Yes I've taken the plunge again and decided to get some R1R's fitted to the ED30....and VERY good they are too.
I've had all types of tyre on the car...
Continental Sport Contact 2's
Continental Sport Contact 3's
Goodyear F1 Assymetrics
Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta's
Toyo R888's (GG rated)
and now add to that the R1R's.
Grip in the dry is excellent - well above ANYTHING for normal road rubber. Forget Michelins, Pirelli's etc these are a cut above.
Wet weather grip should be much better too with the extra tread pattern over the R888's.
Typical example is the fact that I could induce 3rd gear wheelspin in the dry in all the road tyres. The most I get from this is a squeal in 1st and second, but no real loss of traction
My reckoning is that the Sessanta's would have lasted me around 6k miles on the front as the rest of the mileage on them has been spun away in unsightly wheelspins. With the R1R's holding grip I reckon I'll have a similar, if not better mileage out of them (unless I kill them on track!!), purely on the basis that the extra grip means I'm not spinning away the rubber all the time.
They aren't a cheap tyre, but I managed to get a full set of 225/40/18's for under £700 fitted and balanced.
I do around 8k miles a year, so for me they are worth it. I couldn't recommend them to high milers as they would wear very quickly on the motorways over the miles, but as an alternative to run of the mill road tyres they are a phenomenal tyre. 90% of the grip of the R888's in the dry and more grip in the wet too
Anyone mapped on a GTI or an ED30 should definitely give these a go.
