Yokohama ad08 tyres

[james_gt3rs]

I seem to remember reading that someone destroyed their engine after fitting track tyres to their MR2. The sticky tyres allow you to generate significant lateral G which caused oil starvation and the engine seized (this was on track). The fix is to fit a baffled sump.

Just something to bear in mind!

[Capvermell]

I seem to remember reading that someone destroyed their engine after fitting track tyres to their MR2. The sticky tyres allow you to generate significant lateral G which caused oil starvation and the engine seized (this was on track). The fix is to fit a baffled sump.

These are not track tyres.  They are high end performance summer tyres fully legal on the roads and perfectly suitable on the road in summer use.  They can also be used for low end track use by those who do not have the money to take their car to the track on a trailer.

Starvation of oil to the engine on the MR2 Roadster in track competition use is a known problem due to the shallow oil sump and regular racers of the car fit a different deeper sump to overcome this.  I am quite sure the person who seized their engine rinning the AD08s did so in racing track use and not when using the tyres ordinarily on the road.  I do not intend any track use with my tyres or car.  I merely want a very high performance summer tyre and I will not be generating the kind of sustained G forces you mention in ordinary road use.

I am beginning to feel that Toyo's marketing department must have some staff members on this forum determined to prop up sales of their now totally outdated tyre design (T1R) against newer and much better designed competition such as the brand new Uniroyal Rainsport 3.

[Two's Company]

I seem to remember reading that someone destroyed their engine after fitting track tyres to their MR2. The sticky tyres allow you to generate significant lateral G which caused oil starvation and the engine seized (this was on track). The fix is to fit a baffled sump.

 I am quite sure the person who seized their engine rinning the AD08s did so in racing track use and not when using the tyres ordinarily on the road.  

I am beginning to feel that Toyo's marketing department must have some staff members on this forum determined to prop up sales of their now totally outdated tyre design (T1R) against newer and much better designed competition such as the brand new Uniroyal Rainsport 3.

James said it was on track.   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

Ok we get that you don't like Toyos and want to try something else.  Tyres feel different depending on the car they are on so the opinion of someone such as nathan who has run them on an MR2 is more relevant than others car you have read about on the internet.

Your posts read like you have decided the buy them and are justifying using them in winter.  Buy them and tell us what you think. Every MR2 owner with them seems to love them.  

For the record I run the T1R because they are a) cheap b) have soft side walls when the suspension/ARBs/droplinks have all been to replaced to stiffer items.  The soft sidewalls therfore offer some comfort on an everyday car.  There aren't many options in facelift sizes although when I looked on mytyres I was pleasantly surprised that there are a lot more options than there used to be.

[loadswine]

James said it was on track.   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

Ok we get that you don't like Toyos and want to try something else.  Tyres feel different depending on the car they are on so the opinion of someone such as nathan who has run them on an MR2 is more relevant than others car you have read about on the internet.

Your posts read like you have decided the buy them and are justifying using them in winter.  Buy them and tell us what you think. Every MR2 owner with them seems to love them.  

For the record I run the T1R because they are a) cheap b) have soft side walls when the suspension/ARBs/droplinks have all been to replaced to stiffer items.  The soft sidewalls therfore offer some comfort on an everyday car.  There aren't many options in facelift sizes although when I looked on mytyres I was pleasantly surprised that there are a lot more options than there used to be.

Well said.
Yes, really not much to add until personal experience is gained of them and not just internet gleaned information. I am intrigued to see more experiences of these tyres. I know they are fantastic when warm, as i have driven nathan's car with them on, but the standing water issue would be one that I would be interested to hear about. ( My experience of the T1R was that they dealt with that pretty well, though Rainsport 2s were better)

Don't for one moment think that they are a winter tyre though. They are very different in terms of compound and construction.

[Capvermell]

Your posts read like you have decided the buy them and are justifying using them in winter.  Buy them and tell us what you think. Every MR2 owner with them seems to love them.

Wrong.  I am trying to decide which tyre to buy but unable to obtain many objective facts to assist me.  For instance Uniroyal does not even publish a specification sheet for the new Rainsport 3 anywhere even though they are shipping and distributing the tyres in several sizes.   Also I would love to hear how Nathan found the Yoko A048s to drive on.  Unfortunately all I know so far is that he does not like driving on them in the winter because he has a spare set of T1Rs around he needs to wear around and thinks they will probably come to less harm in winter road conditions where any car could easily slide in to a kerb while parking on a day when snow/ice is hard packed on the ground.  So far he has not given me any useful opinion of how they perform as a summer tyres in summer conditions compared to other lesser summer tyres.

For the record I run the T1R because they are a) cheap b) have soft side walls when the suspension/ARBs/droplinks have all been to replaced to stiffer items.  The soft sidewalls therfore offer some comfort on an everyday car.  There aren't many options in facelift sizes although when I looked on mytyres I was pleasantly surprised that there are a lot more options than there used to be.

I don't call £68 per tyre fitted net very cheap compare to the £90 or so Net (after all the TopCashback and Tesco Cashback etc) fitted I can get the AD08Rs for.  I'm surprised you don't run Runway tyres or similar if cheapness is your main priority.

People are running T1Rs because they were a jolly good tyre relatively 10 years ago and people are stick in the muds and like to then stick with what they know and only having to keep changing one tyre at a time on an existing set. On any objective assessment for a T1R type tyre the Falken ZE914 is a significantly better and much newer tyre but its recent launch means no one much yet has tried it.

All this baloney about well you have to try and drive it yourself to know and no one else can actually give you a usefuk opinion is rubbish because by then you already have the tyre and it is too late.  If we took the approach of the doomsayers here then it is apparently pointless to read reviews on a widescreen television before you buy because only you in your own living room can possibly make any useful assessment.  Unfortunately by then you have spent your £1,000 and can't get your money back.

Basically there appears to be a large amount of jealousy in this forum so if people have Toyo T1Rs and it would cost them a lot to change all four in one hit (allowing for the fact that the MR2 Roadster is now an old car rub by many less well off people on tight budgets) they want to nay say anything newer so that they don't then have to feel they are running an old outdated and behind the times tyre model.

[AndyM]

Capvermell, you seem conflicted.

On one had you seem to be actively trying to discuss tyre choice and gather help/opinion to help make your purchase choice, on the other you are derisively passing judgement on other people who have been there, made their own choice, actually bought the tyres and are happy with them.

It's counterproductive and comes across slightly rude if I'm honest.

If you want to base your decision on tyre reviews and spec sheets then read up and go for it (you said yourself 'I have read almost every possible review on the internet of people who have used the Yoko AD08' so you should be well informed). However, you have to be aware that the press can show bias and the performance of a certain tyre on say a big saloon will be very different from a sub-ton sports car. Read the information, use your judgement, make your choice (and then ideally put together some considered thoughts of your experience to help other members in the future).

However, if you what you are seeking is actual user/owner opinion then lighten up a bit, real life experience doesn't always mirror what you've read. Nathan for example has run both the AD08 and the T1Rs so knows first hand how they feel and offered some useful comments, however you seem to be going out of your way to disregard his (and other peoples) input to the discussion.

Regarding T1Rs... if you don't like them, thats fine, don't buy them. Others do and are happy with that decision and I don't see what your pointed comments are adding to the debate.

Andy

[james_gt3rs]

I do not intend any track use with my tyres or car.

You should do, they're awesome  s:D s:D

[loadswine]

Thread locked as this will only become repetetive and the OP seems to have the information they were after. By all means anyone, enter reviews of tyres actually used in the correct section, as this will assist members in the future. MOD

[nathanMR2]

I think you'll find I did give my opinion on AD08's in the dry  s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

I have found them to be outstanding in the dry and far better than my toyos.

Finally I have driven ad08's in the wet and have been able to spin the back wheels fairly easy and I think easier than the t1r's. Now whilst this probably down to be being turbo'd, having a bit of a heavy foot at times and not having enough warmth in them, I feel the toyos are a better option in the winter weather.

Don't get me wrong I'm all for ad08's. They are one of the best tyres I've used in the dry and I haven't got them to let go yet despite some spirited driving.

I do not really think you are particularly interested in any ones opinion on things despite actively seeking it. You seem compelled to argue/dispute anything you can. Although I get the impression this is just in your nature and that you possibly get some kind of satisfaction from it.

T1R's are tried, tested and are respected by many as a good low priced gripy tyre that suits the car. That's not to say there aren't better out there however like you say it boils down to a number of people taking the plunge buying sets of tyres and giving them a try. This gives people the opportunity to base their decision on what others have said. It needs to be considered that general tyre reviews are done on different types of vehicle and this can have a significant affect on way they handle.

Yokohama's own website rates the AD08's as a 1/10 for a winter tyre which is another reason why I personally have decided I wont be using them in the winter. As far as I can tell people don't generally use them in the winter so its safe to say there must be a reason for this. Furthermore their very own brochure confirms the following;

Important Care And Usage Instructions:
The ADVAN Neova AD08 was developed using high performance compounds which become brittle at low temperatures, and therefore should not be used in certain conditions. ADVAN Neova AD08 tires thus must be stored or used only at temperatures at or above 14°F (-10°C) to maintain performance characteristics and to avoid any damage to the tire or injury to persons or property.    

Whilst I accept we are unlikely to see temperatures this low, we probably wont be far off that the way things are going with our weather. I havent been able to find any kind of  similar statement regarding T1R's although they could have issues at such low temperatures.

Yokohama confirms AD08's are

'built for speed from the inside out to outperform its legendary predecessor, the ADVAN Neova AD07, known since 2006 as the "fastest street tire in the world."

Being built for speed is great but not so much in the winter.

[loadswine]

[MOD] thread re opened as per discussions elsewhere.

[Wabbitkilla]

Personal experience goes a long way since we all have different driving styles and demands.

I like the T1-R,s I've found them about the most dependable and predictable with my suspension setup.
However I'm open to hearing opinions about other tyres and may well select those other tyres next time around sinct the Toyo supply has become so darned unreliable.  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

I suppose I'll have to start researching now, it could even end up being something stupidly expensive like Continentals.
Out of all the tyres i've used on the 2, T1R, Marangoni, Goodyear GSD3, RE040, the Toyo has just been great and they're so good at cutting through standing water. They may be an old design, but sometimes companies just get something right and it lasts a long time.

[Two's Company]

For the record I run the T1R because they are a) cheap b) have soft side walls when the suspension/ARBs/droplinks have all been to replaced to stiffer items.  The soft sidewalls therfore offer some comfort on an everyday car.  There aren't many options in facelift sizes although when I looked on mytyres I was pleasantly surprised that there are a lot more options than there used to be.

I don't call £68 per tyre fitted net very cheap compare to the £90 or so Net (after all the TopCashback and Tesco Cashback etc) fitted I can get the AD08Rs for.  I'm surprised you don't run Runway tyres or similar if cheapness is your main priority.

People are running T1Rs because they were a jolly good tyre relatively 10 years ago and people are stick in the muds and like to then stick with what they know and only having to keep changing one tyre at a time on an existing set. On any objective assessment for a T1R type tyre the Falken ZE914 is a significantly better and much newer tyre but its recent launch means no one much yet has tried it.

All this baloney about well you have to try and drive it yourself to know and no one else can actually give you a usefuk opinion is rubbish because by then you already have the tyre and it is too late.  If we took the approach of the doomsayers here then it is apparently pointless to read reviews on a widescreen television before you buy because only you in your own living room can possibly make any useful assessment.  Unfortunately by then you have spent your £1,000 and can't get your money back.

Basically there appears to be a large amount of jealousy in this forum so if people have Toyo T1Rs and it would cost them a lot to change all four in one hit (allowing for the fact that the MR2 Roadster is now an old car rub by many less well off people on tight budgets) they want to nay say anything newer so that they don't then have to feel they are running an old outdated and behind the times tyre model.

For me personally, I go off what I have personally tried on my car over the last 10 years I have owned the car.  The Toyo offers value and predictable handling for the driving I do in my car in all sorts of conditions rain, shine, on ice or on snow. I know for a fact there are better tyres out there it's just that, like you, I don't want to shell out £400 on a set of tyres to find out I don't like how they perform on my car.  

The Toyo costs £200 per set fitted and for the driving that I do, they offer value for money and I'm happy with that.  

My personal financial position or jealously has nothing to do with it.  I run the old MR2 not because of a tight budget but because it still puts a smile on my face more than cars worth 10-20 times more than my car that I have driven and considered replacing it with.

The purchase of a TV to buying tyres is comparable because there are too many variables when buying tyres.  If we both buy the same TV and use exactly the same settings, at the same viewing distance, using exactly the same input then we both get the same picture.  Contrast (pun intended   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  ) that to a tyre review where in all likelihood the car it has been tested on will be a different model, the tyre is likely to be a different size, at different pressures, on different roads, with a different driver in variable weather conditions etc etc etc.  

Whether a tyre is good or bad is subjective - what I like, you might hate and vice versa.  This is despite whatever the specification sheets or internet reviews say.

P.s. do you have a link for these £90 AD08R? Thanks

[steve b]

AD08 kick arse, best tyre for the MR2.  I shall be using the new AD08Rs at Castle Combe on Saturday.  :-) :-) :-)

[shnazzle]

Thought I'd drop in an on-topic note:

My pre-FL has Toyo proxies. Plenty tread, few months old.
My FL has yoko AD08.

After driving around in the monsoon today on the full mixture of road types I can say the AD08s absolutely destroy the Toyos on wet performance.

Very wet roundabouts at 30mph, dual carriageway at 70mph and all of a sudden hitting a fully waterlogged section...not a hint of lightness detected. So hope that settles any wonders about how the tread deals with water.

Acceleration from start in the wet, had to rev to about 4k and pull up hard for the tyres to spin. (at this point I was trying to find out how to get the Yokos to lose grip).

Negative point; VERY bad tramlining. Absolutely horrible. Even when no trace of tramlines can be seen on the road, it'll all of an sudden "catch a rail".

Looking forward to their snow performance.

The ride feels more planted in the Yokos. Harder sidewalls for ya. Compromised comfort?...hardly.

In the dry, the Toyos with the softer walls (even when slightly over inflated) made coming out of corners a bit iffy at times. The Yokos create far less imbalance out of corners. Granted some of that had to do with the pre-fl vs fl setup.

All in all...Yokos for me

[Two's Company]

Does the R in AD08R stand for race and is more track orientated compared to the AD08?

It's good that they come in correct OE FL sizes do that you don't have to move away from 215/45/16 on the back.

[Nunfa1]

I've been reading this thread with interest but it doesn't help those of us new to MR2 ownership. I found choosing tyres bad enough on my other cars but I think the MR2 is going to take it to a whole other level.   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

[Anonymous]

I've been reading this thread with interest but it doesn't help those of us new to MR2 ownership. I found choosing tyres bad enough on my other cars but I think the MR2 is going to take it to a whole other level.   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

No need to worry too much the MR2 Roadster is hardly a Ferrari, whenever I read threads like these I mentally reject them as they are so convoluted in opinion.  s:) s:)

[shnazzle]

I've been reading this thread with interest but it doesn't help those of us new to MR2 ownership. I found choosing tyres bad enough on my other cars but I think the MR2 is going to take it to a whole other level.   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

The more you drive the car, the more you will build up your own preference in tyre. The MR2 is very different from a "normal" car in that it communicates a lot more with the driver.

But as I have said before; when I got the car I had 4 very cheap tyres, different makes on each corner and the rears being the wrong size...and I had a hell of a run through the Yorkshire moors without getting in trouble once. So....take from that what you will.

[Capvermell]

The ride feels more planted in the Yokos. Harder sidewalls for ya. Compromised comfort?...hardly.

In the dry, the Toyos with the softer walls (even when slightly over inflated) made coming out of corners a bit iffy at times. The Yokos create far less imbalance out of corners. Granted some of that had to do with the pre-fl vs fl setup.

All in all...Yokos for me

Shnazzle,

Many thanks for your very helpful review on the AD08.

I have to say that I find the whole T1R owners club love affair for life thing fairly ridiculous.  I have run Toyo T1Rs and before that T1Ss for many years and was happy with them but I am not happy with them now as they have clearly fallen behind compared to the opposition.  In my opinion there clearly is a successor to the T1R for those who want a reasonably priced, safeish tyre in all conditions without risk of cracking in cold weather - it is the Hankook V12 Evo.   I only had them on the front for 3 months (awaits immediate lambasting by rigid purists claiming this is outrageously dangerous but I was going to replace the T1Rs at the back) and the handling of the car improved dramatically (unsurprisingly the front is the end where tyre choice makes the most difference in cornering and general handling on winding interesting roads) and its cost is identical more or less to the T1R for the budget conscious MR2 Roadster owner.  There may also be another very suitable and budget priced successor to the T1R in the shape of the brand new Uniroyal Rainsport 3 but unfortunately so far neither I or anyone else has managed to try them out.

However the AD08R is a whole other thing.  About the very  best road tyre there is for really demanding press on driving in sports cars on most accounts and yet miraculously available in the sizes required for the pre facelift MR2 Roadster without the need to have lots of stressful and expensive discussions with the insurance company or the need to move to the Adrian Flux insurance brokerage.  The only question mark to me is how they handle the colder months of the year.

So noting that you are in Northumberland (whereas I am down in Surrey) do you intend to keep these tyres on the car throughout the winter and if so will this be the first winter where you have done so?  If that is the case surely in Northumberland you must be at least somewhat worried about the warnings not to either even store the tyres or use them at -10C or below by Toyota.   Or do you have a heated garage or something to overcome this and during the winter only  take the car out on days when temperatures are well above -10C?

[carlclarke]

I've been reading this thread with interest but it doesn't help those of us new to MR2 ownership. I found choosing tyres bad enough on my other cars but I think the MR2 is going to take it to a whole other level.   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

No need to worry too much the MR2 Roadster is hardly a Ferrari, whenever I read threads like these I mentally reject them as they are so convoluted in opinion.  s:) s:)

I am not sure that the brand of the car should determine whether one takes time to research and choose tyres, surely its the usage?

[shnazzle]

Luckily we have another car we intend to use for when it's horrible weather. We do want some snow tyres though. The biggest deterrent at the moment is the price of snow tyres  s:) s:)  

To be fair, the weather is usually better here than it is down south  s:) s:)  Newcastle/Blyth is in a nice little pocket of weather compared to the weather just around us.
So we never get hit with the -10, torrential rain etc.

...famous last words...

[Bernie]

I've been reading this thread with interest but it doesn't help those of us new to MR2 ownership. I found choosing tyres bad enough on my other cars but I think the MR2 is going to take it to a whole other level.   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

Don't worry there is another thread on tyres and opinions on them elsewhere so worth a read

As a general rule buy the best you afford and don't mix types front to back keep them the same

Toyo's are a compromise on cost v performance

I had Dunlop Fast Response all round on my previous 2 and they were excellent in the wet and Toyo Proxes later on as a cheaper option at first were horrendous but they settled down after 600 miles but as I said are a compromise and have to be run at a higher pressure because of the soft sidewalls

My current 2 has Goodyear Eagle F1 and they are the best tyre I have ever run on a 2 in my experience

[Capvermell]

To be fair, the weather is usually better here than it is down south  s:) s:)  Newcastle/Blyth is in a nice little pocket of weather compared to the weather just around us.
So we never get hit with the -10, torrential rain etc.

...famous last words...

In Surrey the lowest ever record temperature in the last 20 years or so was -10C.  In the other winter months the lowest was -8C

I think its clear one should not drive a car with AD08Rs in very cold weather, although the position on a car just sitting there not moving when parked is less clear.  The guys at  m http://www.camskill.co.uk m  are claiming that driving the AD08R below +10C not only might be less safe than a standard summer tyre (eg Toyo T1R) driven in the winter, due to the rubber hardening much more in low temps than a normal summer tyre, but that the tyre might end up cracking if used below +10C regularly.  But then they don't supply the Yokohama AD08R at a competitive price, even though they have the best prices in the country on the Uniroyal Rainsport 3, so are probably trying to avoid having to refund my order.

My problem now is I was actually going to go for the brand new Uniroyal Rainsport 3 due to all the blandishments I have received here about the AD08R and cold weather but now Continental (Uniroyal is a mere subbrand of Continental) have turned round and said they are not going to honour their previous firm order commitment to deliver two 185/50R15 82V Rainsport 3s to Camskill tomorrow and they may not be available till mid Decemeber, which could easily become mid January.

So now my choice is between an AD08R and probably the Hankook V12 Evo if I decide I cannot run AD08Rs during the winter months.  The V12 Evo is a much better and newer tyre than the T1R that costs the same as it (and has very similar characteristics of the kind of car it is meant to be used by and conditions it is meant to be used in) and there is no way I am going to be bludgeoned in to reverting to the T1R just because some forum members quite clearly never like to move away from something they have already used in favour of something new.

Oh and for Nathan and other's benefits I don't actually enjoy arguing for its own sake but I am inherently not a pack animal unlike many members of the population (which is almost certainly why I detest both football and rugby as games but love watching tennis and F1) so when I am told that I should be using T1Rs just because lots of other people in the forum know people using them who like them this unfortunately cuts no ice (something which can probably also be said of the T1R  s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted:  ) at all with me as to why I should now be using this very old tyre design with very poor results in the EU letter rating system tests on both wet weather handling and rolling resistance/fuel economy.

[Two's Company]

I am starting to think loadsawine was right.    s:roll: :roll: s:roll:  

Good look with whatever you decide to buy.  I look forward to reading your opinion based on your experience.

[Capvermell]

I am starting to think loadsawine was right.    s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

You need to remember that my car is sitting in a road near Crawley with four deflated tyres and a cracked window and at any moment some other nutcase down there might very well decide to torch it or kick in all its windows and body panels.  So rather understandably I am in an upset and emotional state.  Some of you seem to have forgotten that this is actually why I am extremely distressed about the matter as I also have no car to get around in and am forced to use a very inadequate rural transport network.

I cannot move it elsewhere because no garage wants it until it is mobile and can be moved around their workshop.  And I have waited this long for Rainsport 3s that were meant to be coming in tomorrow with Camskill but Uniroyal/Continental have literally just reneged yesterday on the delivery date they committed to with Camskill as they have decided to make some more winter tyres for the German market instead of the Rainsport 3s.  My questions about the AD08R were because they are available right now in the right sizes and I was already fearful that Uniroyal/Continental would let me down on delivery as they have now done.  I wasn't definitely going to get the AD08Rs regardless of any comments here (as others have tried to suggest). I was actually having the argument with myself and others about whether I could run the AD08R all year round down here in Surrey.

Now the situation has gone from bad to worse as the Rainsport 3s in 205/50R15 86V might not turn up till January even though Continental have given a worthless promise they hope they will be here on the 8th December having already reneged on delivery.

Right now my only options are as follows:-

1.  Fit Yokohama AD08Rs all round in pre facelift sizes as they are available.

2. Fit Hankook V12 Evos all round in pre facelift sizes as I was already happy with the improvement at the front end this tyre gave over the T1R but it won't be as as good as a Rainsport 3.

3. Fit winter tyres all round but at an extra cost of around £300 and then switch to AD08Rs in the spring at a further cost of £350.

4. Fit Uniroyal Rainsport 3s at the front and get some part used 205/50r15 86v tyres at the back at £25 each fitted and then replace them with teh Rainsport 3s when they finally turn up

5. Leave my car sitting in the road near Crawley waiting to be torched or further seriously damaged for a minimum of another 3 weeks.

Surely if you were in my situation you might also by now be extremely stressed and likely to respond over emotionally to apparently unsympathetic comments.