jmartpr

Ok...so I have used R7, Pirelli DHs and your typical MPSC2, Trofeo R and RE71Rs....but these new Nankang AR-1 have me wondering, specially due that I can get them quite easily in perfect sizes and the price.
Have read a limited amount of feedback and doesn't sound that bad but would prefer something from Porsche owners...let me know what you guys think for a Track Day/DE use
Of course...I'm spoiled by DHs but willing to give them a try.

jonb94112

I have run them on my BMW racecar and I liked them at the right the price point. I was impressed by their grip and they were an easy, predictable tire to drive. My lap times were consistently @2 seconds off a Hoosier R7. I have been running R7's for years and didn't expect the Nankangs to be as close to the Hoosier as they were. I actually raced on the Nankangs and they were great for 2-3 laps and then fell off quickly - more than likely due to tire pressures. They apparently like a very low pressure. For a track day tire, I think it's a great tire...depending on price and availability as there are a lot of good options out there right now. I will say that after running the tire over the course of a race weekend, I used it months later for a practice day and it was still pretty decent. It didn't have the drastic falloff of a set of BFG R1's that I had brought along, that had been used only one day (granted, with multiple heat cycles and fast drivers testing/abusing it) and it was pretty much garbage compared to the Nankang. Nankang does have a new CR-1 option that is 'supposed' to be a 200TW tire, but have heard from reliable sources that it is actually faster than the AR-1. Who knows. As another alternative in the 100 TW category, I tried the new Maxxis RC1 R2 compound and really liked it. It felt more like a real race tire whereas the AR-1 felt like a fast street tire. The tire held up great over the course of a weekend and it didn't have the strange tread pattern of the Nankang that gets pretty chewed up. I would look there if they have options in your size - Maxxis does free shipping, their prices are comparable to that of the Nankangs, and their motorsport folks in the US are great to deal with.

jmartpr

Thanks for the feedback.....would you say these are closer to the MPSC2s? I was about to pull the trigger on R7s but was curious about these.
Will take a look at the maxxis for sure. Thanks!

85Gold

Also check out the Goodyear Supercar 3R if they come in your sizes.

Peter

jonb94112

I don't know about the MPSC2's as I haven't run them. I have pretty much stuck to Hoosier the past few years - branching out here and there with Hankook or BFG R1. I run in a class where you can take a weight or HP advantage by running a 100 TW tire vs a 40 TW tire like a Hoosier so I started experimenting. For a practice or track day tire, I would focus more on consistency, longevity and value as opposed to ultimate lap time or grip. I personally don't see the value in running a fresh Hoosier R7/A7 for practice or a track day unless you are testing on it for competition. There are those who will tell you that some of the 40TW tires will last 'plenty long' or whatever. They will, if you are driving them slowly, but why bother? We have found a few tires that seem to like around the same setup as a Hoosier, so we'll practice on them as opposed to burning up a Hoosier or other 40 TW tire. If the tire is consistently 2 seconds off for example, it doesn't matter as we know we'll be faster on the Hoosier. Sometimes it will actually surprise you though and I think it makes you learn to drive better as it forces you to adapt as it degrades. Some of the other tires, not so much - they fall off a cliff and you are left wondering why your car doesn't handle or you can't drive. I'd check out the Maxxis or even the Nitto NT01 for a good value tire that will last.

Rmag911

I am currently using 245/40/18 and 275/40/18 Nitto tires. their diameters are about 1 inch different (25.5 and 26.6). If I switch to Nankang AR1s in 255/35/18 and 275/35/18 with about a half inch diameter difference (25 and 25.5), do I need to change my ride height/rake settings on my suspension setup?

Wujohn

My $.02 for what little it is worth (probably definitely less than $.01) as it relates to the 3R's and MPSC2- I have gone through a few sets of the 3R's and last weekend was forced to switch to my street tires (MPSC2), which I had never driven on track. Immediately experienced under steer and the back end stepped out in a much less comfortable way. By the next day I became comfortable with them but still the SC2's cannot compare to the 3R's. A few friends that are much faster than I switched from AR-1's to 3R's and were measurably faster. That said, the AR-1's almost certainly last longer.

Difool

Meh. I drove them on another car for a few sessions. A pretty hard tire. Decent grip but on a car set for stickier tires it wasn’t too hard to overwhelm them. They talked a bit, and seemed like they would last a while with predictable performance. I’d say they felt more like R888Rs

ExMB

Why is it that everybody is talking about these tires but nobody is volunteering pertinent info

1) Sizes used
2) Car they are on
3) Events they are used on
4) How long the last (HCs)
5) Etc

Trj

I just ran 305/265 19s. 31 sessions. I thought they were incredible. My fastest laps were at 31 heat cycles....... My Pirelli DH's gave out after 6 heat cycles. Not comparable in grip about 3 seconds off for me... I thought they had a soft feel on track and very communicative. I will buy them again. Probably 1 -2 sec off an R7. Sidewall felt steady throughout all temperature ranges.

erliuic

I've used 6 sets of them and I think the AR1 is a great tire. My experience is they're about 3 seconds slower than Hoosier R7s at NJMP Thunderbolt.

Five12Free

what sizes are you thinking? I was thinking of trying the 265/35/19 and 305/30/19 but can’t seem to find any info on actual width of the tires

DHI

jmartpr

Those are the sizes I was thinking...the rear is a bit wide at 12.3". My Pirelli DH 305s are 12" and I have found some slight (almost nothing) rubber marks in the front/inner side of the body but that could be of pushing them while still not at optimal pressure.

Five12Free

hmmm maybe too wide for my 10.5s…