Toyo R888 experience?

[rousespointer]

Looking for feedback on anyone who has run the R888 tire this year. I have run RA-1s and Hoosier R6s. The RA-1 selection is dwindling so considering the R888. Heard that they need cold starting pressure of 40lbs to perform correctly.

[91rs13]

No Experience with the R888's --but they are supposed to be bringing back the RA1 for next year.

Also --look at the Nitto NT01 --supposed to be the same compound as the RA1 with a different tread pattern.

[cuda6666]

I ran them last year, and they seemed about the same as RA1s. Cold pressyre of 32 gave me a hot temp of 39-40. I like my BFH g-Force R1s better, and they're 4 lb lighter per tire.

[zip4zat]

My 2 cents on the tire from the perspective of a relatively heavy car, having run 2 sets of these tires over the last 2 years.

Initial reaction:
I prefer other tires at this price point, especially if I can still get RA1s in my size or Id be willing to give some other tires a go. Must be driven at a shaved depth, under 4/32 the tire gets better. Great turn in response, and can grip all the way down to the cord. Didnt seem to drop off significantly with heat cycles.

In the wet, these tires are ok so long as there is no resemblance of standing water or even approaching standing water. Drizzleing, theyre ok. Raining, you should find shelter. At full depth R888 is a significant underdog to the RA1 at full depth.

As for the dry at full tread depth, the tire goes away in about a lap or 2 depending on the track temp. Gets very "greasy" and my car ends up pushing everywhere. Ive tried the full range of tire pressures (+/- 6#s) to validate some of the things throw around the intarwebs to no avail. Actually, as the pressures went up the tire went away faster. didnt get any grippier with lower pressures either.

As the tire starts wearing down, the grip becomes more consistent. The tread does exhibit some circumferential grooving, a la , groove of doom, with wear. Cant figure out what causes that. The wear rate seems to be faster than the RA1. At its grippiest, the R888 may be a smidge faster than the RA1, from what feels like better lateral grip (from its construction / stiffer sidewalls ?? total guess here as to why..) but acceleration and braking, seems comparable to the RA1.

The R888s are relatively loud, NVH, from the tread pattern. Still the R888 is not in the same class as hoosiers, v710s, R1s etc.. For selection of tires in the same class as R888, the pricepoint would be the greater driver for me than relative performance. For that matter, I should probably be looking into the NT01s, at one point I think some one said they were relatively cheap.

I'll edit this response if anything else occurs to me.

[CP]

I don't have personal experience with the 888, but have heard the griping all season in the SCCA paddock and on the forums. The RA1 will be re-phased in again next season, and the 888 phased out (at least in Spec Miata). So there should be lots of new and slightly used 888s flooding the market this winter. Some guys like the better turn-in. However they wear faster than the RA1 and as stated above, aren't all that great in the rain. They may be faster right out of the box, but the RA1 is more consistent over the life of the tire, wears more evenly and is a better rain tire at full depth. I don't have any plans to drive on the 888, and went to great lengths to find some scarce new RA1s mid-season this year. My $.02