Semi Slicks - Recommendations?

[85AW20v]

Who uses what? Looking for something in 14" for the AW. Got 14 x 6" rims so 185/60 of 195/55 or 50 would be good. Would prefer something that will last more than a season so nothing too soft.

And anyone with hookups?

[Bazda]

Toyo R888 or Nitto NT01.

IMO The R888s have better traction but the Nittos are alot less in $$.
Nittos useless in the wet though as hasnt got much of a tread pattern.

R888s are a better all round tyre.

[holden_fan2005]

Yep I run a r888 and they seem to be going well. I was really blown away with their wet performance but I haven't had much experience other than the r888s.

Pays to have a mate in the scene to get their price down!!

[2jayzgte]

Slightly off topic but I to am looking at possibly a semi or a good wet weather road car tyre in a 17 275 at the rear and a 255 upfront.

At this stage I'm leaning towards a Falken 452 in those size's does anyone else have any low down on any other tyre brands in these sizing.

My favourite all time tyre the Goodyear GSD3 F-1's are no longer available so that sucks and the Asymetric don't make them in those sizes so I'm screwed and have to go for another brand.

[pureadrenalin]

Toyo R888 or Nitto NT01.

IMO The R888s have better traction but the Nittos are alot less in $$.
Nittos useless in the wet though as hasnt got much of a tread pattern.

R888s are a better all round tyre.

I tend to agree.
R888 slightly better (but only very marginally) than the NT01's in the dry.
Both great in a little bit of rain. I'm really enjoying the amount of grip I have with my NT01's in the wet.
I've yet to try the NT01's in a heap of water yet tho. My old R888's did perform well in very wet conditions. Far better than I thought they would.


Its a pity Toyo have priced the R888's just below Dunlop’s now.
They used to be hand's down the best grip/$$
Now I'd say the Nitto NT01 is the best value.

[CAMB01]

I'm using a medium comound R888 on my EVO at the moment. Good for short sprints like hillclimbs etc. Sucked on the track as they got hot too quickly and melted. High grip sprints like Port street sprint here in Wellyz they are pretty much on the limit for getting too hot by the last corner.
But my car is heavy and 4wd.
Would be absolutely awesome in a lightweight 2wd Toyota.

Chelles is using NT01's on her Mirage at the moment, and I found them awesome grip wise through the corners. Could not get the rear to snap out. Mirage weighs 930kg without driver.

[2jayzgte]

Has anyone heard any decent review's or experiences with NT05's by chance??

[touge_ae101]

Find yourself some 15" wheels as you won't find either r888 or nt01 in a 14.

I vote nt01 never really been impressed by the r888 they have a yuck feeling and can very easily be over driven causing excessive heat and end up breaking down a strip about 1/3 of the way through the tread in my experience.

nittos are good in mild wet conditions but when there is a lot of standing water even an r888 is going to cut the mustard and you're better off having a set of full wets.

If you're going to spend r888 money now they are more expensive you would be much better getting the dunlops. their compounds are really good and i was impressed with them even though i tried them in pouring rain, bald as $&#$% and a unfamiliar car and they were great!

Funily enough toyo owns nitto anyway and the compound is the same rubber but less tread grooves which is always a good thing for a semi by having less block movement and therefore less heat gets generated.

[DRFTIN]

Funily enough toyo owns nitto anyway and the compound is the same rubber but less tread grooves which is always a good thing for a semi by having less block movement and therefore less heat gets generated.

you hear this story a lot, then people say its a different compound. which is really true? who knows

there is a 205/55 14 NT01 listed now, would assume they stock it but i havent tried

[Frogo]

Neil's Wheels in Wellington managed to get me 14" R888 185/60. I'm more of a casual racer (if theres such a thing!) but was the best upgrade on my car by far. Yeah price was the only down side.

[diss7]

Palmside have nittos in 14's.

[diss7]

Maybe of interest, I have a fair few 195/50/15 Achilles 123 Semi slicks. I bought quite a few of them for the ae86, but I'm more than certain that they are going to be far too narrow for the power it's going to put out.

Just thought I'd mention it before you go and sink $250 - $300 a tyre on something, as I'll be selling mine for around half that.

[dnalunchie]

Slightly off topic but I to am looking at possibly a semi or a good wet weather road car tyre in a 17 275 at the rear and a 255 upfront.

At this stage I'm leaning towards a Falken 452 in those size's does anyone else have any low down on any other tyre brands in these sizing.

My favourite all time tyre the Goodyear GSD3 F-1's are no longer available so that sucks and the Asymetric don't make them in those sizes so I'm screwed and have to go for another brand.

+1 used to put those GSD3 F-1's on everything, dam they were stick when you got some heat in them, not great in the wet but AMAZING in the dry. Only down side was when you pushed them hard they worse very quick, went through a (front) pair in 8000kms on a 6 speed levin once.

[2jayzgte]

Slightly off topic but I to am looking at possibly a semi or a good wet weather road car tyre in a 17 275 at the rear and a 255 upfront.

At this stage I'm leaning towards a Falken 452 in those size's does anyone else have any low down on any other tyre brands in these sizing.

My favourite all time tyre the Goodyear GSD3 F-1's are no longer available so that sucks and the Asymetric don't make them in those sizes so I'm screwed and have to go for another brand.

+1 used to put those GSD3 F-1's on everything, dam they were stick when you got some heat in them, not great in the wet but AMAZING in the dry. Only down side was when you pushed them hard they worse very quick, went through a (front) pair in 8000kms on a 6 speed levin once.

I found the opposite they were lights out the fastest tyre I used in the wet at Manfield.Even managed a 1.24 in the rain there once.

I have yet to use a tyre that has come close to those Goodyears in the wet I found them eye openingly good.

[wde_bdy]

I have yet to use a tyre that has come close to those Goodyears in the wet I found them eye openingly good.

Fantastic wet track tyre, hopeless on a dry track. My girlfriend destroyed a virtually new pair on the front of a Mazda Demio in one track day.

Callum

[Grrrrrrr!]

ditto, went from g-grid IIs to GSD-3s, wet grip was fantastic, have to agree with them going off on the track pretty easy tho.
Still have a set of 17s in storage, but probably getting a bit hard and crusty by now, will see how they work on the mr2 once I get the rims cleaned up.

[rollaholic]

Maybe of interest, I have a fair few 195/50/15 Achilles 123 Semi slicks. I bought quite a few of them for the ae86, but I'm more than certain that they are going to be far too narrow for the power it's going to put out.

Just thought I'd mention it before you go and sink $250 - $300 a tyre on something, as I'll be selling mine for around half that.

shame you are in chch, i woulda been into that for the mx5

[Luke - BZG]

I'm running nitto NT01's and had a great track day with them in early feb, will be running them again at manfield next weekend. Even when I let the air pressure get way too high they still gripped well. I've heard that r888's might be slightly better, but the price difference was pretty substantial and not worth it IMO.

Also a lot of people say as the NT01's wear down they turn into more of a full slick than semi-slick and you get more grip. A few of the tread grooves are only a few mil deep, and there is plenty of rubber below that.

[xsspeed]

Achilles were pretty cheap through goddyear timaru for a while. I and lots of guys I know got them for $529 delivered in 195/50/r15

http://yellow.co.nz/y/goodyear-auto-service-timaru

Edit, thats $529 for a set of 4

[rollaholic]

what are they like in the wet? you'd almost be tempted to put them on road cars at that price