First report on the Toyo T1R.
07-12-2005, 10:00 PM
#1
AudiWorld Uber User
Thread Starter
First report on the Toyo T1R.
Yeah, they aren't really broken in so things may change as time and miles pile up, but here are the initial impressions:
The tire shop had to struggle a bit to put them on, as the bead and sidewall are quite stiff. Speed Merchant in San Jose does a nice job without scratching wheels and they use the Hunter GSP9700 balancer, so things stay balanced no matter the speed.
Feedback is much improved. It relates the texture of the pavement to your hands much more readily. It felt like a suspension bushing upgrade that takes away some of the vagueness.
The ride firmed up a fair bit. Maybe within 90% of Sport package firm. Now instead of waiting for the sidewall to flop over in a corner, and then the suspension to to take a set, you can feel the suspension doing the work.
Turn-in is much more immediate and inputs can be made more precisely.
There is no tramlining (following grooves in the road) at all. From day one, the Pirellis would wander and ****** at all pavement seams and grooves. Tonight I deliberately ran over some stuff that used to have the car dancing back and forth like a boxer dodging a punch, and for once the steering wheel wasn't fighting to get out of my hands.
Noise levels are comparable to the Pirellis, but different. Deeper on some surfaces, but whisper quiet on others. The Pirellis made a higher pitched hum - but more consistantly over all surfaces and speeds.
If you're looking for a touring tire, don't get the T1R. This is an obvious improvement of the T1S towards the sportier end of the scale. I'll report more as they break in and I get some seat time in the twisties.
The tire shop had to struggle a bit to put them on, as the bead and sidewall are quite stiff. Speed Merchant in San Jose does a nice job without scratching wheels and they use the Hunter GSP9700 balancer, so things stay balanced no matter the speed.
Feedback is much improved. It relates the texture of the pavement to your hands much more readily. It felt like a suspension bushing upgrade that takes away some of the vagueness.
The ride firmed up a fair bit. Maybe within 90% of Sport package firm. Now instead of waiting for the sidewall to flop over in a corner, and then the suspension to to take a set, you can feel the suspension doing the work.
Turn-in is much more immediate and inputs can be made more precisely.
There is no tramlining (following grooves in the road) at all. From day one, the Pirellis would wander and ****** at all pavement seams and grooves. Tonight I deliberately ran over some stuff that used to have the car dancing back and forth like a boxer dodging a punch, and for once the steering wheel wasn't fighting to get out of my hands.
Noise levels are comparable to the Pirellis, but different. Deeper on some surfaces, but whisper quiet on others. The Pirellis made a higher pitched hum - but more consistantly over all surfaces and speeds.
If you're looking for a touring tire, don't get the T1R. This is an obvious improvement of the T1S towards the sportier end of the scale. I'll report more as they break in and I get some seat time in the twisties.
07-12-2005, 11:22 PM
#4
twisties like this..
<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/92030/canyon_road_2.jpg"></center><p>Note the two cops doing their rounds looking for hell raisers like us on a weekend. This was snapped by someone during an M3 meet a few years ago. Lol. ;-)
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07-13-2005, 12:49 PM
#9
I second that. Good info. I'm wondering about the
Michelin Pilot Sport 2 setup. I haven't done research but I assume they have the appropriate size to fit our A3. I know they're bucks though.
April, how much did you pay for your Toyos?
April, how much did you pay for your Toyos?
07-13-2005, 03:25 PM
#10
AudiWorld Uber User
Thread Starter
Have to check again, but list is somewhere around $135 each. Edgeracing or Tread Depot
usually the least expensive.
I will tell you up front that I get a small break on pricing because we run the Toyos at the track with plenty of advertising on the cars. But I have tried most other tires before settling on Toyo. Had the original Pilots. From a handling standpoint, they turned the car into a go-kart. Very confidence inspiring. However, rather loud and harsh for daily use. Can't tell you about PS2. The SO3 was a huge disappointment, being exceptionally loud and crashy, while not giving any better times than the Toyo T1S at the track. You'd wince in anticipation of every bump.
I will tell you up front that I get a small break on pricing because we run the Toyos at the track with plenty of advertising on the cars. But I have tried most other tires before settling on Toyo. Had the original Pilots. From a handling standpoint, they turned the car into a go-kart. Very confidence inspiring. However, rather loud and harsh for daily use. Can't tell you about PS2. The SO3 was a huge disappointment, being exceptionally loud and crashy, while not giving any better times than the Toyo T1S at the track. You'd wince in anticipation of every bump.