Maxxis Victra VR-1..... Who's In?
03-30-2016, 07:41 AM
#12
Originally Posted by DTP525' timestamp='1459294610' post='23922627
I'm curious about these from the perspective that the RC1 isn't faster than the 200tw RE71R so how can these on on par with the fastest 200tw tire?
Are these VR1s the same compound as RC1? If so, that would make more sense to me.
03-30-2016, 08:06 AM
#13
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Originally Posted by King Tut' timestamp='1459343538' post='23923079
[quote name='DTP525' timestamp='1459294610' post='23922627']
I'm curious about these from the perspective that the RC1 isn't faster than the 200tw RE71R so how can these on on par with the fastest 200tw tire?
I'm curious about these from the perspective that the RC1 isn't faster than the 200tw RE71R so how can these on on par with the fastest 200tw tire?
Are these VR1s the same compound as RC1? If so, that would make more sense to me.
[/quote]
I thought the RC1s were quicker than an NT01. I don't think there is any chance the VR1s are the same compound. I thought the RC1 was the choice of tires in the GTA Limited class.
03-30-2016, 08:22 AM
#14
Both tires outperform each other in different ways but in the end, they're fairly close.
The RC1 isn't the "tire of choice" for Limited class, it's the default tire due to the deletion of the Hankook TD.
The RC1 isn't the "tire of choice" for Limited class, it's the default tire due to the deletion of the Hankook TD.
03-30-2016, 10:15 AM
#16
Summarizing the above posts, it sounds like it will be a budget 200 option to compete with the RS3/Z2*, and it won't be competitive with the RE71R.
The interesting question for HPDE is how do the RE71R and Trofeo R compare? They are priced similarly for 255/40/17 and while the Trofeo R is a 60TW, we know the RE71R isn't a "real" 200 anyway.
The interesting question for HPDE is how do the RE71R and Trofeo R compare? They are priced similarly for 255/40/17 and while the Trofeo R is a 60TW, we know the RE71R isn't a "real" 200 anyway.
03-31-2016, 06:02 AM
#18
Mike Kang had a good review on FB
John from Maxxis was nice enough to go over this new tire at our awards with us at the last S2KC at CVR. Dont compare it to RE7R1 and its direct competition is the RS3s. That what he mentioned to us...seems like a great tire from what he was able to go over with us.
John from Maxxis was nice enough to go over this new tire at our awards with us at the last S2KC at CVR. Dont compare it to RE7R1 and its direct competition is the RS3s. That what he mentioned to us...seems like a great tire from what he was able to go over with us.
Mike Kangs review
I've been getting a lot of question on the Maxxis VR-1; here's my feedback.
I'll cover a few things here in this post.
- Grip
- Sidewall/Feedback
- Tread life
- Heat cycle life
- Heat capacity/Heat vs Grip
- Wet grip/cold grip
- Wear patterns/Setup
- Street driveability
Grip.
Grip is directly competitive to the current 200TW "non-cheater" tires, aka Z2 Star Spec, RS3, etc. If you are looking to compete against the RE71R or Rival-S, this tire will not do that. I believe the very FIRST heat cycle of the RS3 may be marginally faster than the VR1 (when it is faster than almost everything), but from there on, the VR1 will always hold a grip advantage.
Sidewall/Feedback
The VR1 has a strong sidewall that will not deform or deflect much. Steering feel is far superior to the RS3, and similar to the Z2SS and AD08R. Overall feedback level is close to that of an R-Compound like the NT01/RC1. Risk of bending a wheel with the VR1 will be lower than the RS3. The tire makes noise as you approach the limit in a progressive manner, much like the RC1. Some noise is good, and the tire will be screaming as you hit the peak amount of grip. Howling means you've gone past the limit. Between the auditory and sensory feedback, this tire will be very, very easy to drive. Auditory feedback is far superior to the AD08R/RS3, better than the Z2/Z2ss, but not as excessive as the RE11.
Tread life.
Expect to get about the same amount of life out of these tires as the Dunop Z2/Z2 Star spec. They will last longer than the RS3, but not as long as an AD08R. Remember, this is purely tread life, not heat cycle life.
Heat cycle life.
The tires heat cycle, as expected with a tire of this performance. However, the heat cycle drop is not as dramatic as most tires in this category, and that, I believe, will be the key point in these tires. They heat cycle slower than the RS3, and will still have great grip when you have 30+ heat cycle on them, provided that you do not damage the tire by completely cooking them in a session (remember, tire management is also a driving skill). Cycling is about on par with the AD08R, and substantially superior to the RS3/RE11. I have not driven the Z2SS extensively enough to comment against that in this regard.
Heat Capacity/Heat vs Grip
Relatively speaking, as a 200TW tire, these tires love heat. They do have a short warm-up time that will increase as the tire heat cycles; if you are at a track day, a brisk out-lap will be more than plenty. Toward the end of the tire's life, you will need to allow more time for the tire to warm up. They have a broad window of opportunity, before the tire compound overheats, and starts greasing out. They are far superior to the Z2 in this regard. In absolute heat capacity, they are a little bit better than the RS3, and do well in 20-25 minute lapping sessions. These are not 1 lap wonders like the RE71R or Rival-S. If you are Auto-Xing this tire, you will want a co-driver in colder weather.
Wet Grip/Cold Grip
Unfortunately, my wet experience, due to California weather, is limited to only damp surfaces. Damp surfaces will result in a cold tire, that takes more time to heat up. However once warmed up, the tire grip just as well as expected given the conditions. I do not yet have any hard rain experience, but based on the size of the siping tread pattern, I expect the tire to be superior to the RS3, and on part with the Z2SS and AD08R. It will be far superior to the RE71R.
Wear Patterns/Setup
The tire is not as forgiving as the RS3, which is driveable even with a bad setup. The sidewalls of the tire are fairly stiff, so use a pyrometer to dial in your camber based on temps. For street driven cars, I recommend dialing in a little less camber than usual. The tire pressure range is extremely forgiving, and you can expect similar performance in approximately a 4psi spread, instead of the usual 2.
Street driveability
I had hoped that these would be as quiet as the RC1 on the street, but unfortunately that is not the case. There is some road noise, and this originates primarily from the tread pattern. The noise can be described as a pink noise, rather than the white noise of the Dunlops. Overall perceived volume is higher than the RE11/AD08R, and approximately on par with the Z2. It is quieter than the RS3.
Price.
The tire is a BARGAIN. The tire is competitive with the Z2SS and AD08R in many ways, at a RS3 price. As with the RC1, the tire isn't a clear winner in every category, but based on a price/performance perspective, I expect the VR1 to become very popular very quickly.
The tire can be purchased at http://shop.maxxis.com/c/automotive_victra-vr-1
https://www.instagram.com/p/9pBmyBG4I4/
I've been getting a lot of question on the Maxxis VR-1; here's my feedback.
I'll cover a few things here in this post.
- Grip
- Sidewall/Feedback
- Tread life
- Heat cycle life
- Heat capacity/Heat vs Grip
- Wet grip/cold grip
- Wear patterns/Setup
- Street driveability
Grip.
Grip is directly competitive to the current 200TW "non-cheater" tires, aka Z2 Star Spec, RS3, etc. If you are looking to compete against the RE71R or Rival-S, this tire will not do that. I believe the very FIRST heat cycle of the RS3 may be marginally faster than the VR1 (when it is faster than almost everything), but from there on, the VR1 will always hold a grip advantage.
Sidewall/Feedback
The VR1 has a strong sidewall that will not deform or deflect much. Steering feel is far superior to the RS3, and similar to the Z2SS and AD08R. Overall feedback level is close to that of an R-Compound like the NT01/RC1. Risk of bending a wheel with the VR1 will be lower than the RS3. The tire makes noise as you approach the limit in a progressive manner, much like the RC1. Some noise is good, and the tire will be screaming as you hit the peak amount of grip. Howling means you've gone past the limit. Between the auditory and sensory feedback, this tire will be very, very easy to drive. Auditory feedback is far superior to the AD08R/RS3, better than the Z2/Z2ss, but not as excessive as the RE11.
Tread life.
Expect to get about the same amount of life out of these tires as the Dunop Z2/Z2 Star spec. They will last longer than the RS3, but not as long as an AD08R. Remember, this is purely tread life, not heat cycle life.
Heat cycle life.
The tires heat cycle, as expected with a tire of this performance. However, the heat cycle drop is not as dramatic as most tires in this category, and that, I believe, will be the key point in these tires. They heat cycle slower than the RS3, and will still have great grip when you have 30+ heat cycle on them, provided that you do not damage the tire by completely cooking them in a session (remember, tire management is also a driving skill). Cycling is about on par with the AD08R, and substantially superior to the RS3/RE11. I have not driven the Z2SS extensively enough to comment against that in this regard.
Heat Capacity/Heat vs Grip
Relatively speaking, as a 200TW tire, these tires love heat. They do have a short warm-up time that will increase as the tire heat cycles; if you are at a track day, a brisk out-lap will be more than plenty. Toward the end of the tire's life, you will need to allow more time for the tire to warm up. They have a broad window of opportunity, before the tire compound overheats, and starts greasing out. They are far superior to the Z2 in this regard. In absolute heat capacity, they are a little bit better than the RS3, and do well in 20-25 minute lapping sessions. These are not 1 lap wonders like the RE71R or Rival-S. If you are Auto-Xing this tire, you will want a co-driver in colder weather.
Wet Grip/Cold Grip
Unfortunately, my wet experience, due to California weather, is limited to only damp surfaces. Damp surfaces will result in a cold tire, that takes more time to heat up. However once warmed up, the tire grip just as well as expected given the conditions. I do not yet have any hard rain experience, but based on the size of the siping tread pattern, I expect the tire to be superior to the RS3, and on part with the Z2SS and AD08R. It will be far superior to the RE71R.
Wear Patterns/Setup
The tire is not as forgiving as the RS3, which is driveable even with a bad setup. The sidewalls of the tire are fairly stiff, so use a pyrometer to dial in your camber based on temps. For street driven cars, I recommend dialing in a little less camber than usual. The tire pressure range is extremely forgiving, and you can expect similar performance in approximately a 4psi spread, instead of the usual 2.
Street driveability
I had hoped that these would be as quiet as the RC1 on the street, but unfortunately that is not the case. There is some road noise, and this originates primarily from the tread pattern. The noise can be described as a pink noise, rather than the white noise of the Dunlops. Overall perceived volume is higher than the RE11/AD08R, and approximately on par with the Z2. It is quieter than the RS3.
Price.
The tire is a BARGAIN. The tire is competitive with the Z2SS and AD08R in many ways, at a RS3 price. As with the RC1, the tire isn't a clear winner in every category, but based on a price/performance perspective, I expect the VR1 to become very popular very quickly.
The tire can be purchased at http://shop.maxxis.com/c/automotive_victra-vr-1
https://www.instagram.com/p/9pBmyBG4I4/
08-02-2016, 10:02 AM
#19
Community Organizer
Thread Starter
Bump:
I found someone on youtube (User name Small Yellow) who runs these tires on his S2000, and is Sub-2 at Buttonwillow sans aero. Here are his thoughts:
"Thanks! RS3 based on my experience loses a ton of grip after the 3rd track day. I can even feel that it starts to push when driving on local roads when taking a right hander at around 30-35mph. First day undoubtedly have the most grip for the RS3 and then drops dramatically. I heard from someone that the compound changes hence would help explain why per set of RS3 I can do about 8-9 track days and daily drive about 8-10k miles until they cord but they stop gripping after the 3rd day. (RS3 had perfect even wear for me)
The VR1 on the other hand uses the same compound from the top layer to the cords. My last set I did 7 days and probably had life for another 2 days although the edges were wearing quite a bit (might need more camber but sidewalls are definitely stiffer than RS3). However, what I noticed was that from the first to the 7th day there was probably a loss of only 10% of grip and even on the 7th day when cornering right at 30-35mph I felt if I turned the steering wheel more, the car would rotate more. I did not daily drive these tires as much and had only about 4k miles on them before I took them off. VR1 also prefer a neater line where as RS3 is fastest with more slip angle when cornering. They say the break away when it loses traction may be much sharper because of the stiffer sidewalls when compared to RS3 but I don't think it is as dramatic as they make it seem, it is very controllable.
Bottom line, in my opinion, VR1 > RS3. Hope this helps!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOdZCIlu46w
I think I'm going to order a set of these this week, and have them on the car in time for Sebring in three weeks. I'm very, very excited, as they sound exactly like what I wish the RS3 was like.
I found someone on youtube (User name Small Yellow) who runs these tires on his S2000, and is Sub-2 at Buttonwillow sans aero. Here are his thoughts:
"Thanks! RS3 based on my experience loses a ton of grip after the 3rd track day. I can even feel that it starts to push when driving on local roads when taking a right hander at around 30-35mph. First day undoubtedly have the most grip for the RS3 and then drops dramatically. I heard from someone that the compound changes hence would help explain why per set of RS3 I can do about 8-9 track days and daily drive about 8-10k miles until they cord but they stop gripping after the 3rd day. (RS3 had perfect even wear for me)
The VR1 on the other hand uses the same compound from the top layer to the cords. My last set I did 7 days and probably had life for another 2 days although the edges were wearing quite a bit (might need more camber but sidewalls are definitely stiffer than RS3). However, what I noticed was that from the first to the 7th day there was probably a loss of only 10% of grip and even on the 7th day when cornering right at 30-35mph I felt if I turned the steering wheel more, the car would rotate more. I did not daily drive these tires as much and had only about 4k miles on them before I took them off. VR1 also prefer a neater line where as RS3 is fastest with more slip angle when cornering. They say the break away when it loses traction may be much sharper because of the stiffer sidewalls when compared to RS3 but I don't think it is as dramatic as they make it seem, it is very controllable.
Bottom line, in my opinion, VR1 > RS3. Hope this helps!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOdZCIlu46w
I think I'm going to order a set of these this week, and have them on the car in time for Sebring in three weeks. I'm very, very excited, as they sound exactly like what I wish the RS3 was like.
