highlander

I only drive 2-3k miles a year and never in the rain.
Cold weather here in the San Francisco Bay area rarely drops below freezing, even in the dead of Winter.

What is the collective opinion on running R888's in GT2 sizes (235/40-18, 315/30-18) on stock turbo twist and stock suspension as my primary street tire?

PAULUNM

I know some 964 guys who do it in SoCal, no issues.

With GT2 sized PS2s so difficult to find, I'd be tempted to run NT01s.

Wealth Manager

No issues, if you don't drive in the rain then there is no concern. Get a little heat in them and they will be very sticky. I ran them as a street tire on 19's. They do Huuummmm somewhat though. But my car is so loud it doesn't bother me but everyone is different.

blockhed

No issue in rain either as long as you're responsible, get about 8k miles out of a set on street. LOve these tires.

Turbodan

I usually run those type of tires all summer. fine in rain great grip in dry. be careful if cold. the biggest problem with the R888s is they are very noisy. A guy I know put them on his car and thought he threw a bearing.

Turbodan

apparently the compound changes and lose grip if the tires are ever exposed to below freezing.

race911

Other than an 888 being a truly awful tire (check with anyone at the pointy end of the field who's been required to race them in a spec class), I honestly can't understand anyone running an R compound on the street. Is there someplace you're driving on a public road where ultimate grip is an issue?

jumper5836

They are really noisy. I hate them on the street and tolerate them on the track.

cburke996

I was running a set from about 8 months last year. Through the spring summer and fall. They do just fine on wet roads. Very grippy and lasting longer than expected. As others have said, they are very noisy. Can be annoying especially on the highway. Apparently a Nitto tire is the same compound but less noisy. I will look into that next time.

Tuxiemama

I have a RWD TTS with new R888s (Jan this year)... they are very noisy. They pick up every twig and rock and stone and bit of fluff on the road and fling them into my wheel wells etc... I have driven them in very heavy rain.. they are okay outside of anything bar standing water..... I drove them in 28F temps a few times and regularly in 30-40F temps.... after 15 miles warm up they were great, but when cold I could feel them sliding around.... gave a really weird feel to the car.

Today, I have had a quick 1" of flooding rain and just drove through my pot-holed village and through some puddles up to 55 mph... no problems.

I got the tires because my 600+ whp car would spin each gear up to 4th on the old Potenzas but if I were still at 550 whp or less I would never buy the R888s.

I should add I run the 235/40/18 and 315/30/18 sizes with a GT2 alignment... they are so noisy on the highway that they sometimes drown out my AWE GT2 race exhaust..... I am NOT in love with the tires and only run them for the grip

race911

That's the NT01, based on the Toyo RA1. The 888 was supposed to be the RA1 replacement. Things got so bad in the various spec categories (SM, SE30, Spec 911) that Toyo brought back/kept on the RA1.

NT01 availability in the proper sizes can be............challenging.

highlander

"...truly awful tire..". Tell me what you really think

I have always been a fan of Michelin, but recently their availability in GT2 sizes has been non-existent. I was thinking of trying something different, but reading everyone's posts has brought me back to reality. I have run Yokohama A032R (on my - don't laugh - '99 Pontiac Grand Prix that I autocrossed and tracked) and had forgotten just how mediocre a competition tire that was and how noisy and uncomfortable it was on the street. Sounds like the R888 falls into that same category.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info

I'm sure this will make you chuckle... It's me in the aforementioned Grand Prix at the 2000 Solo Nationals in Topeka. Holy body roll!!!!!!


Photo: Rupert Berrington

stilov

I run R888...because of the power I make.

They are loud, but so is my exhaust. They stick well. They don't last long...so I am always trying to figure out what tire next.

What are the NT01 like in the rain? I pretty much daily drive the 996.

Wealth Manager

900wtq will show a NON R compound tire traction issues all day. Not everyone is the same.

Dock

Good question.