The Official Polo Tyre Thread

[VWindahouse]

Pretty cheap too considering

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....D08R&tab=Sizes

[noone]

The Official Polo Tyre Thread

Love my RSR's on the front, can't compare them to anything tho

[Diesel_vert]

So... Given the following, how would you dress the car? Rim size width and offset, tyres... I'm leaning toward 16in to maintain the tyre profile. Yokohama Neovas are available in a 215/45/16

Polo GTI at Stage 3 tune,
Standard wheels with Michelin Pilot Sports at around 50% tread (ok, but not exceptional)
Standard brakes
Ever so slightly lowered with HR springs and FSD Koni, although I may change again
Will go to the track in the future, currently embarrassing sport bikes in NSW National Park...
Driven about 5000km a year, and any tyre short of a true road legal race tyre will be acceptable
To go to a 'better' size tyre a rim swap will probably be required at least in width and offset, also acceptable.

For someone chasing ultimate performance, I think that any change in wheels should be dictated by the level of grip and performance you want from the tyres, which in turn, depends on tyre availability.

The Toyo Proxes R888 should have a much softer compound than the Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 (the R888 is in a different performance category after all) so it should work better on the track.

The R888 is available in 205/40 R17 84W XL, so you should aim to get a 8.0 J x 17 wheel (or make do with 7.5 J x 17 depending on what fits).

Otherwise, keep the stock wheels, fit AD08 tyres in 205/45 R16 83W, and use the money saved on other mods.

I don't see the point in changing to wider 16" wheels, because you end up fitting the same AD08 tyres (even in 215/45 R16). If you're going to the trouble of changing wheels, make it worthwhile - go 17" & R888.

[Eddy]

Hoyhoy.

Now what I'm going to quote here is only my opinion & is from what I have experienced.

For 215/40R17 semi's there are a few now, my choice whould be either
Federal 595RSR
Yokohama AD08

Anthony, there not the real deal compared to semi's or tracky's, just have a feel of the side walls between the two.
Don't get wrong here, the tyres you mention are great for street & track, but, I say but because you are going to great lengths to gain future minimal fractions of seconds in circuit times when the tyres can gain ya a lot more in times than what you are doing @ present.
Please take no offense of what I'm saying.
I run RSR's for the street, love them when I do drive on the road & I've had Yoko's AD07's which are great also.
Here I ago again & say, BUT, but there is a time difference between these classes of tyres when ya hit the track.

For someone chasing ultimate performance, I think that any change in wheels should be dictated by the level of grip and performance you want from the tyres, which in turn, depends on tyre availability.

The Toyo Proxes R888 should have a much softer compound than the Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 (the R888 is in a different performance category after all) so it should work better on the track.

The R888 is available in 205/40 R17 84W XL, so you should aim to get a 8.0 J x 17 wheel (or make do with 7.5 J x 17 depending on what fits).

Otherwise, keep the stock wheels, fit AD08 tyres in 205/45 R16 83W, and use the money saved on other mods.

I don't see the point in changing to wider 16" wheels, because you end up fitting the same AD08 tyres (even in 215/45 R16). If you're going to the trouble of changing wheels, make it worthwhile - go 17" & R888.

You obviously haven't experienced tracking with the R888's,,, I've tried this size in particular & I would say that it is in a class lower than the RSR's which I had both on @ the same time. (front & rear)

Like I say, what I put up here is only my opinion.

P.S. I'll be quiet on this subject from now on, unless asked.

[Diesel_vert]

You obviously haven't experienced tracking with the R888's,,, I've tried this size in particular & I would say that it is in a class lower than the RSR's which I had both on @ the same time. (front & rear)

Interesting, as you're not the only one who have had less than ideal experiences with the R888s on this forum. I've also read comments regarding its (over)sensitivity to inflation pressures.

I run RSR's for the street, love them when I do drive on the road & I've had Yoko's AD07's which are great also.

You know, I wonder if Bullet Fast would be better of with a set of AD08 tyres in 205/45 R16 83W, rather than full-blown track tyres? IMO, that would negate the need for new wheels.

Like I say, what I put up here is only my opinion.

Such is the nature of tyres, naturally. What suits one car or driver may not suit another.

I'll be quiet on this subject from now on, unless asked.

I don't see why not. I like to think that we value first-hand experiences and feedback, particularly when it comes to track tyres, and particularly when people take the time to express such views.

[kaanage]

Interesting, as you're not the only one who have had less than ideal experiences with the R888s on this forum. I've also read comments regarding its (over)sensitivity to inflation pressures.

Yeah, a TDi guy said they feel like AIDS.
But then Peter Jones found they were fine on his white MkI track Golf - maybe they're best on light cars?

You know, I wonder if Bullet Fast would be better of with a set of AD08 tyres in 205/45 R16 83W, rather than full-blown track tyres? IMO, that would negate the need for new wheels.

He doesn't want to go to larger wheels, anyway. He thinks 16's would be faster than 17's for the same brand/pattern.

[VWindahouse]

Hoyhoy.

Now what I'm going to quote here is only my opinion & is from what I have experienced.




Anthony, there not the real deal compared to semi's or tracky's, just have a feel of the side walls between the two.
Don't get wrong here, the tyres you mention are great for street & track, but, I say but because you are going to great lengths to gain future minimal fractions of seconds in circuit times when the tyres can gain ya a lot more in times than what you are doing @ present.
Please take no offense of what I'm saying.
I run RSR's for the street, love them when I do drive on the road & I've had Yoko's AD07's which are great also.
Here I ago again & say, BUT, but there is a time difference between these classes of tyres when ya hit the track.





You obviously haven't experienced tracking with the R888's,,, I've tried this size in particular & I would say that it is in a class lower than the RSR's which I had both on @ the same time. (front & rear)

Like I say, what I put up here is only my opinion.

P.S. I'll be quiet on this subject from now on, unless asked.

Eddy, mate no offense at all! You're clearly the most qualified to make totally just comment from your experiences, so don't think of not contributing such valuable information. That's what it's all about brother.

Just to clarify why I posted the one's I did. Both Pete and myself are after a street/track semi. For me there is actually a control tyre in one of the races I plan on doing in the future being the Yoko, and the other has a rating restriction that won't alloy the hardcore stuff you've had success with. So I figure I should practice with what I'll be racing with

[kaanage]

Just to clarify why I posted the one's I did. Both Pete and myself are after a street/track semi. For me there is actually a control tyre in one of the races I plan on doing in the future being the Yoko, and the other has a rating restriction that won't alloy the hardcore stuff you've had success with.

You need more sets of rims

[VWindahouse]

You need more sets of rims

That I do sir, that I do You know it's funny that I'm actually running out of time yet again to get/do everything I wanted to get sorted with the car rims and tyres incuded. And I think the Fiance has finally made up her mind on the wedding time and destination and all I can say is "OUCH". This little project just hit a large snag

[kaanage]

I'm actually running out of time yet again to get/do everything I wanted to get sorted with the car rims and tyres incuded. And I think the Fiance has finally made up her mind on the wedding time and destination and all I can say is "OUCH". This little project just hit a large snag

Wait until you have kids and the mods budget as well as spare time dries up (which is why my power up parts are sitting in the shed)!!!
Three guesses as to when my motorcycle racing ended...

[Eddy]

Just to clarify why I posted the one's I did. Both Pete and myself are after a street/track semi. For me there is actually a control tyre in one of the races I plan on doing in the future being the Yoko, and the other has a rating restriction that won't alloy the hardcore stuff you've had success with. So I figure I should practice with what I'll be racing with

Hoyhoy.

Well Ant. I like the RSR's, but the Yokohama AD08-R's seem to be getting very close to semi's going by that Speedhunters article ya put up.

[Bullet Fast]

The Official Polo Tyre Thread

I'm really after something you an get in and belt immediately, a hill climb and traditional gymkhana tyre. The sort of tyre doing 500km on a sunday meet wont destroy.

I rode in an improved prod 3j Cosworth powered escort ten years ago with what I think was the control tyre at the time, a 205/60/13 Yokohama a032 and that made enough grip to hurt. That is where I'd like the polo positioned. The more I think about it a 205/45 or 205/50 16 on standard rims will work very very well, and looks stock except for the tread pattern. Important when explaining away your sins to the police. $2000 saved on rims buys a lot of front tyres.

Eddy, did you ever settle on your track tyre?

[Eddy]

Eddy, did you ever settle on your track tyre?

Hoyhoy.

P.S. I'm running 225/45/16 (rims = 16 x 8 with 35mm offset) for the track which is a common semi size (but not in a road tyre) & is a lot smaller in height than the 215/45/17 & only 5mm higher than the 215/40/17.

I'm happy with this combination, funny enough using --- "YOKOHAMA" --- A050's, got me my PB @ Waky. (sub 1'10", just). I still have a smile.

[Bullet Fast]

The Official Polo Tyre Thread

Hoyhoy.



I'm happy with this combination, funny enough using --- "YOKOHAMA" --- A050's, got me my PB @ Waky. (sub 1'10", just). I still have a smile.

These were custom made wheels?

[kaanage]

I'm really after something you an get in and belt immediately, a hill climb and traditional gymkhana tyre. The sort of tyre doing 500km on a sunday meet wont destroy.

I rode in an improved prod 3j Cosworth powered escort ten years ago with what I think was the control tyre at the time, a 205/60/13 Yokohama a032 and that made enough grip to hurt. That is where I'd like the polo positioned. The more I think about it a 205/45 or 205/50 16 on standard rims will work very very well, and looks stock except for the tread pattern. Important when explaining away your sins to the

Semi slicks are actually pretty tough due to the relative lack of tread
I destroyed my stock front tyres on my first track day and with semi slicks on my next visit, I went faster and the tyres had no wear problem (I had delamination issues but that's another story).

As for a painful amount of grip, I used a run up our local twisty roads to scrub in my latest set of semis and after 18km of really tight stuff scaring myself with out going anywhere near the tyre limits, I had a sore neck.
Mine are 205/50R15 A048s