Toyo R888 vs R1R vs ???
 

Hi Folks -

My new wheels are on their way and I need to make a decision on tires. The wheels will be 17x9 and 17x11. Id like a 245/40 and 275/40 tire size. I am considering 2 tires at the moment, Toyo R888 and Toyo R1R. The car will be used for weekend fun, will more than likely not see rain (or snow) and MIGHT see a track day or 2 (including auto-x).

I am leaning towards the R1R as it seems more street appropriate but am open to other options as well.

Also consider Nitto NT01 if you're not driving in the rain. They do have surprisingly good grip on wet roads, but not good for standing water./puddles. They are great for both street and track. Also, park any of these tires on half inch gym floor pads to prevent/minimize flatspotting.

I love my Hankook Ventus R-S3. I don't drive in the wet, but their dry handling is awesome, and I have no complaints noise-wise. Put them on your comparison list.

R1Rs, 4 seasons, rain or shine commute canyon carver. Like Gekko feet!

First of all: I love your car, OP.

The RS3s don't come in 275/40s, unfortunately (I don't know about the Nittos)--not much does anymore, you're not left with many sticky choices in 17" over a 255 as you've found out. The R1Rs have a following in the air-cooled world, but objectively they are slower than the latest-gen RS3v2, Z2 Star Spec, Bridgestone RE71R, etc. The R1R also hasn't been updated (other than a cursory "change" to 200TW from 140) in quite a few years.

I have personally avoided the R1R because they just don't last as long as the above competitors, but compared to the R888, the R1R will last longer at the cost of outright grip. R888s are near-slicks and an awesome no-compromises choice.

Thanks to all for the posts. I was going down the road of choosing the Kumho XS because I loved the predecessor tire (MX) and have heard the XS is light years ahead of it. I then stumbled upon the Sumotumo HTR III and the Yokohama S.Drives. Understandably they are in a different class of tire but at the end of the day they were almost half the price of the stickier tires. For a car that will see 1500 miles a year and maybe 1-2 track type events I figured I'd go with the S.Drives over the more expensive tires. I had them on an e46 M3 in the past and loved them. If I ever expand into track events I'd rather learn on these then a stickier R compound as generally they communicate their limits better (in my experience).