Right, discounttiredirect.com seems to be the best place to get rubber lately - R888 or NT01s. Not sure why TireRack ignores our market at this level.

IMO the NT01s are above the 888s (which I love) and equal or better than MPSCs, for way less. Short of Hoosiers I plan to stick with NT01s at this time.

 

I would have to say that NT-01's are certainly NOT equal to or better than MPSC's and I've AB'd them.

But they certainly are close enough to render MPSC a luxury item.

 

Yes, I seem to get the idea that most people like the Nittos better. Seems to be a problem with the Discounttires direct website though?

 

From what I have heard MPSCs take a fair bit of time to come up to heat though? Perhaps on the Rear engined cars less so?

 

Rear engined and heavier cars much less so. Lightweight race cars I can see how that applies.

The Nitto's are great, but they are relatively numb on the steering. They make up for it with high levels of rear end grip.

 

I have quite a few laps on the NT-01s. Noticeably slower than the Hoosiers but practically indestructible and very predictable when they brake loose. Kind like a drifting tire. The best track tire value IMHO.
+ 1 for Discount Tire.

 

I just googled them and saw a negative review. I thought while the shopper had a point in priciple, he was whingeing about a small amount of money
and took the time to write 'like' every few words! I really hate this habit that seems to have been foistered upon us by certain elements of US youth, but to actually write it???
erghh.....

rant over, sorry.

 

Again, I think perhaps the steering thing could also be front vs rear engine?
What do you consider 'heavy'?

A friend had some on his 951 and he said that they took too long to get to heat, however this was a few years ago and
might have not been able to push the car really hard due to insufficient setup. Having said that, I have heard this said about
MPSCs a number of occasions. It would actually suit me to think that they do work ok for a slightly lighter modified 951 though.
An expensive gamble though...

 

I ordered 2, 275/35/18's yesterday from online tires and they shipped today. 208/tire is a great price. Shipping was 15/tire, that's the same as tire rack.

Ken

 

When everythihng is said and done Discount Tire is a wash with most of the tire sites. They will match any cost out there. While they are not as sticky as Hooisers, I do not find that they are numb but very responsive under steering. I have run against people on MPSC and not seen where they had any advantage over me on the track. The one thing I do have against them is that they are a miserable rain tire.

 

"We are here at the track, there has been a ton of rain. Don't miss or want PSAM one bit. Don't need it. Even with our dry set up. Full stiff dry set up. It is so exciting that we did not change a darn thing with the set up, just went out through the mud, rivers, and washes. The day was stopped to that a water truck could rinse the mud flow off of turn 5 and a pumper to drain sections."

"The grip of the Nitto NT01 in the wet is phenomenal. It was kinda funny to watch folks come over looking confused at the R compounds."

ya,

I love this car and the Nitto NT01's. Hammering all day Sat. in the rain on the track was just so rewarding, one of the best times at track in a long time.

p.s. Dell, I celebrated by pulling my first tear off from the wind shield

p.p.s This guy came over and asked my friend Jim with the same cars as mine if we had our PSM an TC on in the rain. Should have sceen the look on his face when Jim told him we do not have those driver aids.

 

I won't be going back to Cups anytime soon. The car has ZERO push and all I did was change tires. The CUPS were too much to worry about. Getting heat in them, warm up lap after lap, heat cycling them out. I am not racing on them so I prefer the NT01. Predictable, good grip from stone cold 27 PSi all the way to 38 PSI. All the way to the cords!!!


And in the wet. Jeez. I would have never thought.................

 

At least for the 996 TT sizes the sidewalls are much bigger than the MPSC (225 vs 235 or 245) (rears are 295 vs 315) which are stock profile for me. The sidewalls are much shorter on the MPSC. I'm pretty sure the NT-01 are also softer sidewalls than the R888 and RA-1 from which they share compound.

My test was done at Road Atlanta in December in 30-40* temps when the MPSC are supposedly never supposed to warm up . But the high speed high compression turns of Road Atlanta made better with the MPSC. Also having driven the MPSC at Barber on a snow day and damp track with bald MPSC I can say I've never had a hard time getting heat into them.

Of course my car was almost 3700 lbs at the time (3675) with driver.

 

Thanks for the heads up! Thought only 20 bucks cheaper after CA sales tax.

 

Problem is that they don't make enough sizes in the NTO1s. At least not in 18"s. You go from 275 to 315 with nothing inbetween. It's as if they have done a deal with Toyo not to compete with the R888s or something?