Are the Toyo Proxes R888R, RR and Nitto NT01 still competitive?

From left to right: Toyo Proxes R888R, Nitto NT01, Toyo Proxes RR. Photography Credit: Andy Hollis

Nankang Sportnex CR-S 2023

• fastest lap: 1:26.3
• on the street: We’re going to call this one a true dual-purpose tire. It’s quiet on the highway and has a sporty steering response. We love its feel in both venues. 
• on the track: It’s always eager to dive to an apex once it gets some heat into it. And then it’s consistently quick for most of a session.

Toyo Proxes RR

• fastest lap: 1:26.8
• on the street: Despite its track-only sidewall warning, this one exhibited the nicest street ride quality of the three tires from Toyo and Nitto. It was quiet but somewhat harsh over bumps. It also required a fair bit of steering input, resulting in a delayed response to inputs. But again, it’s technically not a street tire despite that DOT rating.
• on the track: It came up to temp quickly and delivered consistent lap times for the duration of the session. Steering response became more direct as the lateral loads increased.

Nitto NT01

• fastest lap: 1:27.9
• on the street: The NT01 was vague and numb but felt taut over the road surface. This was accompanied by a whine at higher speeds as the tire hunted on a rutted highway. Of note, there was a dead zone in the steering.
• on the track: Lots of steering input was needed, with big slip angles being the norm. The limit of adhesion was vague, and the changing squeal of the tire was the only indicator of the approaching edge. The very first lap was quickest, and the tire felt notably snappier during this pass. Once heated, it settled into consistent laps about a half-second slower.

Toyo Proxes R888R

• fastest lap: 1:28.5
• on the street: Compared to the NT01, the R888R felt more precise and responsive. It also had a more pronounced highway drone and was harsh over washboard surfaces.
• on the track: It excelled at longitudinal grip but lacked in mid-corner. Like the Nitto, its first lap was quickest and then it settled into a pattern of consistent circuits at a slower pace. Monster forward bite, too, which could help those heading to the strip.

Nankang CR-S 2023 (retest)

• fastest lap: 1:26.0
• Bolting back on the still-warm Nankangs, pace was quick right away. Compared to earlier, we did find a little extra time mid-session, which data analysis later revealed was in an area of driver confidence in Turn 11.

What’d We Learn?

Don’t let the 100tw label on the NT01 and R888R fool you: These are street tires with very much the same type of design philosophy as today’s new high-tech 200tw tires. They’ll deliver lots of fun laps and still get you home from a track day. 

Both are also the value buys out of this group of tires, retailing for about $240 to $255 each in our 235/40R17 test size; the Nankang goes for closer to $275 apiece. Laps per dollar? These two from Nitto and Toyo could be your bogey–and then factor in Toyo’s generous NASA contingency and support. (NASA Time Trial rules, by the way, favor those who run these two tires over the latest from the Super 200 class.)

As for the Toyo RR, it’s a great track day tire with consistent performance and long life. You’ll pay a little more for that, though, with our size selling for close to $290 each. What did we learn today? Again, there’s a tire for nearly any situation, including those looking for enduring track tires.