Toyo Proxes R1R
Size 205/45R16
Type Ultra-high-performance tire
UTQG 140 AA A
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1999 Acura Integra GS-R - Tire Review
Key Features High-grip, silica-reinforced tread compound
Unidirectional "arrowhead" tread design to achieve balanced performance between wet and dry conditions
Tapered center block to stabilize movement and decrease irregular wear
Multi-width EVAC channels for good wet-weather performance
Stability-control slits improve dry performance by maintaining block stiffness during aggressive braking
Test Mule
'99 integra gS-R with K20 swap
Test Driver
Peter Tarach, Editor-in-Chief of Modified
Test Track
The streets and Buttonwillow Raceway Park
Test Conditions
Dry
The Toyo Proxes R1R UHP tire is a purpose-built street tire that's meant more for the track than your daily commute. If you're looking for a tire that will get you to and from work with comfort and little noise, then there are plenty of tires that do it better, but for track performance few are as good as the R1R. The R1R is built to be a racing tire in the body of a DOT street-legal tire. The advantages are that not only can you run it in a number of street classes in NASA, SCCA, time attack (and so on) to gain a competitive edge, but you can also drive to the track on the same tire that you race on. No need for an extra set of wheels and tires, you can put that money into more mods or more R1Rs because you're going to need them if you frequent the track regularly.
When it comes to performance street tires, the R1R is in an elite group in terms of grip, but with all that available traction comes one real sacrifice that may or may not be important to you. Because of the large tread blocks and stiff sidewall (compared to most street tires), wet-weather performance is down. So if you live in an area that gets a lot of rain, this tire may not be ideal. Also, don't expect to get 30,000 miles out of them; with the soft compound and 140 tread wear rating, they aren't meant to last five years.
On the track, the R1R performs exceptionally well and offers grip levels that are oh-so-close to real R-compound tires. Because the Integra is a rather light car (2,600 lbs) the R1R was able to stay consistent and keep its ultimate grip level for the full 20-minute sessions without becoming slippery. However, on a heavier car such as an EVO or STI you can't expect to be able to put down lap after hard lap without the tires fading away eventually.
When the R1R does start losing grip it comes suddenly, but when it's on the edge it feels extremely good and very responsive to steering inputs. I experienced little to no squirm with the R1R, which is a common occurrence with most street tires and extremely annoying (and time-robbing) on the track. You can thank the large tread blocks and the tapered center block that have been specifically designed to eliminate this incidence.
Simply put, if you're in the market for a class-leading competitive street tire that will perform exceptionally well on the track, then the Toyo Proxes R1R can't be passed up. It does everything right and very little wrong.