How much faster are track day tyres compared to the best road tyres? The German publication Sport Auto have produced the answer by taking seven of the best maximum performance road tyres and three of the best track day tyres, and placing them all through the same testing on a Toyota GT86 (225/40 R18).
Road VS Trackday Tyres
The Toyota GT86 isn't the most powerful of cars, with the 2 litre NA engine producing just 197 bhp. This means the car won't take advantage of the higher grip levels of semi slicks as much as a more powerful heavy car, but the increase in performance was still noticeable.
- Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
- Toyo R888 R
- Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R
- Continental Sport Contact 5
- Pirelli P Zero PZ4
- Michelin Pilot Sport 4
- Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3
- Bridgestone Turanza T001 Evo
- Kumho Ecsta PS91
- Toyo Proxes Sport
The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyre was the fastest semi slick in the dry lapping the handling course with an average speed of 87.1 km/h, an average of 2 km/h faster than the Michelin Pilot Sport 4.
- Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R
- Toyo R888 R
- Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
- Michelin Pilot Sport 4
- Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3
- Continental Sport Contact 5
- Pirelli P Zero PZ4
- Kumho Ecsta PS91
- Bridgestone Turanza T001 Evo
- Toyo Proxes Sport
Dry braking is a key advantage for track day tyres, which have a softer compound and less tread pattern to increase the tyres contact patch with the road. The Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R proved best in this test, stopping the Toyota in 32.8 meters, where the road Pirelli P Zero took a further 2.4 meters, stopping the car in 35.2 meters. The biggest surprise of the dry braking test wasn't the advantage of the semi slick tyres, but that the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 matched the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, both stopping the car in 34.4 meters, an impressive result for the road bias Michelin.
- Michelin Pilot Sport 4
- Bridgestone Turanza T001 Evo
- Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3
- Continental Sport Contact 5
- Kumho Ecsta PS91
- Pirelli P Zero PZ4
- Toyo Proxes Sport
- Toyo R888 R
- Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
- Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R
Wet testing brings the advantage back to the road tyres. All three semi slick tyres finished at the bottom of the wet handling and aquaplaning tests, with the Michelin track day tyre proving to be the most useful in the tests. Still not a tyre we'd want to fit for year round use in the UK.
- Toyo Proxes Sport
- Michelin Pilot Sport 4
- Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3
- Bridgestone Turanza T001 Evo
- Toyo R888 R
- Continental Sport Contact 5
- Kumho Ecsta PS91
- Pirelli P Zero PZ4
- Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
- Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R
The wet braking tests reversed the dry braking tests, with the test winning Toyo Proxes Sport stopping the GT86 in 32 meters from 80 km/h, where the Toyo R888R track day tyre took a further 2.5 meters, stopping in 34.5 meters.
The comfort, noise and rolling resistance tests were again dominated by the road tyres, with the track day tyres giving up noise and comfort for increased steering precision and speed.
The Results
Please note, due to limitations in our database, we've had to group the track day and "normal" tyres together in the overall results. In the magazine they were rated separate, but they did undergo the same tests.
Good steering feedback, stable behavior, excellent grip and very short braking on wet surfaces
+ short stopping distance on dry
Slightly high levels of noise
Particularly recommended
Total: 43
Dry
9.5
Wet
9.5
Comfort
8
Rolling Resistance
8
Noise
8
Excellent grip and accurate steering in the dry
Poor wet grip
Particularly recommended
Total: 33.3
Dry
11
Wet
4.3
Comfort
7
Rolling Resistance
4
Noise
7
Good handling on wet roads, short braking distances on dry roads
Poor handling on dry roads
Recommended
Total: 43.7
Dry
9.1
Wet
8.6
Comfort
8
Rolling Resistance
10
Noise
8
Good wet traction for a semi slick, high grip and good steering in the dry
Very nervous in wet handling, very noisy
Particularly recommended
Total: 31.1
Dry
10.6
Wet
5.5
Comfort
2
Rolling Resistance
5
Noise
8
High traction and good handling and stability on wet roads
Inaccurate and slow steering the dry, poor resistance to aquaplaning
Recommended
Total: 43.2
Dry
8.3
Wet
8.9
Comfort
8
Rolling Resistance
10
Noise
8
Balanced performance and accurate steering int he dry
Poor wet grip
Recommended
Total: 36
Dry
9.9
Wet
5.1
Comfort
7
Rolling Resistance
6
Noise
8
Excellent in the wet, high resistance to aquaplaning, short braking and good handling in the dry
Poor comfort, high noise
Recommended
Total: 35.7
Dry
9.1
Wet
8.6
Comfort
6
Rolling Resistance
5
Noise
7
Short braking on dry roads, accurate steering and good stability in cornering on dry roads
Relatively long stopping distance on wet roads
Recommended
Total: 43.6
Dry
9.2
Wet
7.4
Comfort
9
Rolling Resistance
10
Noise
8
The shortest braking distance on a wet roads, high resistance to aquaplaning
Slow reaction to steering, weak lateral stability on wet roads
Recommended
Total: 41.4
Dry
8.4
Wet
8
Comfort
7
Rolling Resistance
8
Noise
10
Acceptable handling on dry surfaces (although nervous behavior), good resistance to aquaplaning
Poor grip in the wet, low comfort
Conditionally recommended
Total: 34.7
Dry
8.4
Wet
7.3
Comfort
6
Rolling Resistance
5
Noise
8
Maybe im not reading it right but on each graph how can you tell which tyre is which ? I cannot see any names on the left hand side ?
Sorry, there was an error with the database. This has now been fixed :)
In your listing (& with other tests like the AutoBild one), would you be able to make clear whether the "L" or "S" version of the PZ4 is being tested. (In each case, the picture is of the "L" version, which seems implausible.) I also suggest a quite separate PZ4 review page to avoid confusion with past generation P Zeros.
It's a good suggestion and something we've been meaning to do, it's just working out the best way of doing so.
Pirelli haven't done anyone any favours with the P Zero PZ4 naming!
Two observations, both wet braking focused:
First, the T001 has clearly undergone some mid-life modification of some sort (compounding?).
Second, note that the R888R is slightlybetter than the estimable SC5. It seems to me to be the pick of the track day tyres despite its reported wet handling nervousness (which could probably be ameliorated by some judicious tyre pressure tuning of the handling balance).
We suspect the T001 tested is the T001 EVO which has had a significant mid life update and now has wet grip. Just waiting for confirmation, Bridgestone confused the matter by not printing EVO on the sidewall of the new tyre, just the label.
yep
(it was never bad laterally but braking in the wet seemed decidedly weak in most tests)
now all they have to do is make the tread stabler under lateral load in the dry
what's your unpacking of the "nervous" wet handling comment on the R888R?
Eh?
The Cup 2 scored higher than the R888R & the Trofeo R, yet it came 3rd??? Please explain...
An extreme weighting on the dry scoring.
I'm not sure I agree either, but this is Sport Autos test.
Ah, ok. Thanks...