Achilles99
Enthusiast
I posted a few weeks ago about anyone with experience on the track using both sets of tires. YellowViperSRT10 was the only one who had, and he said they were comparable. I just bought an 06 coupe that came with a brand new set of Invo's, so the very thing I did was drive them a couple hundred miles to break them in. Then, it was off to the track.
I went to a test and tune at Little Talladega. Very easy road course for my first time using this tire. My first impressions:
For street driving, WOW, these tires actually ride really comfortably. Not sure if that's because the PS2's are so stiff (this is my 8th Viper, second Gen III). Whatever the case may be, they are MUCH smoother riding than the stock runflats AND PS2's. Because of this, I thought there was no way a tire like this could handle a road course. The sidewalls have got to be too soft.
My first run, I ran the tires 34psi cold (figuring if 29psi was good for a PS2, the Invo's must need higher). I had read on the BMW forums that higher pressures worked better with this tire. That apparently doesn't apply to Viper sizes.
My lap times were a good 5-7 seconds slower than PS2's. I then dropped the pressures about 1-2 pounds each run (hot they were 42psi!). By the time I got to 36-37 psi hot, my lap times were identical to PS2 times on TGPR.
I will say that I had to learn to drive them differently. Straightline acceleration (as well as accelerating through the Apex) seemed a little better. However, I could hear the tires a lot more in hard cornering. I don't recall hearing PS2's that much, but I could be wrong. The last time I ran PS2's on TGPR was last November. Lap times don't lie, though. The Nitto's seem to be on pace with the PS2's. It's also possible that the noise came from being overinflated, as I didn't get to 36psi hot until the last run of the day.
Overall, I'd have to say it's hard to beat the fact that they are $400-500 cheaper a set and seem to wear better when compared to the PS2's.
With that being said, it's obvious to me that I'm planning to use this car primarily as a track car and occasional driver. So, I need to step up to a stickier compound. Either the Kumho XS or perhaps a Sport Cup.
Anyone interested in buying a set of new Invo's with only 1 track day on them? The tires have 7-8 32nds left, and new they came with around 9/32nds. Would also trade them for XS's or similar stickier tire. Hope this review helps anyone who might be on the fence with their tire choice. If street driving is your primary objective, hands down the Invo's win in my book. If you plan on tracking your car, I think the choice depends on how hard your track is on tires.
I went to a test and tune at Little Talladega. Very easy road course for my first time using this tire. My first impressions:
For street driving, WOW, these tires actually ride really comfortably. Not sure if that's because the PS2's are so stiff (this is my 8th Viper, second Gen III). Whatever the case may be, they are MUCH smoother riding than the stock runflats AND PS2's. Because of this, I thought there was no way a tire like this could handle a road course. The sidewalls have got to be too soft.
My first run, I ran the tires 34psi cold (figuring if 29psi was good for a PS2, the Invo's must need higher). I had read on the BMW forums that higher pressures worked better with this tire. That apparently doesn't apply to Viper sizes.
My lap times were a good 5-7 seconds slower than PS2's. I then dropped the pressures about 1-2 pounds each run (hot they were 42psi!). By the time I got to 36-37 psi hot, my lap times were identical to PS2 times on TGPR.
I will say that I had to learn to drive them differently. Straightline acceleration (as well as accelerating through the Apex) seemed a little better. However, I could hear the tires a lot more in hard cornering. I don't recall hearing PS2's that much, but I could be wrong. The last time I ran PS2's on TGPR was last November. Lap times don't lie, though. The Nitto's seem to be on pace with the PS2's. It's also possible that the noise came from being overinflated, as I didn't get to 36psi hot until the last run of the day.
Overall, I'd have to say it's hard to beat the fact that they are $400-500 cheaper a set and seem to wear better when compared to the PS2's.
With that being said, it's obvious to me that I'm planning to use this car primarily as a track car and occasional driver. So, I need to step up to a stickier compound. Either the Kumho XS or perhaps a Sport Cup.
Anyone interested in buying a set of new Invo's with only 1 track day on them? The tires have 7-8 32nds left, and new they came with around 9/32nds. Would also trade them for XS's or similar stickier tire. Hope this review helps anyone who might be on the fence with their tire choice. If street driving is your primary objective, hands down the Invo's win in my book. If you plan on tracking your car, I think the choice depends on how hard your track is on tires.
