I ran Toyo R888s on a 987S Boxster, sizes 245/40/18 and 275/35/18 all last season and loved them. They were an order of magnitude faster than PS2s, and noticeably faster than RE11s or Dunlop Direzzas (which I ran in 2009). They are communicative enough for the track, not nearly as "talkative" as street tires which I like. They're fairly progressive at the limit, they don't just jump up and bite though you're going to have to feel them more and hear them less. Never ran them wet so can't comment there, and I trailered the tires to the track so never paid attention to noisiness.

They don't like high pressures; I experimented with pressure quite a bit (read on one forum to use VERY high pressures in the 40s cold -- that wasn't good on the Boxster). Hot pressures in the 34-36 range produced tire temps in the 170-180 range which allowed the fastest, best-feeling, and most repeatable laps.

I'm gonna try a set of NT-01s this coming spring to compare, since they're $200 or so cheaper for a set. I increased the size of the rear tires to 275/40/18 to better match the difference in circumference, front to rear, of stock tires.

 

Any updates on the Nittos?

 

Sorry for the revival, but I have a question for the people who have used R888 AND NT01. How was the durability; someone made the good point that the R888s can be swapped around to extend life, but how are the NT01's in terms of lifespan?

 

the nittos can be swapped sideways on the wheel to extend life. they lose some grip over time but for de and "for fun" track days they are truly amazing. best bang for the buck is nt01. and you can drive to the track and back on them.

 

I just ran NT 01s for the first time on my 997C2S. I had lots of good track time with them on my 987 Boxster S in the past.

They worked great, same predictable feel and stick.

I Do have a major issue that is related to the sizes I am running. When pushed hard the DME computer does not like the size ratios that I am running and puts the car in a limp mode. The error code comes back as a "Torque Comparison" error code. I'm running 245 40 18 front and 315 30 18 in the rear. (only tire sizes near Porsche 997 available).

I was able to run by using the "normal" suspension mode, and turning off the PSM. Turning off the PSM is not such a big deal, but having to run in the "soft" mode of the suspension setup really sucks. (NOTE: running with the PSM off: I am an experienced HPDE instructor/coach and can handle the car just fine w/o mother computer's help)

 

Get a se of the NT555RIIs for the rear - correct diameter for 997s, same compound as the NT01, directional/flippable a la R888s. Have five weekends (Sears Point and Laguna Seca) on a set (flipped at 4), still have vestigal tread pattern visible though I wouldn't want CHP taking a look...

 

Sorry if this is a dumb question- was the problem due to greater width of the tire causing more torque than the computer expected, different diameter of the tire, or change in ratio of width from front to back?

Trying to figure out what size to put on these OEM 18s that won't cause a problem.

 

Diameter - 996s ran equal OD, 997s require a ~4% difference (~1 in) between front and rear to keep systems happy (PSM, ABS, diff for C4). If you want to run Nittos you can't do NT01s F&R unless you want to drop to a 275/40 (26.6 OD) paired with 235/40 (25.4 OD) or 245/40 (25.5 OD).

 

888 is a great track tire that gets better and better as they wear down to the cord. Run em!

 

I picked up a set of R888's for track use late last year so I could save my PS2's for the street. Both sets mounted on hollow spokes, 18x8.5 and 18x11. I ran the R888's at one end of season event and loved them. Noisy getting to the track, but very grippy on the track. I ran mid to high 40's pressure hot based on advice from another experienced driver and they were ok. Based on this thread, I'll drop them down to 36 - 38 psi for next event.

 

Hello group
i finally got my 930 all set up. I have full track allignment and the car is corner balances and all the ERP 935 goodies in it. I am running R888 265/35/18 and 315/30/18 back. The wheels are CCW 18x10 front and 18x12 back.

In past i use to run around 40 psi hot even at times 42 psi when i had the Falken RT-615 tires.

Reading all above comments, wondering on tire pressure for the R888. What do you guys think for front and also for back. I use to have a little more in the back tires then the fronts.

Would be interested to hear from all of you guys.

 

I usually run the pressure 3-4 psi lower when cold so they work there way up to what Porsche recommends . I feel that works best for me at the track and auto cross.

 

The Toyo website recommends 32 - 38 hot.

http://toyotires.com/tire/pattern/pr...petition-tires

I run them at the track on my 997s and found good balance with 34 in the front and 36 rear hot. Any higher and they give up some grip. Also if you run them really hard they get to hot and give up grip.

 

Some interesting information on the Toyo R888

Shaving The R888 was designed to be raced on at full tread depths (6/32nds). In back-to-back testing, a full tread depth R888 is faster than an RA1 that has been shaved to 4/32nds. Racers looking to maximize wear life should strongly consider using the R888 at full tread depths. The R888 can also be shaved for an increase in performance, but less remaining tread means less usable life.

Air Pressure The R888 can be used at lower hot pressures as compared to the RA1 because of its design. Decreasing the air pressure will improve contact pressure and footprint shape. A recommended hot pressure range is 32 – 38 psi. For a light weight vehicle such as the Spec Miata, 32 psi hot is a good starting point.

Tread Temperatures The optimum tread temperature for the R888 is 160°F to 220°F. Below 140°F and above 250°F the tire may not provide sufficient grip. Generally there will be a 25°F temperature gradient from inside to outside shoulder, with the inside shoulder being the hottest. Most distance and time on a race track is in a straight line therefore, the inside shoulder is hottest because of negative camber. The same temperatures across the tread face should not be expected. Understand the track layout before pit entry. If for example there is a long right hand turn before entry, the left tires will be hotter. Take tire temperatures and pressures after a few laps to get the temperatures and pressures stabilized and come in after a hot lap.

Camber To maximize the potential of the RA1 a lot of negative camber might have been required. The R888 on the other hand produces more camber thrust at the same camber angles as the RA1, therefore less negative camber might be beneficial. Reducing negative camber will improve contact pressure distribution across the tread face improving wear. Start at -2.5° in the front and -3.0° in the rear. Analyzing the tire temperatures, wear, and chassis behavior will help you dial-in the optimum camber for your setup.

Front Toe One of the benefits of the increased stiffness of the R888 is the improved steering response over the RA1. Setting the front with a little to zero toe out will likely improve wear life, straight line speed, and stability with minimal sacrifice to steering response. The exact setting will vary depending on driver and situation.

Driving Due to the higher cornering performance compared to the RA1 a driving style with less slip (steering) angle is possible. As shown in the chart above the R888 is generating more cornering force at a typical 4 degrees of slip angle. The RA1 would require more slip angle to generate comparable forces. The R888 will be quickest when it is not sliding too much or being over-driven.

Graining The following are reasons why race tires grain:
The tire was not properly brought up to working temperature. This will cause the tires to slide and not adhere to the track surface.
Low track temperatures will not allow tire to come up to proper working

temperatures.
A vehicle that is setup poorly in suspension or alignment.
If graining is seen on the front tires the car may be understeering. The front tires are not generating enough grip (or rear tires may be generating too much) therefore the front tires are sliding creating this wear pattern. Graining will contribute to poor grip and sliding which can cause more graining in an endless cycle

 

I love my r888, yes they are noisy but I know when push comes to shove they'll stick like glue. It's funny how some guys expect a tire to be like a slick, perfect on the rain and be silent while costing under $200. Something has to give,ladies