Good afternoon everyone,
Its been a few weeks since i posted an update. Well here it is, i will let the pictures do the talking.
The only thing that’s left is the wiring. ETA is 1 week.
Cheers!
-Kevin
Nitto NT-05 Tire Review
So I was fortunate to get my hands on a set of Nitto Tire NT-05 tires a couple months ago. The NT-05 is Nitto’s new Extreme Performance street tire, similar to the Dunlop Z1 *spec, and the ever popular Bridgestone RE-01R (recently replaced with the RE11). They’ve been mounted for over 5k miles on my car, and here’s the scoop so far:
Initial Thoughts
When you first lay eyes on these things, they look so radical that you don’t really know what to think! The cuts and pattern in the tire are different from any other street tire I’ve seen, and at first glance you can tell that these tires mean business. The compound feels soft to the touch, and the sidewalls are quite stiff even when not mounted.
Daily Driving/Wear
When you purchase a set of high performance street tires, you can expect a bit more road noise than your average summer tire. The NT-05 is true to this statement. It’s a bit noisy on the highway, but again, that’s expected from a tire in this class. With over 5,000 miles on the tires, including a few light auto-x’s and one road course event, I think I can safely expect another 3k miles from them (remember I do run the hell out of them on the track at certain events, strictly street use will prolong their life).
Performance
Naturally, this is where these tires shine. The NT-05 has some impressive grip even when cold, rolling right out of the garage! They are awesome on the street, for those spirited moments when you just happen to catch the green light making that open right hander, or when you have a clear shot at that open exit/entry ramp.
At the auto-x events, the NT-05 is also a winner. They are fairly quiet, meaning there is minimal screaming from them at the limits, and even with a 40 sidewall profile, I had no issues with rolling over the sidewalls with ~35psi hot.
I was able to get out to CFRC as well to see how these tires held up at the road course. My previous track tires were Michellin PS2s and Hankook RS2s, so I was definitely curious as to how the NT-05s would compare. After a few warm up laps I was ready to go. All I can really say is… wow. Braking feels impressive, I was really working hard to activate the ABS (which could easily be done with the RS2s). Turn-in felt great, they were very responsive and did not feel sloppy in the slightest bit. With ~35psi they were not rolling sidewalls and offered excellent road feedback. Throttle steering is extremely controllable with these tires, which is a huge plus! They are quiet tires as in they don’t scream much at all when at the limit. This could be a benefit or flaw, some people like to hear the tires scream on turn in, but personally I prefer them to be silent.
Summary
Excellent Extreme Performance street tires at an affordable price. They are a bit noisy on the street, but well worth it for the enthusiast who wants a great street tire that can perform on track. The NT-05 is my new tire of choice, period.
So I finally made a trip to the new shop, and I must say it looks great! Some pics from the evening:
