az55

I had a hard time finding reviews on the Nitto 555 R2 when I was researching, so I thought I would give a first hand account of my first experience after purchasing a set.

Before I ran last week end in HPDE4/TT with NASA at Firebird Main, I called Nitto tech/help line and asked what pressures I should run. They were very helpful and recommended 38lbs hot. They also informed me that the tires would not begin to work below 160 degrees. That turned out to be great info and absolutely true.

On my first run I took it easy and just tried to get a feel for the tires. I immediately noticed good turn in response. As they began to get up in temp, I could feel the grip improve rapidly.

On the second run the track was warm and I began to be astounded by how much better they felt than my old Kumho MX's and my original F1 Supercars.
As the day progressed, the Nittos got better and my times got faster.
They "communicate" well and are very predictable. Understeer is much less a problem and it was easy to control the car with throttle when needed. These tires seem to love heat! The ambient temp at the track was 96-98 and even with the last run of the day, the Nittos were tenacious.

Anyway the final verdict came after Time Trials when I took 4th overall and 1st in class! Then, I drove home on them.

In a nutshell:

Turn-in:excellent
Transient response:excellent
Predictability:excellent
Grip:ferocious! (for a street tire)
Highway ride:firm but not harsh
Price: high, but worth it.

If you need a superb HPDE tire that you can drive to the track, put this one on your short list. NITTO 555 R2.

I hope this helps those who don't have trailers and have to drive to the track, but also want good times at the track.

Cheers,
CV

ICaughtVetteFever

Thanks for the info. I just switched to 285/305 RIIs myself this year and can't wait to try them out.

Z06_505

I've got a set sitting in the garage awaiting my return. Glad to read this review. I have been running Hoosier R6's.

az55

I'm happy to help, but remember:NOTHING grips like hoosiers.
The NITTO tire is the only thing I've found with prodigious grip that I can drive safely on the street when I need to.
The only factor in question is how long they will wear and maintain their great performance. I'll keep everyone informed.

Cheers,
CV

trumper Z06

Nice review, thanks !

varkwso

Nice review - Nittos last better than Kumho MXs and F1's for track use. Pure street they may last 10,000 miles. Track and street I saw 3000.

I have some NT-01s right now on one set of wheels. They are pretty spiffy - but would have a very limited life on the street.

STEVEN13

Hi,

I run the Nittos R2s also and I am happy with them. Last season at Pocono I turned my quickest lap times-and thats with over 2 year old tires. With the age of these tires they did seem to get greasy as they got hotter.

Steven

P.S. And then drove back home approx 150 miles!

Z06_505

That's what I am looking forward to. After a long track day, the last thing I feel like doing is changing tires. That's why I'm switching away from the Hoosiers (even though I love them dearly). I can also drive to the track the day of the event now and avoid the expense and "ambiance" of the motels near the tracks.

STEVEN13

Curious to know the difference in lap times between the 2 tires. As much as I like these tires I would love to try a set of Hoosiers and see if it would go faster.

Steven

sdz06

Last event at Streets of Willow I ran Nitto R2's on the front, NT01's on the back in the morning, and then Kumho V710's in the afternoon. I was 2 seconds faster on the Kumhos. I do love the Nittos though, both the R2's and NT01's. They are very fast for a tire you can drive on the street, and relatively durable.

WNeal

Z06_505 at Putnam Park went from 10 minutes, 12 seconds down to 9 minutes, 18 seconds with the new tires per lap





Sorry Sam, couldn't help it

C6400hp

I would be interested in a direct comparison of the RII or NT01 to the Toyo RA1.

az55

The NT01 and RA1 would be a valid comparison and one I would like to see. The R2 is more streetable and therefore a different breed.

I wish there were more tests available for competition style tires, but it's expensive and time consuming. Grassroots Motorsports has done some testing but only on a limited basis. They have currently added a C5 FHC to their projects. Maybe they will test some tires for it.

Cheers,
CV

gkmccready

it's been my impression that the nitto 555rii and the toyo ra-1 are in fact the same tire. same construction. same compound. just a different tread pattern and the nitto is molded with less tread depth to start.

C6400hp

How is the RII more streetable than the RA1? I run RA1's on the street and they seem to work very well.

LehmanZ06

I drove 200 miles to a autox on Hoosier A6's ran 10 runs, and drove 250 miles back, had to drop off my buddy.

NO PROBLEMS......,but did get caught in a severe thunderstorm, for like 20 miles----slightly hairy.......but no real problems.


























Obviously I am kidding about street driving the Hoosiers

tchapma1

I've got a little more for you guys this year now. Sam, you'll probably still have a little more power then me, but not much. I would be able to hold my own on the front straight at Putnam now.

WNeal

Hey Todd,
Looking forward to seeing you at Putnam this year,
Sam and I and now Len will be there a few times

ICaughtVetteFever

I think he meant the Nt01s, they are not really streetable.

frank dupuy

I feel the R11 NT01 RA1 are all street useable/friendly tires . Of the three the NT01 is slightly more track friendly but less wet weather friendly. Joel has been using NT01s on his car for a daily driver for some time now. He also uses them at the track if he doesn't take along racing slicks. I personally like the R11, they come is my size preference. They are friendly on the street and also track well. Now if you need to drive in wet weather or need to get more than 10/20K miles out of your tires there are much better tires out there. I live in sunny Southern California and leave the Vette indoors in wet weather but need tires that will harness HP. The R11 NT01 RA1 all have a 100 wear rating verses the 220 wear rating of the Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar that came on the C5 Z06.