The Lotus Grand Tourers

Heard something at the back on the way home tonight.

Pulled over.

Something has sliced through the shoulder of the tyre.
Lots of rubbish on the previous roundabout, guess some of it was very sharp.

Luckily it was a back tyre as I had >3500rpm on the engine when it went.


www.blackcircles.com hear I come

225/50/15 Nexen or Falken V treads I think

Oz. Do you have the Toyo R888's on your Excel yet? I'm very tempted by them, but various people have said to me that they would be too dangerous in the wet.

I'm tempted to buy them for track days and put them on my spare set of rims!

Are they good? Do they grip much better than standard style tyres?

Thanks, Gordon.

possibly not in the best place to comment as i just got the car, havent even driven it as its on axel stands being sorted for the track... first tyres im trying are the R888s, might move to yokos if i dont get on with them...
mate with elise rates them highly, but says only gets about 5000 miles out of them (and about 3 track days...)

cheers!

I'm on my 2nd set on my BMW M3 E30 the first set lasted a year - 3 nurgurgring trips, 2 donningtons, 1 brands hatch, 1 mallory, 2 cadwell parks, half a croft for the rears, so I am a big fan.....

Martin

Oz and Martin, are these a realistic tyre for someone who is going to be driving their Excel to work a few days a week? What are they like in the wet? Do they aquaplane easily? Or do they remain predictable enough?

Thanks, Gordon.

HI

If it was me I would not be using these tyres in the wet after they have been run in/scrubbed down or whatever - very limited grip in the wet - slight drizel ok - anything else..........

Martin

Or find a big car park and practice catching it when it lets go

I've got Uniroyal RainSport (205s') on all round - with the car when I got it.

In normal rain seem very good but heavy rain plus standing water and they are lethal

Have only driven in heavy rain once and the first time I hit a bit of standing water really got the heart racing

But to be fair it may not be the tyres just something any 'flat footprint' tyre will do.

Oh, dry grip is reasonably good - I haven't got the back end to step out or feel any push from the front - but maybe I've not been trying hard enough

Anyone still using the uniroyal rainsport? Just about to order some as they are cheap and seem to get good reviews - £62 each delivered + £12 fitting with the guy I normally go to. Realise thsi may open a debate on tyres but hey...

Thanks

Ted

You would be getting Rainsport 2s if you order now. I have a new set on my Esprit, they are OK but not nearly as nice as the Goodyears they replaced. Also they don't seem any better than any other tyre in the wet despite claims, I don't think anything is going to help overcome aquaplaning in a feather light car. Not a terrible budget choice, but there are better for more £££s

Which goodyear's did you have?

Ted

F1s, before that GSDs - fantastic tyre even at 7 years old, but treads getting down so no choice really. I think I could have still got fronts but the matching rears went long ago.

The tyre sizes on the Esprit differ so much it's very hard to get tyres from the same manufacturer, and I do like to run matching treads front and rear

for both wet and dry i love my Toyos... TR1 and usually a good price

Im using R1Rs these days, same compound as the R888 cut slick, but with a much better tread pattern, 99% of the grip of an R888, with none of the standing water drawbacks...

i should add, on compacted snow, the R888s were brilliant actually! lol

R1R:


R888:

what price are these Oz?