stock tyres a bit rubbish?
 

Gents

drove the GT86 for the 1st time yesterday over a mixed range of roads and I have to say I'm distinctly underwhelmed by the ride and grip levels on the standard michelin Primacy tyres

the whole car felt extremly choppy and jiggly with very little flow over country lane broken surfaces

now bear in mind in the UK our road surfaces can be 'challenging' to say the least not much smooth tarmac here on our small country lanes

The traction control felt like it was constantly intervening and giving a halting / misfiring feel to the whole affair

turning the TC off helped a bit and reducing the tyre pressures from 36 to 32 all round helped quite a lot

but I normally drive an old Mk3 MR2 and that is far far easier to pilot over this route

now the GT is the faster car but I was working a lot harder to extract the speed


My feelings are that a softer sidewall tyre like a Toyo would go a long way to giving some compliance and better traction and generally improving the car

I had very similiar issues on my old TVR Griffith when it was on Bridgestones and switching the Toyo proxes then made a big improvement

your thoughts?

Yes, it's pretty well known and agreed upon that the tires are by far the weakest link in this car. Same tires as what comes on a Prius. They're pretty much there so you can drift the car straight from the factory.

The stock Primacy tires are perfect..

..for how this car was marketed. They are grippy without being too grippy. They have a gradual dropoff in grip at the upper end. And they communicate their current grip level very well through squealing. For hooning around, which this car was sold for doing, they are the perfect tire choice.

For any form of performance application however, they suck.

the thing is I was prepared for a lack of grip

thats fine, its not meant to be a ultimate speed machine
how it goes fast, not how fast it goes etc etc

what I've got issue with is being pitched about and the level of unsettledness ( is that a word ?) that you feel
surely others have felt this? and I was wondering if a softer sidewall would alleiviate this issue?

You're sure it's not from the suspension?

have you driven a car that meets your requirements?

Yes, they are truly awful. I just fit my winter tires: Pirelli Sottozeros and the car is transformed.

The Michelin Primacy HP is so bad it is dangerous.

The transition of these tires is abrupt and terminal as Evo magazine discovered at Bedford in the wet, recent issue 186. Truly a terrible tire choice for this car actually intended to create sudden oversteer effects for the kids who think drifting a 200 hp car is fun. It isn't, it's crazy.

Proper summer tires will be going on in spring. Those Primacy's are intended for cars with enough camber change you don't create the abrupt breakaway. Plus the OAP who might get excited driving on them will be in his Honda.

i'll attest to the abrupt oversteer during bad weather


but after i adjusted my right foot everything was peachy

I've got four Nitto NT01's just chilling at my house, ready to be put on as soon as I get back home. I've never used those tires before, but I've heard great things. Excited!

If you think these are bad tires, you'd most likely shit your self and commit suicide on some crappy Polyglas tires from the 60's.

It isn't so bad, wish the whole forum would stop overreacting.

There is also plenty upon plenty of threads on this topic.


Also if these are "dangerous" then you should see the crap tires that are on majority of cars on Ameircan roads. I guess to you most American cars on the road are dangerous eh?
When it comes to tires, some people go as cheap as it can go, even buy tires that don't pass DOT.

well yes

if you read my original post my mk3 MR2 has the sort of feel I was expecting from the GT and both my old TVR's (Griffith and Cerbera) had good B road composure while still handling well and not being a soggy soft mess

Maybe I should drive another example as mine may not be fit? but its a nearly new car direct from a Toyota dealer so I'd be surprised if anything was required

hard to judge from internet posts, it may very well be that those other cars are better suited for your specific terrain.

Sounds like you are more use to a thicker tire wall?

We don't know the surface, temperature, and moisture you're seeing; but it could be quite possibly you. The traction control can seem aggressive at times, but that is its job (prevent an accident caused by loss of grip). Have you tried experimenting with all three modes? I didn't see you mention VSC...

Also, if it seems that the ride is too firm preventing the tires consistent grip with the road, you might consider whether or not the springs on your other cars were worn to the point that they felt better on what might be more like washboard type uneven roadway.

Again, we're forced to speculate since you weren't very specific in your posts.