C is a budget AD08R? Just guessing as haven't used that one...

Also used Cup2, they reminded me of the old Pilot supersport wet grip (the ones for sale are better compount then the original Cup2), keep in mind they start with less then 5mm thread new, so even if 225/40R18 is relative cheap size....

Oh, an alternative to the A052 is the Nankang CS-R, exists as 225/40R18, also not cheap and also a very quick dry tire. Find some comparison tests between them....

Just some random input...

 

[Michael Knight]

If you want cheap fun tyres, maybe try Valino drift tyres, 8mm full thread and made to last in the dry. And if you can get some heat in them, not terrible in the wet. Cold rain good for easy awd drifts. The Greeva 08D has quite some thread noise, haven't tried the Pergea 08C but was going to try them. Not ultimate grip or feel, but fun tyres. The Ebisu Matsuri, the hardest, allowed for dry awd drifts if one can get the rear diff to stay locked.

Just a very different suggestion for driving fun. Probably not very different to the NS-2R, maybe the Pergea 08C is a budget AD08R? Just guessing as haven't used that one...

Also used Cup2, they reminded me of the old Pilot supersport wet grip (the ones for sale are better compount then the original Cup2), keep in mind they start with less then 5mm thread new, so even if 225/40R18 is relative cheap size....

Oh, an alternative to the A052 is the Nankang CS-R, exists as 225/40R18, also not cheap and also a very quick dry tire. Find some comparison tests between them....

Just some random input...

Valinos are completely different tyres. Stiff as F, but very numb in steering feel. For tossing the car around they're great, but for driving (feel) pleasure I'd choose PS4S or Cup2.
Its the game if you want to enjoy slides vs. steering feel. Valinos on wet asphalt are fun.

 

[Michael Knight]

Not really sure if there is perfect tire for both street and track, its same game as with race car and road car - very difficult to get both things working. usually good track tire is terrible on road and vice versa. Cup2 is good compromise, though haven't tried newer models.