paradocs98

As track season approaches, looking for real, on-track feedback from those who have tried the new "version 2" of the Nankang CRS on a 992 GT3. There has been a lot of initial excitement about the new version, but reviews are hard to come by. There's a Grassroots Motorsports review using a Miata that's very positive, but other online chatter is mixed. Some say it still has a bit of an odd, squishy feel similar to the initial version, and requires a half-beat to take a set in turns. Hard to reconcile the various comments.

I'm looking for a track-focused tire that can set fast lap times, has reasonable longevity, and can get me to and from the track on the road safely. I've run all three OEM tires on the track already. My car was delivered with the PZero Corsas and I was pleasantly surprised by them. Next I tried the old standard Sport Cup 2s, which were faster. Then I ran the Goodyears, but found them to be a bit slower than the Michelins (surprising given that many have found the opposite to be true). I'm tempted to try the Michelin Sport Cup 2 R, but many forum members say they blast through a set in one track day, which wouldn't be compatible with running a two-day event at Watkins Glen and then driving home.

Appreciate any thoughts on the above.

bobodrink

CRS is the real deal. I was 2 seconds faster with it from cup 2. It’s similar to RE71RS but slightly less grip and last a bit longer. These new tires are narrowing the gap between Cup 2 and Cup 2R.

There are numerous threads on the CRS in the 4rs, 991 gt3 and this forum.

GrantG

They make RE71RS in the 15” sizes for my 73 911 (but not the GT3). I’ve been using Toyo RA-1 on the 73 for decades. Maybe worth a change to the Bridgestones?

paradocs98

Thanks, bobodrink. Any other forum members have experience with these on track? Also interested in impressions of stock 992 GT3 sizing vs using the wider 265/325 combo on track.

RRich

I’ve tracked the new Nankang CRS in 265/325 on 19/20 track wheels on a 992 C2S. Previous tire was the Goodyear Supercar 3R in 245/305 which I would consider the best streetable track tire, but they wear fast and grip falls off sooner than I’d like probably due to tire size and car weight/power. I was hoping to match the 3R performance with the wider Nanking’s but that was not the case. I found the CRS averaged about 1.3 seconds slower than the 3R, and turn-in was significantly less responsive, but not so much as to be a real issue. I really liked the CRS for its ability to maintain near max grip longer into a session that I’m used to, and I expect to get about twice as many track days as the 3R. Overall I think it’s a good compromise. Next stop for more performance would be 19s with 3Rs in 265/325 a number of GT3s use this setup and they are fast.

DD GT3 RD

I ran them on track and street now. Sort of reminds me of re71r which I loved on another car. Heavier tire, stiff side wall with lots of feedback. Easy to drive at the limit. Holds steady times. I drive to and from track. Goodyear 3R will be about 1.5-2s faster. But much shorter life, smaller “on” spot. Only have good things to say about CRS.

this is on my 997gt3

SapphireBlue981S

how many days do you expect to get out of a set of CRS?

SapphireBlue981S

@RRich what did you have to do to get a 265/325 to fit on the 992? How much negative camber? Did you need camber plates or any other suspension modifications?

RRich

I don’t know if camber plates are necessary, but I installed them just prior to trying the 265/325 Nankang’s since stock max camber was only -1.6 deg. Camber is set to -2.5 deg front/rear gives even tire wear. Tires are mounted on Apex VS-5RS 19x9.5" ET45, and 20x11.5" ET60 rims. No other mods. Car has SPASM.

SapphireBlue981S

Haha, coincidentally i have the exact same wheels too! Nothing needed on the rear? Also how many track days do you get out of a set of Nankang CRS?

JCviggen

I ran them at Spa a few weeks ago on my 991.2. Unfortunately I wasn't happy with the initial setup of my MR coilovers there, rear was bouncy at high speed and just lacking grip generally so tire testing was a bit tricky.

The CR-S will not trouble a Cup 2R for lap time but they felt a bit like the Trofeo R. Stable times, decent grip. The front end was actually really strong, so much that the rear really wouldn't keep up. For a sanity check I went to half used Cup 2R since the MR setup was aimed at using those tires, lost a bunch of front end but overall the car was a bit better balanced and less traction issues. On the whole the Nankangs held up very well though with little visible wear after lots of laps at Spa which eats tires. My half-used 2Rs were dead after another 2 or 3 runs with a couple push laps each.

The CR-S is fast enough to be fun and remarkably wear resistant given the performance but definitely NOT a tire to try and set any records with.

RRich

Rears will be fine with -2.5 deg camber. I have 3 track days so far and hope to get one more before the rear tires are done. This included two 5 sessions days and I’ve also tended to stay out longer for each session as the tire grip didn’t fall way off so I’m getting a lot more laps from the CR-S v2 than other tires.

ScottKelly911

I've had 2 sets of CRS's on my 996TT in 245/40/18 & 315/30/18. I have absolutely loved them and keep recommending them to people. Everyone that has listened to me, has also loved them. They last longer than Cup 2's, heat up much quicker as well and have very little fade in performance as they wear and the performance envelope is equal to or higher depending on driver. My personal bests were set on CRS's.

Meraki Autoworks

We have had good feedback on these, especially since the inventory for these are usually in stock compared to the other top performers always being out.

-Josh

K.Zannos

Interesting to read.

I also did a day with our 992 GT3 testing the Cup 2N and the CRS at Spa. Will try to post the video during this weekend given that life allows!

Couldn't agree more about the front end being so rigid and supportive and can also see how the rear might have felt less sticky.
Might i ask what tire pressures you were running during that stint when you noticed this?
The longevity of the tire was also phenomenal for the amounts of grip it provided. Even with a long session of 10 laps at Spa the tires gave much less fade and taking the wheels off, the tires seemed to have taken no beating at all!
Cannot say the same for the Cup2N which after those laps really started to wear with the typical way this tires does. You will see in the video.

Overall the first experience with the tire has only left positive feelings and we have already planned to do some more testing to validate some of the findings we have had with tire pressures and setup of the car.

The only thing i would debate is how much slower will the CRS actually be from the CUP2R and then - and equally importantly - for how long.
That is a nice mental exercise.

Lets assume that the CUP2R will be faster by 0.5 - 1 second, for the first heat cycle/stint and then i will make an assumption based on the experience i have had so far from the Cup2R and the sample i got from the CRS and say that this difference will drop to 0.
If this assumption stays true then it is a matter of trackday goal, budget and ego to decide which tire better suits the needs.

In the end, simply the fact that this tire is worth discussing and comparing against a high end tire like the Cup2R is definitely food for thought.

Will try to post the video soon in case it offers some more insight to what you are looking for @paradocs98

Regards,
Konstantinos.