Toyo Replaces Its Proxes T1-S With The T1r, And We Go Try The New Rubber For Ourselves.
Being such a major player in the sport compact market, it's a big day when Toyo launches a new tire, so we dutifully went along to see what all the fuss was about.
Turns out, the fuss was about the Toyo Proxes T1R that replaces the tuner-favorite T1-S. The latter has been around for a few years and has established itself as competitively priced and a capable performer. The replacement has much to live up to, but the manufacturer seems confident it can hold its own in the marketplace.
As far as the dull tech bit goes, the T1R uses a new "Generation S" tread com-pound that's designed to resist heat and wear. The tread pattern was created using Toyo's T-Mode Technology to minimize hydroplaning and vibration while maximizing grip, braking and stability. It has a distinc-tive V-shape tread pattern and stiff, square shoulders. It's also unidirectional to help with water displacement, and the pattern has been designed to reduce road noise. The good news for sloppy parkers is that the rim protector gives a measure of protection to your wheels when you get too close to curbs.
The construction of the tire uses nylon cord over steel belts to provide rigidity and uniformity in both construction and handling. There's also a hard filler just above the new continuous bead to stiffen the lower sidewall for improved response and stability.
Available in 14 to 21" diameters and from 185 to 295mm widths, with aspect ratios from 55 to 25 low profiles and with good wear and traction ratings, the T1R should be as good as anything out there.
The T1-S it replaces did well in our annual tire test last year, and the T1R promises more of the same. To prove the point, Toyo lined up some Celicas used in the celebrity races at the Long Beach GP. Sadly, there were no Euros for us to drive, but at least the Toyotas had track suspension and rollcages so you could really throw them around to get the most from the tires. With a touch of oversteer from a very lively setup, it was easy to push the cars through the autocross courses that had been laid out. The tires were very predictable when sliding and provided good transitional grip when changing direction. The overall level of grip seemed high, but we're uncertain how they compare to the best of the opposition. To answer that question we'll have to wait until we conduct eurotuner's '05 tire test in a few months.
The T1R has been available in Europe for a few years and was well received there, according to our sources. We understand its wet weather abilities are superior to the outgoing model, which is the biggest battle with such high-performance tires. If you go back to our tire test (et 11/04), you'll see the difference between our 12 test candidates in the dry was only 3%, whereas it increased to 10% in the wet. So you can see it's relatively easy to make tires grip on a dry surface, but cutting through water is much more complicated.
This year the Toyo Group celebrates 60 years, having been established in Osaka, Japan, back in 1945. The T1R is its most ambitious attempt to commemorate the anniversary, alongside its continued motorsport presence that includes everything from off-road racing to SCCA touring cars and drifting.
With all its motorsport involvement and show car sponsorships, you're bound to see the new T1R everywhere in 2005, so don't miss our next tire test when we'll have a chance to measure it against the very best on the market.
For more info on the T1R, go to www.toyo.com.