I know this subject gets done to death and I know the answer is A052s but if I don’t want to spend a grand on tyres right now what’s the options in S2 sizes these days now that AD08s are no more?
I currently have V105s on and although they are fine for the road most of the time, I just feel that (apart from the nut behind the wheel!) they are the limiting factor as to how the car performs - definitely on track, but even when pushing it a bit on the back roads.
I’m off to do a tour of the Pyrenees and Spain next month and I don’t want a tyre that is sketchy in the wet, so AR1 and R888R are likely off my list, so that leaves…
A052, CR-S, NS2R, 651 and some other odd one I forget the name of but they look like AD08s.
Out of that lot, the first two are pretty expensive so wondered what your thoughts are on the cheaper options?
I might just bite the bullet and get the best, but figure it’s worth asking anyway .
NS2-Rs get mixed reviews. I found them fine tbh. I’ve used AD08RS more recently and find them pretty similar. Now that these aren’t available, I suspect I will go back to NS2-R (I have some aging ZZRs for the very occasional dry track day I do with my Elise).
You should also note that CR-S are of dubious legality in Lotus (front) sizes as Nankang didn’t bother getting them approved in the UK. That doesn’t stop lots of people using them but, IMO, it does present a significant risk in the event of a large insurance claim.
Luckily I’m not in need of summer tyres currently and went for AD08RS last time which were good for the afternoon at Silverstone, having ditched R888Rs as apparently they are still made of road compound just cut with different tread pattern and depth; I.e. they’re sold on looks!!! Faced with your dilemma I would probably go with Toyo Proxes TR1. My Indy specialist used to be service manager at Lotus service centre for over 20 years, reckons on TR1s across the board. Good news is they are not mad expensive, available in multiple width/profiles for 16s. So if you take them on your road trip and don’t like them they’re still less than a track day when you add in circuit fees, fuel and insurance?
Are TR1’s better than the old T1R’s and would you consider them superior to V105’s?
As an aside, the V105’s that are on now are still perfectly serviceable with plenty of life in them, so will easily do my Spanish trip, thus I am only looking to upgrade them rather than replace with similar.
I’ve never driven a car on V105s so I won’t pretend to know how they compare relatively. But the TR1 is alleged to have better wet performance than its predecessor. By if the V105s are ok… I’d stick with them and consider when they need replacing, you may find more options become available again when you move into 2026.
I’m not going to dispute it one way or another, but I’ll say I’ve never heard of this before and I’ve had R888R tyres on S2 and S3 Exiges over the years and they are a solid track tyre. They stick like sh*t, can handle extended stints on track and are a dependable tyre on the limit (which is quite high). Conversely, my AD08RS on my old S2 Exige were decent for a couple of laps, but soon overheated and felt like driving every corner on grease until you back off for a lap… Each to their own, and people like what they like, but I’m just saying that - objectively - the R888R certainly doesn’t drive like a road tyre with a different pattern, it drives like a UHP track tyre and I’ve never heard anyone suggest otherwise?
Maybe it’s driver style… I’ll agree that the R888Rs were very sticky but I found on a hot Silverstone track they wore very quick. They were also not at all great in the wet which was one of the OPs original considerations. I lament the R1Rs which were the best of compromises, sticky compound but good channel tread so you didn’t feel like Bambi on ice in a sudden summer down pour.
I used to run R1Rs and then R888Rs on my Westfield. I found the R1R to be a good all-rounder but preferred the R888R - although this could never be an objective comparison because I changed to the 888s at the same time I changed from 15” to 13” wheels and swapped to different uprights, which changed the geometry quite a bit!
I did have more than a few arse twitching “moments” with the 888s in standing water and on damp greasy corners though, hence preferring something with better wet weather performance for a 10 day road tour. I may just stick with the V105s for the tour and fit some A052s or CR-Ss next season - after all I will need that £1000 for fuel and beer!
Am watching this thread with interest. I have the A052s for dry track and Uniroyal Rainsport 5 for wet track and road and they are very good in the damp and wet being predictable and decent wet grip. Soft sidewalk though so you have to run higher pressure to get more stiffness.
Am wondering if there is a better option than the Rainsports without giving up the wet grip.
