Quote:
Originally Posted by dvas
Thought I would share my impressions as I ran NT01s last season and am currently on RE-71s for this year. Both have been run on 18 x 10 wheels, square 275/35 on a 2017 M2 with lowered suspension (Bilsteins) and plenty of negative camber.
The NT01 is a great tire, and the tire of choice for most instructors. They are very grippy, are not that sensitive to temps/pressures and can take a lot of abuse. They are consistent throughout a 20 minute session. The NT01s lasted me over 10 track days last year and got faster all the way down to the chords. They are also fairly cheap and are not directional so can be rotated across all corners without issue. I think I paid $900 for the set, shipped. The two major cons in my mind are that they are horrible in standing water, especially as the tread wears down, and are a bit of a blunt instrument and lack the feel of the RE-71s. They may also take a number of laps to get into their window of operating temps on a cold day.
The RE-71s are essentially an autocross tire. And despite a marketed 200 treadwear, they are as grippy if not grippier than the NT01s, which are rated at 80 treadwear. They are more adept to be driven on the street and have excellent feel, are fine in standing water, and are up to temp after a few corners. They can let go quickly, but thanks to their feel, are easy to catch - I had bigger slides in the NT01s. They are also (surprisingly) ultimately faster than the NT01s, in my experience. About 0.5 seconds faster around Limerock, which is a 60 second lap. The major con is that they will not last nearly as long as the NT01s. Even with 3.2 negative camber, I don't think I will get more than 5 days out of them. They are also very sensitive to pressures/temps. After a few hot laps, they get overheated and greasy, requiring a lap or two at a slower pace to cool them down. Lastly, they are directional so technically should be remounted on the wheels to be rotated. I have run them backwards in the dry and my pace was down a bit, although that could just have been me.
I haven't decided on my next tires, but I may just go back to the NT01s next year because of their ease of use and consistency. For a time event, where lap times matter, I would go with RE-71s. But for a long season of 20 minute HPDE sessions, the NT01s may be better suited.
Not sure about the RS4s, never tried them. Tread pattern doesn't look conducive for a fast tire to me, but I could be wrong.
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My guess was correct regarding the longevity of the RE71Rs. I posted my best lap time on day 4 with the tire but by day 5 the grip started to drastically fall. On day 5, I was 1 to 1.5 seconds off pace on a 60 second Limerock lap. I continued to used them for another few days as I had committed to instructing but on day 6 they were a good 2 seconds off pace and day 7 was like ice skating.
I'm exploring alternatives for next year but will likely go back to the NT01 for the ease of use and consistency.
Attaching some pics, as well.
Day 0 vs. the NT01
Day 1 - after 35 minutes, or two sessions, on track
Day 6 - Still have rubber and showing some tread but lacks grip
Day 7 - Ready to be replaced