SEMA show news...New STS2 Tires!

[Brian]

Hello everyone from SEMA where it's getting hot in the tire wars...the news includes new STS and STS2 tire choices! Both Kumho and Toyo are coming to market with 140 treadwear tires designed to win Street Touring classes. Kumho looks to be starting with 17 inch and up for starters but TOYO says they want to go for the STS2 crowd and they indicate they benchmarked the current class leaders (Bridgestone and Falken). Toyo seems pretty serious about the effort and the sizes back that up including: 195/50/15, 205/50/15 and even 225/45/15.

Also, a very interesting size in this new TOYO ultimate "street" tire for the NC owners....245/35/17. Will be looking forward to seeing the exact specs on this tire's diameter.

Sorry for poor picture....it's an upload from the SEMA convention floor using my cell phone camera!

[beagleracing]

Sweet!

I've always liked Toyos. i have a set of T1-Rs on my '94 right now and love them. We just installed a set of 235/45R17 Bridgestone RE01Rs on a set of stock 17x7 NC wheels. What a pain that was, but boy do they look and feel great!

I'd hate to have to mount a set of 245s on stock 17s.

d

[v67gsr]

WHAT!!!!!

Toyo R1R is the NEW tires?

This tire been around like years in Asia. We poor North American got the last share of the good products.

[Brian]

WHAT!!!!!

Toyo R1R is the NEW tires?

This tire been around like years in Asia. We poor North American got the last share of the good products.

It's not quite the old Trampio R1R...and not merely the reworked version that became the Asian Proxes R1R. Few tires are clean sheet projects and it would be rather silly to dismiss it as something old that was sold in Asia. Afterall, CSP class this year was won by a new size Hoosier tire that can trace its roots back many years... I was told that particular tunning went into the 225/45/15 construction with the US Autocross STS2 competition in mind.

[Brian]

A closer look at the new Kumho. Note the info board you can't read in this photo says treadwear is 180...but KUMHO officials assured me this will be a 140 treadwear tire aimed at the street touring classes...and the tread certainly looks the part.

[Kaze]

Hi Brian,

I see that you now have the Toyo R1R in stock, have you tested these tires out on the street or autox yet? Are they faster than the RT-615? The 245/35R17 size is very tempting and has both a width and gearing advantage over a 235/40R17!

[Brian]

We picked up a 97 we may use as a STS2 car but have not yet had chance to play with the new players in the ST tire wars.