Nizer

Hadn't heard of these:

P Zero™ Trofeo R, the 2012 Track Days newcomer

The new point of contact between the on-track thrills provided by the latest extreme-performance sports cars and the highway now has two names: P Zero™ Trofeo and P Zero™ Trofeo R, two innovative ultra-low-profile road tyres mainly intended for Track Day use on a dry surface. The new P Zero™ Trofeo R (where R stands for Race) is designed to provide even greater performance when fitted to the most powerful vehicles such as Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, Lamborghini, including the MY 2012.

The use of new highly aromatic oil free (HAOF) compounds and the redesigned tread pattern help to produce extraordinary results: on the one hand, a notable improvement in stability and, above all, lateral grip in the dry, on the other hand, a reduction in wear of up to 80%.When at the wheel, the tyre improves your driving experience and is easier to push to the limit. With P Zero™ Trofeo R you can fully appreciate the performance of extreme vehicles in complete safety.

P Zero™ Trofeo R specifications
Inner area: wide central ribs to ensure precise trajectories and alleviate the stress of accelerating and braking on the track; transversal grooves with special pattern to provide constant grip and assist braking; wide circumferential grooves to maintain grip in the wet.

Outer area: solid shoulder similar to a slick but more rigid to maximise lateral grip when cornering at very high speeds and quickly changing trajectory on the track whilst maintaining complete control. A special mix of shape and functionality provides very exceptionally-high performance.
P Zero™ Trofeo R will be available in 11 sizes with 18”, 19” and 20” rims.

http://www.eiretyres.com/RDNews1419.html

savyboy

Wow! Presuming the 80% treadwear reduction is true, these will then be the ultimate choice for drive-to-track tires in 19".

LVDell

+1

I need a 19" tire that I can drive to and from the track as I am thinking of getting rid of my 20' enclosed trailer since I only live an hour from VIR and my days of dedicated track car and behind me.............for now

Nizer

Yup. Almost pulled the trigger on Trofeos last week. Now I have to wait longer to mount those new wheels.....

savyboy

I just got some info that the new "R" Trofeos are AT LEAST six months away (July) and if the history of the current Trofeo is any guide, then 1.5 years away Here is the sizing when they eventually get released:

18''
235/40ZR18 (95Y)
265/40ZR18 (101Y)

19''
235/35ZR19 (91Y)
245/35ZR19 (93Y)
265/35ZR19 (98Y)
305/30ZR19 (102Y)
325/30ZR19 (101Y)

20''
235/35ZR20 (88Y)
245/35ZR20 (95Y)
295/35ZR20 (105Y)
305/30ZR20 (103Y)

Priority is going to be put on getting Ferrari and Porsche sizing out first.

So my plan is to burn through several set of the current offering in the meantime

mdrums

Hummm, Fabryce told me on my GMG visit 2 weeks ago that the Trofeo R will be in stock mid-late February. Did something change at Pirelli?

savyboy

Let's revisit this thread at the end of Feb and see where things stand?

Yorkshireman

So I ran them yesterday at PBIR and had them at 31 hot rear. I was also running the Corsa System R comp fronts. I found that I was really suffering from under steer (push) and no matter what I did I could not eliminate it. I also found that the left rear was wearing excessively on the outer edge. I upper the pressure on the left rear to 33 and it seemed to stabilize the wear. PBIR has some really long right hand sweepers and a bit more air seemed to prevent the edge rolling over so much. I decided that the understeer was due to the imbalance in grip front to rear, due to the Corsas at the front, and I eventually just drove around it.

Now to performance. They were stunning. Took two seconds off my previous best lap time and ran 1:28:00 . The car is bone stock other than a GMG bypass. It was a sold out event in all classes, i was running in the advanced class, and the only vehicle that I could not keep up with was a souped up 'Vette. Passed a 458 and a 360 challenge. Even had a corner worker seek me out after the event and say "I was working turn 7 and that sumbitch really flies. It was fun to watch you."

Going to try Homestead next with them.

Carl.

Doublej

Even with Trofeo's all the way around I found the rears had so much grip that it made the car push (understeer) a lot more. Balance of the car totally shifted rearward and on-throttle rotation was next to impossible. The rear grip simply overpowered the front every time.

JJ

mdrums

GMG just posted on this forum...they got the new Trofeo R in stock!

I only have 1 track day on my Michelin Pilot Sport Cups and it was rainign most of that DE so there is hardly any wear on them. I really want to try out these new Trofeo R's though.....need to wear out the MPSC 1st.

savyboy

Not in RS sizing

Yorkshireman

So, I just did some maintenance on the brakes and in the process inspected my rears closely. The left rear was corded 4 inches from the outer edge. IN ONE DAY! The right rear is pretty smooth, the left is shot totally. PBIR is very abrasive and has those loooong righthand sweepers. I actually took 3s a lap off my previous best, but disposable tires is a new concept to me. I expected them to last a little longer than one day. More neg camber would have helped, but not much.

Here's a video, dedicated to the memory of my first and last set of Trofeos. Long may they rest in peace.

http://youtu.be/ATNoVUChyeU

mdrums

Dang 1 day only on the new Pirelli Trofeo RS's......forget these tires then....

Come on Toyo...make those RA1's again please!

Nizer

These are not the new Trofeo R's.

Laertes

Yorkshireman-- were you running the brand new revised-compound Trofeos, or the older, original compound (known for its ephemeral life expectancy)? If you were on the new ones, it sure calls into question the claim of 80% greater longevity. Maybe they mean it's now 1.8 days instead of just one......