tyres for an elise
Discussion
Im looking to replace the tyres on the Elise (S1).
They have to be a tyre commonly available in NZ.
Toyo T1R and Kumho KU31 are suggested elsewhere with positive and negative comments
sidewall flex etc for T1R and KU31 arent in a 185
Toyo R888s are probably more of a trackday solution which isnt my priority.
I have read a number of threads here and on other websites but local availability is an issue so posted here not the Lotus forum. Also dont want to get flamed
I gather the Yokohama Advan Neova available here arent the same as the LTS version available in UK.
Also 185 front and 225 rears seems an unusual combination??.
Must cars seem to have 185/205 or 195/225 combination
but that appears to be what they've had since new as it is still wearing four P Zeros.
Any other thoughts or comments??
They have to be a tyre commonly available in NZ.
Toyo T1R and Kumho KU31 are suggested elsewhere with positive and negative comments
sidewall flex etc for T1R and KU31 arent in a 185
Toyo R888s are probably more of a trackday solution which isnt my priority.
I have read a number of threads here and on other websites but local availability is an issue so posted here not the Lotus forum. Also dont want to get flamed
I gather the Yokohama Advan Neova available here arent the same as the LTS version available in UK.
Also 185 front and 225 rears seems an unusual combination??.
Must cars seem to have 185/205 or 195/225 combination
but that appears to be what they've had since new as it is still wearing four P Zeros.
Any other thoughts or comments??
I can recommend tirerack.com in the states for sourcing tyres - I have used them on several seperate occasions for wheels and tyres and they are always significantly cheaper than the 'sharp' local price even after freight and gst. For example, I put a set of 17" Michelin Pilot Sport 2's on the Porsche for $1800 (local pricing $3300)and they arrived 4 days after ordering. Found the same thing with PZeros's 3 yrs before.
US stocking also seems to be more stable in tyre models if you have unique sizing requirements and are thinking what if I wreck one.
They are showing US$926 for a set of Lotus OE AD07's (plus freight and gst) so not sure how that compares with local pricing?
FWIW
US stocking also seems to be more stable in tyre models if you have unique sizing requirements and are thinking what if I wreck one.
They are showing US$926 for a set of Lotus OE AD07's (plus freight and gst) so not sure how that compares with local pricing?
FWIW
Just been looking into this myself. I have an S1 currently running Yoko LTS Neova's 195/50R15 & 225/45R16.
There are very limited options here in NZ, and i suspect it comes down to only the T1R if you're after a 'commonly available in NZ' and a 'road orientated' tyre for your S1.
Unfortunately, although not unexpected, it's seems almost impossible to buy any of the popular options from Europe here in S1 sizes - Toyo T1R & R1R, Hankook RS2, Yokohama Advan & AD08, Kumho KU31. The only road orientated option i could find available was the Toyo T1R. The stickier Toyo R1R was available in the front sizes, but the rears would be special order and a 3mth wait (in on the next boat). Dunlop and Toyo semi-slick options were available, but it doesn't sound like that's what your after.
'Esprit' has recommended the Bridgestone RE-11's, but talking to the local Wellington suppliers these are not available or made in the rear sizes. I'm hopeful George knows something the Wellington guys don't and that the 225/45R16's will become available sometime soon - perhaps he'll be along later to enlighten us.
Yokohama apparently brought in some Advans on special order once upon a time and the order got cancelled. They now seem to be against any special order of Lotus tyres for fear of being stuck with a set and no home...
If you want more options, US or UK ordering is probably the way to go. If you want the convenience of buying locally, the T1R is probably the best (only?) option. Ken W and George had good things to say about them, and both know more than a thing or two about running a Lotus in NZ!
Hope that helps, and saves you a few phone calls
There are very limited options here in NZ, and i suspect it comes down to only the T1R if you're after a 'commonly available in NZ' and a 'road orientated' tyre for your S1.
Unfortunately, although not unexpected, it's seems almost impossible to buy any of the popular options from Europe here in S1 sizes - Toyo T1R & R1R, Hankook RS2, Yokohama Advan & AD08, Kumho KU31. The only road orientated option i could find available was the Toyo T1R. The stickier Toyo R1R was available in the front sizes, but the rears would be special order and a 3mth wait (in on the next boat). Dunlop and Toyo semi-slick options were available, but it doesn't sound like that's what your after.
'Esprit' has recommended the Bridgestone RE-11's, but talking to the local Wellington suppliers these are not available or made in the rear sizes. I'm hopeful George knows something the Wellington guys don't and that the 225/45R16's will become available sometime soon - perhaps he'll be along later to enlighten us.
Yokohama apparently brought in some Advans on special order once upon a time and the order got cancelled. They now seem to be against any special order of Lotus tyres for fear of being stuck with a set and no home...
If you want more options, US or UK ordering is probably the way to go. If you want the convenience of buying locally, the T1R is probably the best (only?) option. Ken W and George had good things to say about them, and both know more than a thing or two about running a Lotus in NZ!
Hope that helps, and saves you a few phone calls
The T1R soft/weak sidewall may be fine on a light car - I've had them on the Legacy and wouldn't again primarily because of it (Bridgestone RE001 are much better in that regard, Eagle F1 are similar to the T1R) but at 1500kg it is a lot heavier than a Lotus!
Edited by GravelBen on Tuesday 1st June 01:19
Good topic
Ian (wilkco) is right in that the common option here to get them in the right sizes is the Toyo T1-R. They do both the 185/55 and 195/50 option for the 15" front wheels and I know for sure they do the 225/45 option for the 16" rears and possibly also the factory 205/50.
I ran the Toyo T1S on my Elise, which has been superseded by the T1R and is reported to be widely the same. It's a good all-round road tyre and isn't 100% useless on track like some would have you believe. I managed to get my Elise to lap as quickly on the Toyos as many did on semi-slicks, although it was easy to overheat them after a few laps and you had to drive within yourself.
On the road they were good. Never aquaplaned in the wet, and were pretty good in the dry too since they were easy to get some warmth into even on a cold day. The squidgy sidewalls do come in for some criticism but to be honest I never found it that much of a detractor. It didn't seem to blunt the car too much for my money. The biggest detractor with them was the HUGE and sharpe performance drop-off when they got near the end of their life... went from passable to dangerous in about 2 days.
As for size options, you have:
185/55F 205/50R - As per Lotus OEM
185/55F 225/45R - As per Lotus 111S OEM
195/50F 225/45R - As per Exige S1 (albeit diff diameters)
The first and last of these three are the most popular combos. People criticise the 185/225 combo as being too understeery, although I ran this combination on my Elise and never found any problem with it whatsoever. Going from a 205 to a 225R gives you more rear end grip. Going from a 185 to a 195 front gives you more front end grip at the sacrifice of a little bit of steering feel.
My father's S1 runs an incorrect 195/205 combination and it's FAR too pointy. Too much grip at the front and too little on the rear... keeping the back in line is a full time job!
The Potenza RE001 Adrenalins would be a good option but they're not available in the right sizes for both F and R.
The Potenza RE-11 Wilkco mentioned is currently available in the 195 width front and will be available in the next month or so in NZ in the 225 width rear. My information comes directly from the man responsible for importing special tyres for Bridgestone NZ. The first set landed will be going on my father's S1. I'm currently running them on my Peugeot 306 GTi6 and they're DEEPLY impressive so far.
The RE-11 is a hybrid road/track tyre so you won't get a lot of mileage out of them. They're kind of akin to the Yokohama Advan 039s originally fitted to the S1 Exige. What you will get is a tyre that's able to give you about 85% of the performance of a semi-slick on track, yet is easy to get heat into on the road and has decent aquaplaning resistance (although not as good as a V-groove tyre like the T1).
Ian (wilkco) is right in that the common option here to get them in the right sizes is the Toyo T1-R. They do both the 185/55 and 195/50 option for the 15" front wheels and I know for sure they do the 225/45 option for the 16" rears and possibly also the factory 205/50.
I ran the Toyo T1S on my Elise, which has been superseded by the T1R and is reported to be widely the same. It's a good all-round road tyre and isn't 100% useless on track like some would have you believe. I managed to get my Elise to lap as quickly on the Toyos as many did on semi-slicks, although it was easy to overheat them after a few laps and you had to drive within yourself.
On the road they were good. Never aquaplaned in the wet, and were pretty good in the dry too since they were easy to get some warmth into even on a cold day. The squidgy sidewalls do come in for some criticism but to be honest I never found it that much of a detractor. It didn't seem to blunt the car too much for my money. The biggest detractor with them was the HUGE and sharpe performance drop-off when they got near the end of their life... went from passable to dangerous in about 2 days.
As for size options, you have:
185/55F 205/50R - As per Lotus OEM
185/55F 225/45R - As per Lotus 111S OEM
195/50F 225/45R - As per Exige S1 (albeit diff diameters)
The first and last of these three are the most popular combos. People criticise the 185/225 combo as being too understeery, although I ran this combination on my Elise and never found any problem with it whatsoever. Going from a 205 to a 225R gives you more rear end grip. Going from a 185 to a 195 front gives you more front end grip at the sacrifice of a little bit of steering feel.
My father's S1 runs an incorrect 195/205 combination and it's FAR too pointy. Too much grip at the front and too little on the rear... keeping the back in line is a full time job!
The Potenza RE001 Adrenalins would be a good option but they're not available in the right sizes for both F and R.
The Potenza RE-11 Wilkco mentioned is currently available in the 195 width front and will be available in the next month or so in NZ in the 225 width rear. My information comes directly from the man responsible for importing special tyres for Bridgestone NZ. The first set landed will be going on my father's S1. I'm currently running them on my Peugeot 306 GTi6 and they're DEEPLY impressive so far.
The RE-11 is a hybrid road/track tyre so you won't get a lot of mileage out of them. They're kind of akin to the Yokohama Advan 039s originally fitted to the S1 Exige. What you will get is a tyre that's able to give you about 85% of the performance of a semi-slick on track, yet is easy to get heat into on the road and has decent aquaplaning resistance (although not as good as a V-groove tyre like the T1).
Edited by Esprit on Tuesday 1st June 12:31
Great news on the RE-11's. Knew you'd be in the know George.
Any chance of pointing us to the right contact at Bridgestone? Or asking him to update other Bridgestone bods with details? We spoke to a couple different people with no joy. Suggestion that they might be importing some soon in 225/45R16 size were met with responses as if I was asking for a 2000025/40005R16
And when I tried the local Firestone place, the guy said RE-11's had been superseded and would have limited/no availability...
Cheers,
Any chance of pointing us to the right contact at Bridgestone? Or asking him to update other Bridgestone bods with details? We spoke to a couple different people with no joy. Suggestion that they might be importing some soon in 225/45R16 size were met with responses as if I was asking for a 2000025/40005R16
And when I tried the local Firestone place, the guy said RE-11's had been superseded and would have limited/no availability...
Cheers,
Clearly uninformed... RE11s are a very new tyre for Bridgestone, it's their new flagship UHP street tyre.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=B...
Here's what my contact had to say when I e-mailed him a few months back:
[italic]How are you?
Been out and about in the 306 GTI-6 of late?
Still beating up your Dad's Eagle F1 GS-D3's?
About time we caught up for brunch and a drive maybe?
I'm pleased to report that today I confirmed with Martin at Bridgestone NZ.
To have 225/45R16 added to their NZ range of Potenza RE-11: 225/45R16 89W
The NZ range thus offers both a front 195/50R15 Potenza RE-11 instock now.
And by mid year 225/45R16 Potenza RE-11.
Providing an excellent set of four tyres option for Elise Series 1 Owners.
I'm just about to post this news here on NZH, to keep the Potenza RE-11 going.
I leave it to you to spread this good news amongst the national Lotus enthusiast community.
And by all means do let your fellow Australian, and European counterparts know too. [/italic]
Oh and just to let you know that these tyres do exist, here's the Japanese Potenza website:
http://www.potenza.jp/re11/16inch.html
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=B...
Here's what my contact had to say when I e-mailed him a few months back:
[italic]How are you?
Been out and about in the 306 GTI-6 of late?
Still beating up your Dad's Eagle F1 GS-D3's?
About time we caught up for brunch and a drive maybe?
I'm pleased to report that today I confirmed with Martin at Bridgestone NZ.
To have 225/45R16 added to their NZ range of Potenza RE-11: 225/45R16 89W
The NZ range thus offers both a front 195/50R15 Potenza RE-11 instock now.
And by mid year 225/45R16 Potenza RE-11.
Providing an excellent set of four tyres option for Elise Series 1 Owners.
I'm just about to post this news here on NZH, to keep the Potenza RE-11 going.
I leave it to you to spread this good news amongst the national Lotus enthusiast community.
And by all means do let your fellow Australian, and European counterparts know too. [/italic]
Oh and just to let you know that these tyres do exist, here's the Japanese Potenza website:
http://www.potenza.jp/re11/16inch.html
Edited by Esprit on Tuesday 1st June 23:50
Mark,
Currently only available in the rear size in NZ for S2 (225/45/17). The 195/50/16 for the front is not stocked here. I can enquire about that if you like and see if there's any chance to get them in here... Having said that, fitting a 195 tyre to the narrow S2 fronts might not work unless you have Exige rims. I think you have the Lotus Sport Forged rims so you might be okay.
Currently only available in the rear size in NZ for S2 (225/45/17). The 195/50/16 for the front is not stocked here. I can enquire about that if you like and see if there's any chance to get them in here... Having said that, fitting a 195 tyre to the narrow S2 fronts might not work unless you have Exige rims. I think you have the Lotus Sport Forged rims so you might be okay.
good news and bad news.
The RE11 isn't going to be sold in NZ in the rear sizes as a permanent stock item.
HOWEVER, I can source supply for you ex Japan if anyone wants to confirm an order.
The fronts will be in the region of $240 each and the rears about $300 each I think, fitted and balanced.
If you're interested, let me know.
The RE11 isn't going to be sold in NZ in the rear sizes as a permanent stock item.
HOWEVER, I can source supply for you ex Japan if anyone wants to confirm an order.
The fronts will be in the region of $240 each and the rears about $300 each I think, fitted and balanced.
If you're interested, let me know.
Still havent got my act together but as it is getting warmer and use is increasing I will have to get some tyres soon - probably go for the Toyo T1Rs for cost and availability as no real negative comments.
I also read about Geometry checks and see Esprit mentioned it in his update.
I assume this is something that can be done easily in NZ by a competent specialist wheel alignment place? Are the best settings the ones mentioned in the manual for normal road use?
I also read about Geometry checks and see Esprit mentioned it in his update.
I assume this is something that can be done easily in NZ by a competent specialist wheel alignment place? Are the best settings the ones mentioned in the manual for normal road use?
It looks like I'm stuck for options to re-shoe the Atom. Currently I have 195/45 15 Front and 225/40 16 Rear. These sizes don't appear even as indent items in most tyre charts.
I think the only option is to indent some Toyo T1R tyres but I didn't want an Ultra High Performance Summer type. I like to be able to drive with confidence if the weather gods turn against you while you're out, which happens quite often.
I think the only option is to indent some Toyo T1R tyres but I didn't want an Ultra High Performance Summer type. I like to be able to drive with confidence if the weather gods turn against you while you're out, which happens quite often.
I have the same size 195/45/15 tyres on my Peugeot. I had the choice of three rubbish tyres or something from Pirelli or something from Continental. The $300 each price tag and not having any in the country put me off either of the last two but theyll be on my list when I stuff the rubbish tyres I had to settle for and can have time to wait for some to be imported.
Atom Johnny said:
I think the only option is to indent some Toyo T1R tyres but I didn't want an Ultra High Performance Summer type. I like to be able to drive with confidence if the weather gods turn against you while you're out, which happens quite often.
T1R's are really pretty good in the wet (once they're scrubbed in, tread carefully the first coupla hundred km), its the R1R thats more of an UHP/trackday tyre.Atom Johnny said:
It looks like I'm stuck for options to re-shoe the Atom. Currently I have 195/45 15 Front and 225/40 16 Rear. These sizes don't appear even as indent items in most tyre charts.
I think the only option is to indent some Toyo T1R tyres but I didn't want an Ultra High Performance Summer type. I like to be able to drive with confidence if the weather gods turn against you while you're out, which happens quite often.
Well you're light enough to use Avon CR500s IF thats something that is used for Atoms in the UK? Getting them can be an issue I think the only option is to indent some Toyo T1R tyres but I didn't want an Ultra High Performance Summer type. I like to be able to drive with confidence if the weather gods turn against you while you're out, which happens quite often.
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