The 325's are the only size Toyo says will work with my GT C because the 315's have too low a weight rating. I'm also supposed to fill the 325's to 39 pounds instead of 36 because the weight rating is 102 and the factory calls for 103. Don't know if the GTS would have the same constraint.

 

The cup 2 is a better track tire all day long than the r888r

 

Why is anyone using the r888r when the trofeo r is available?

 

For straight line traction...R888R is much better than Cup2 and Trofeo R.

 

I agree, for straight line launches, it’s a better grip going forward. That’s it’s 1 and only advantage from the other tires you mentioned. For track duty, and all other dry handling it’s far down the list including comfort, noise, and wear although it’s about on par with the Trofeo R as far as wear. None of those tires are nearly as loud as the R888Rs.

 

Yes. This thread is about straight line launches.

 

Perhaps that and road noise. There is much more to consider than grip from 0-60.
having said that. The trade off isn’t really worth it. When you’re on a forum it’s good “if you can do this as a general rule” is to give the person asking the question the best answer forward. The R888R is not a good tire for cars above 3500lbs. It struggles with heavier cars due to the thin sidewall.”which makes it great for launches” It’s not great on the track, it’s wet weather handling is poor, it’s very noisy, it wears fast, but in a straight line it’s better than the others. Now I like to think I gave him as much info as possible than just saying the tire is good for launches. He needs to know the good and bad of the tire in question.

 

I already have them on the way. So I'll report back with my impressions after I get them on the car.

I don't track my car. I rarely take it on long trips (I trailer it to events). My fun is mostly short runs on weekends and evenings. I join friends for drag strip days and I have another friend who shuts down his airport a couple times a year so we can do 1/2 mile speed runs. I have a stage one tune so I have more torque than I can manage. So, this might be the tire I want.

If it isn't, I'll craigslist them and get different tires. No biggie, and I enjoy experimenting.

 

Report back. Always good to hear others experiences.

 

Value and tire life. A set of R888R are maybe $600 cheaper and more ‘streetable’. Agree that Trofeo’s (and Sport Cup 2’s) are quicker on track.

 

Tie life is about the same. Both are shaved. I wouldn’t call a louder tire that is poor in wet weather more “streetable” how is it a better street tire than the Trofeo R? These isn’t an auto manufacture that will use the R888R as optional equipment on their cars. The Trofeo R has been optional equipment on a few cars. Although I would hardly call the Trofeo a streetable tire, but it’s certainly more so than the R888R.

 

Have you had R888Rs on any of your own vehicles?

 

Yes, plus we have used them on our race cars.

 

So, here is report one: I had the tires mounted today, and I'm happy to report that the noise they make, while noticeable, is well within my level of tolerance, and I'm a real stickler about noise. In my GT-C, with the top down, I hear no tire noise at all up to 50 MPH. At 60 or so, you can hear some noise, but it is relatively low pitched (not a whine) and is forgettable. At 70 or more, the wind noise exceeds the tire noise, so no problem there. I might find the noise more noticeable with the top up, but I almost never drive with the top up.

The installer advised me not to accelerate sharply for 2 days to allow the wheel mounting lubricant to dry, or else I could spin the wheels within the tires and throw off the balance. That was a new one for me but it makes sense. So after I'm able to drive it at 100% I'll report again.

Also, the 325 30/20 fits perfectly even though the car comes with 305 30/20. Toyo recommends this size because they do not make a 305, and the 315 does not have sufficient weight rating.

 

how are the tires hooking up?

 

Noticeable improvement, but I have not had a chance to do any speed runs to see if the difference is measurable. One thing that is very apparent is the tires feel much more planted and stable at high speeds. With the stock tires the front end seemed a little squirrelly over about 90 MPH.

 

Mazspeed--Missed this earlier and I respect your opinion as a racer. For "streetability" purposes I do think treadwear is better for the R888Rs. As for rain, they are probably equally poor. I didn't factor in rain because I usually don't drive much in the rain. I don't find the R888R road noise to be nearly as offensive as the old R888's which are crazy loud. It's just a value thing for street use taking into account some economics. A set of rear R888Rs for my GT will cost me $450 more than the Pirelli's.