New Toyo Proxes R888

[KILLSHOTS]

Just had my new tires mounted today. OE sizes...

For those of us looking for an alternative to the narrow Sumitomos and Nittos and the expensive Michelins, the F1 GS-D3 was the best alternative. But we all know production is questionable at best. So I did a ton of research and ended up finding what I needed over on the SVT forums. Turns out a lot of those guys run our OE sizes. Universally, they spoke about how wide (and how awesome!) these Toyos are, so I pulled the trigger. WOW, am I glad I did! I posted a pic but it doesn't tell half the story...these things are a FULL 13" WIDE! A full inch wider than my Sumis, and they changed the car. Mind you, my car will never see rain and will only get maybe 2500 miles per year, but the guys on the other forum actually even claim they're OK in the rain. And they stick like glue.

If you don't drive your car much and you want a WIDE tire that actually makes the car look like a real ZR-1 (read: fat azz) you should consider them.

[mike100]

I'll take your word for it, but a picture from a front angle will not have the same optical illusion.

Good to know there is another brand out there with the wide look.

[Kevin]

WOW! how much are those

[KILLSHOTS]

Yeah, I totally get what you're saying, Mike. As I said, the pic doesn't tell the story and I can't seem to find a good angle with my cell camera that actually shows how wide these are. For some perspective, take a look at the attached pic. Believe it or not, this is actually a Michelin 335 (Vetman's car) from about the same angle as my pic. This pic somehow makes it look like a 275, but we all know how fat Michelins really are. These Toyo 315s are about as wide as Michelin 335s.

[KILLSHOTS]

WOW! how much are those
Hey Kevin,

They were a grand plus shipping from Tire Rack. (Would have bought them through the club, but Robert's currently working on resolving some sort of shipping issue with Discount.) A set of Eagle F1s would be about $300 more (if you could get them) and a set of Michelins would be about $600 more.

[GOLDCYLON]

Is it my imagination or do these look narrower that the D3s ?

[KILLSHOTS]

Is it my imagination or do these look narrower that the D3s ?
It's not your imagination, Daryll, it's just that it's hard to capture it in a pic. They're as wide, maybe even wider than the Goodyear. For some perspective, look above at the pic I posted of a 335 Michelin. Note that it LOOKS even more narrow than my Toyo, but you know how fat the Michelin actually is.

[mike100]

Went thru my pic 'bucket acct and i found this D3 from the back shot:
it looks narrow too ( but fat in real life).
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c265/mschrameck/Cars/DSC02804_zps3f3c238c.jpg~original

This perspective capture the entire width and make the tires look bigger:
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c265/mschrameck/Cars/DSC02736_zps4fe8968e.jpg~original

The front perspective also does not deceive:
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c265/mschrameck/Cars/DSC03666.jpg~original

As you can see- this is the same tire, but the close-up pic fools the mind.

[KILLSHOTS]

Yep, I'll see if I can get some better pics today. One thing I also noticed, which I really like, is that the Toyo seems to have its own version of the "rim protector". It's not quite as pronounced as the Goodyear's is, but it's there. The rubber down near the bead sits nearly flush with the lip of the wheel, whereas the wheel lip stuck out at least 1/4" with my other tires. This is another factor in the Toyos appearing much wider. (See attachment.)

[Blue Flame Restorations]

Speaking of wide, those look like a good front tire. ;)

I like 'em fat!

[KILLSHOTS]

Speaking of wide, those look like a good front tire. ;)

I like 'em fat!
Oh yeah, Brett, the fronts are fat too!

Off topic, I noticed your new avatar. Looks like an "iconic racing Corvette" on the cover of that mag. Is that a hint on the big new project?

[BigJohn]

They look wider than my 4.0-16's.

[Mystic ZR-1]

They look wider than my 4.0-16's.

Those would be on the '38 or the LM?
Or perhaps one of the Topkicks?
The Harley?
Lime Rock Sunday?
Old Lyme Monday?

[PhillipsLT5]

Warranty?
Treadwear?
Traction?
Temp?
Speed?
ratings?

[weldbead]

how bout a foto with a ruler laid on the ground adjacent to the tire?

[Bob Eyres]

They look great. I'm in need of some new tires, as my BFG KD's still look nearly new, but they're 6-7yrs. old and I wouldn't trust them at high speeds.

The look of the D3's never appealed to me. I like Toyo's beefier look. I wonder how they hook up in first gear?

Your pix from the rear may not look right because of the wide angle lens on the phone camera. Things closer to the lens, like your rear fender and exhaust, seem much bigger. The tire is further away, and looks narrower. Note the last pic of the D3's. I think the tires look wider because it was taken from further away with a longer lens, correct?

[KILLSHOTS]

They hook great in first gear. Gotta remember, these are autocross tires and as such, they have a very soft compound. They stick like glue! I wouldn't recommend them to guys who put a lot of miles on their cars, because they'll wear more quickly. But if you want a beefy tire - and especially if you have a lot of HP and have traction issues - these are perfect. There is a TON of great info on them over on the SVT boards. Here's a pic I found over there...it's a 315/30/18 Toyo next to a same-size, last-gen Michelin PS2.

[KILLSHOTS]

Here are a few more pics. I still don't think they do the tires justice. In person, they are wider than Goodyear F1 GS-D3s. I LOVE these things! They just look badazz and seem like the perfect tire for a ZR-1.

[Bob Eyres]

Holy Sh*t, that 18"er you show looks like a drive train buster for sure.

The soft compound is just what I need. Like most ZR-1 owners,. my tires age out long before they wear out.
If they're soft enough, they might be a good compromise for those of us who would like to run something like a Drag Radial on the street, but are skittish about being caught in the rain with them.
Looks like a good choice, reasonable price, good sticky traction, useable in the wet, great looks. I'm in. :cheers:

[weldbead]

i have sumitomo htr's . my contact patch for want of a better term is 10.5" wide front and the rear is 11.5 "

[rkreigh]

R888 are a great tire. I run Toyo RA1 on the turbo car and the R888 is the "newer version" and even more grippy

this is the closest you can get to a full on race tire on the street

just don't be disappointed when they wear out quick

they stick like grim death

[KILLSHOTS]

R888 are a great tire. I run Toyo RA1 on the turbo car and the R888 is the "newer version" and even more grippy

this is the closest you can get to a full on race tire on the street

just don't be disappointed when they wear out quick

they stick like grim death
You are so right about the stick. I find myself not even braking in deceleration lanes, taking 90-degree right-hand turns onto residential streets at 25mph. Of course, I can only do that because the suspension allows it to corner flatly, as well, but the point is that these tires are so good that they allow me to FULLY exploit my ZR-1's suspension capabilities. To make these things break away on the street, I'd have to be driving like an absolute lunatic.

This is the coolest tire I have ever owned and the only time in my life that buying new tires actually transformed a car. They're that good.

Only caveat: they do pull in truck ruts a LITTLE more than a full-tread tire. It's NOT bad, though. Just thought I'd mention it.

[mike100]

The treadwear is advertised at a rating of 100 so considering the decent price and the fact that I'm not putting a ton of miles on my car, I could see this lasting 2 years or so.
Maybe the price per mile when you include mounting and balancing costs would be about the same as my Goodyears, it just comes down to deciding to have more of a touring and daily drive tire that is safe in the rain vs. superior traction.

More race oriented tires are rated at a treadwear of 50 so I would be curios to see if you could get about 6000-7000 mi out of these Proxes tires.

[KILLSHOTS]

The treadwear is advertised at a rating of 100 so considering the decent price and the fact that I'm not putting a ton of miles on my car, I could see this lasting 2 years or so.
Maybe the price per mile when you include mounting and balancing costs would be about the same as my Goodyears, it just comes down to deciding to have more of a touring and daily drive tire that is safe in the rain vs. superior traction.

More race oriented tires are rated at a treadwear of 50 so I would be curios to see if you could get about 6000-7000 mi out of these Proxes tires.
Hey Mike,

That's about the mileage I'm expecting, which would last me 2-3 years. That said, I saw guys on the SVT boards claiming to have more than 50% tread left with 10K or more. Lots of those guys also claimed they were OK in the rain, a claim I'll never test as my car never sees rain. Another advantage is that guys with a heavy foot or big HP are likely to notice the rears lasting longer than other tires, because they're more likely to stick than spin.

[Bob Eyres]

It looks like these are my next set of tires.

One question. How do you pronounce "Proxes"? :cheers:

[KILLSHOTS]

Hey Bob, there are 2 pronunciations, actually, according to the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary:

1) /stɪki/

2) /waɪd/

Hope this helps! :-D

[93RubyZ]

Has anyone tried the Toyo R888Rs? They are a newer model but Toyo is still carrying the R888.

[VetteFantasy]

Has anyone tried the Toyo R888Rs? They are a newer model but Toyo is still carrying the R888.My husband has the R888Rs on his C6 ZR1 track wheels. They are absolutely amazing on track, but they are probably the noisiest tire I've ever heard and of course R comps are not good in the rain, so I wouldn't recommend them for anything but track use.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[93RubyZ]

Thanks for the feedback! I've got a somewhat loud exhaust so I'm not sure I'd be able to hear them! :-D

I do see on the Toyo website that the main differences seem to be that the R888s are better in the wet and the R888Rs are better in the dry.

[93RubyZ]

I came across this article on the R888s being discontinued for those that may be considering them (as I currently am):

https://blog.tirerack.com/blog/roll-on/wheres-the-toyo-r888-its-being-replaced-by-the-toyo-r888r-in-most-sizes

[93RubyZ]

I ended up deciding on getting the R888s. I got a complete set in stock sizes delivered for $760. The place I got them from was offering a 15% discount on their website -- I assume that ends at some point. They just arrived today. Unmounted, the rears are almost 13" wide and the fronts are about 11-1/4" wide. I'll take some better measurements once I get them mounted.