Buy lightly used Toyo RA1 or new Dunlop Star Specs?
 

My Bridgestone RE050A Pole Positions are about to kick the can. They are getting really low on tread and i have a lot of track/autocross events in August so i'm pretty sure it's going to be the end of them (i got 33k miles out of them though :) ).

I've had my heart set on the Star Specs for a long time. They seem like the best tire out there right now and they're reasonably priced. A Set of 275/35/18 would run me $1050 from Tirerack but i found a set of lightly used Toyo RA1's same size for $600 shipped.

The RA1 seems like a pretty good tire but it's impossible to find a comparison of the two.

Let me know if it's worth it to spend top dollar for the Star Specs or if i should spend $450 less for a previous generation's top tier tire?

Thanks

For the NT01s', define "lightly used"
How much tread left.
How were they used?

your comparing r compounds to street tires. The toyo's will be better, but the dunflops will be more practical to use all year round.

Toyo RA1's not Nitto NT01's... I want NT01's but only once i have two sets of wheels to swap back and forth for track days.

I'm still trying to get more info out of the seller but he called them "barely used". They look like they may have been used for a track day -- the surface is not smooth like on a street driven tire but they still look like they have a lot of tread left. I'd guess 85-95%.

ok, i knew the RA1's were a pretty aggressive tire but i wasn't sure if they were classified as a true R-comp.

ra-1 is not r-compound, and i'll take RA-1!!

yeah, i've had a few friends drive with the ra1's and they definitely are dedicated track tires. They are quite interesting to drive with in the rain though and being that you're in WA, i would maybe stray away from the RA1's

Bah! I don't think Washington's perpetual drizzle would be too much for the RA1's. Hydroplaning is rarely an issue and i'm assuming the RA-1's would be fine on Washington's damp roads. I have a second car anyways. I try not to drive the 8 in foul weather.

I'm leaning towards the RA1's but the seller is taking a long time to get back to me.

RA-1s will not qualify as street tires in SCCA rules, if that matters to you.

I've run both, although on different cars (RA-1 on a Miata and Star Specs on the RX-8) and the RA-1 will outperform a Star Spec, in my estimation. And, The Ra-1s grip right down to the wear bars. Spec Miata guys love 'em (or should I say loved 'em) for that reason.

But, as a winter tire, probably not a good choice. I drive my Star Specs year-round, although I basically parked it when we got all that snow last year.

{edit} Now that I see your last post, I'd say go for the RA-1s. They have so much grip you may feel conspicuous using them to their full potential on the street. But you will like them.

if you're not worried about the hydroplaning issues then I say go for the RA1's. They handle absolutely amazing in the dry and for that price you can't go wrong.

Also, find out if they have been shaved. They are even better shaved from a performance standpoint, but they would be marginal in the rain, for sure (if shaved).

If they are not shaved they have fantastic rain performance, although at some point grip will fall off as the temperature does.

I've already asked the question and i'm patiently waiting...

If they are shaved i think i'll stick with the Star Specs. I don't want to have to replace them in 5000 miles or however long they don't last :lol2:

if you are looking for street tires you should get the star specs.

.02

I just heard back from the seller. The RA1's have 2 autocrosses on them and about 1000 street miles :dunno:

edit: Actually.. i'm trying to talk myself out of this...

ra1's are not street tires. if these will be used for more than just track events, do yourself a favor and buy street tires.

I dunno, I ran shaved RA-1s on my Miata daily one summer. Were they overkill? You bet. It was hard to truly use their potential on the street. But they were fun.

I did sell them to a spec Miata racer eventually.

Jantzen, if you were paying full retail I'd probably agree with mac. But the price you are getting these at - why not get them and enjoy them while you can? You probably will go back to a "regular" street tire like the Star Specs eventually, but at least you can say that you ran RA-1s once.

Life is about living!

The price is what keeps me coming back to them. Yes they would be over kill but my 8 is not my daily driver (although i drive it a lot on the street because... come on... how can you not!)

I have a couple months of autocrosses, track days and summer drives through the twisties.... arg... decisions decisions...

If i find cheap lightly used top notch street tires similar to this deal that'd be best but :dunno: seems hard to do

It seems to me you have answered your own question.

As long as you don't mind being lumped into an autocross class where the RA-1s won't be competitive against the likes of Kumho V710s and Hoosier A6s. You can't enter "street tire" classes with the RA-1s.