Review – Toyo R1R Tires
By Joey Leh, Photography by the author
Size tested: 255/35/18
Type: Extreme performance tire
UTQG: 140 AA A
Test car: Project Evo IX
Test track: Willow Springs (Redline Time Attack)
Features:
· Silica-reinforced, high-grip tread compound
· Unidirectional “arrowhead” tread design
· Tapered center block edge
· Multi-width EVAC channels
· Stability control slits
· Modified radial construction casing
Before we get too far into this review, let’s just lay it out there – the Toyo R1R tire is not for everybody. It’s not a tire for getting groceries, driving to Granny’s or zoning out in stop-and-go traffic. Toyo sells other tires for those purposes that are both quieter and longer lasting.
The R1R is an r-compound racing tire disguised as a DOT street tire. But if you’re interested in putting every last bit of power down to the ground or autocross in the SCCA’s Street Touring class, then please read on.
Why should the R1R be used by only the most hardcore enthusiasts and drivers? Compromise, really. Every single thing that you change or modify on your car will compromise it in some way. Your car can become stiffer, louder or lighter with a few changes. But luxury and comfort often get thrown out the window.
The Toyo R1R is designed first and foremost as a performance tire. It comes packing many design cues that can also be found in the Toyo R888 r-compound racing tire. Design cues that may bother your average Corolla S commuter.
The R1R’s sidewalls are stiff to give a crisp turn-in response and have a reinforced casing to avoid deflection under hard cornering. Driving on the R1R is not uncomfortable by any means but the stiffness does make the R1R ride hard when compared to your standard off-the-shelf all-season touring tire. The “arrowhead” tread design is supposed to aid with wet traction, which is good since the R1R has such huge tread blocks for dry grip, but it also increases the road noise transmitted into the cabin.
Wear and longevity are also an issue. With a soft, grippy compound and a low 140 UTQG wear rating, the Toyo R1R will not last as long as a El Cheapo touring tire. But, then again, the R1R will demolish any all-season or touring tire in terms of outright grip. In its comfort zone, at the track or in performance driving, the R1R shines.
We tested the 255/35/18 Toyo R1R on Project Evo IX during the Redline Time Attack Willow Springs event (full tread depth, no break-in or heat cycling). With a 255-width and a 140 UTQG treadwear rating, the R1R is at the extent of the limits and is one of the tires to have for the Street Class. The UTQG rating also bumps it up against the rules ceiling in the SCCA’s Street Touring (STX, STU, STR, etc) class.
The R1R was clearly designed to dominate in these street-based performance environments. Once on track, we knew the R1R was not your average street tire. At a hot track in the blazing heat of a Southern California summer, the tire did drop off quite quickly but during the first couple initial hot laps, the grip was commendable. We nailed our fastest lap (good for 3rd in Street AWD) on our second hot lap and spiked 1.32 lateral-g in Willow’s on-camber high-speed Turn 9.
We did wish that the R1R had a more responsive turn-in and steering response, the proper slip angle for the tire is difficult to find at times, but the high grip level is hard to beat. The tire also exhibited zero chunking or tearing (always the bane of a street tire driven on track) during our track testing. Ken Motonoshi, SCCA autocross national champion, also advised us that the tire would get faster as it wore down.
We’re hoping that as the tire begins to wear away and the tread blocks get shorter, there will be less tread squirm and the turn-in response will pick up. If the tire gets even faster, fantastic. Although, it’s hard to believe just how fast this street tire really is already.
Source
Toyo Tires
West Coast: 800-442-8696 (6:30am to 5:00pm Pacific Time)
East Coast: 888-444-8696 (9:30am to 8:00pm Eastern Time)
www.toyotires.com
