2017 Sport Auto UHP and Track Day Test

Test Summary
Wet BrakingPirelli P Zero Trofeo R
Dry BrakingMichelin Pilot Sport 4
Rolling ResistanceGoodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3
Bridgestone Turanza T001 Evo
Pirelli P Zero PZ4
NoisePirelli P Zero PZ4
Snow HandlingToyo Proxes Sport
How much faster are track day tyres compared to the best road tyres? The German publication Sport Auto have produced the answer by taking seven of the best maximum performance road tyres and three of the best track day tyres, and placing them all through the same testing on a Toyota GT86 (225/40 R18).

Road VS Trackday Tyres

The Toyota GT86 isn't the most powerful of cars, with the 2 litre NA engine producing just 197 bhp. This means the car won't take advantage of the higher grip levels of semi slicks as much as a more powerful heavy car, but the increase in performance was still noticeable.

The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyre was the fastest semi slick in the dry lapping the handling course with an average speed of 87.1 km/h, an average of 2 km/h faster than the Michelin Pilot Sport 4. 

Dry braking is a key advantage for track day tyres, which have a softer compound and less tread pattern to increase the tyres contact patch with the road. The Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R proved best in this test, stopping the Toyota in 32.8 meters, where the road Pirelli P Zero took a further 2.4 meters, stopping the car in 35.2 meters. The biggest surprise of the dry braking test wasn't the advantage of the semi slick tyres, but that the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 matched the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, both stopping the car in 34.4 meters, an impressive result for the road bias Michelin.

Wet testing brings the advantage back to the road tyres. All three semi slick tyres finished at the bottom of the wet handling and aquaplaning tests, with the Michelin track day tyre proving to be the most useful in the tests. Still not a tyre we'd want to fit for year round use in the UK.

The wet braking tests reversed the dry braking tests, with the test winning Toyo Proxes Sport stopping the GT86 in 32 meters from 80 km/h, where the Toyo R888R track day tyre took a further 2.5 meters, stopping in 34.5 meters.

The comfort, noise and rolling resistance tests were again dominated by the road tyres, with the track day tyres giving up noise and comfort for increased steering precision and speed.

The Results

Please note, due to limitations in our database, we've had to group the track day and "normal" tyres together in the overall results. In the magazine they were rated separate, but they did undergo the same tests.

1st: Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Michelin Pilot Sport 4
  • 225/40 R18
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 43
  2. Dry: 9.5
  3. Wet: 9.5
  4. Comfort: 8
  5. Rolling Resistance: 8
  6. Noise: 8
Good steering feedback, stable behavior, excellent grip and very short braking on wet surfaces + short stopping distance on dry
Slightly high levels of noise
Particularly recommended

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1st: Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R

Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R
  • 225/40 R18
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 33.3
  2. Dry: 11
  3. Wet: 4.3
  4. Comfort: 7
  5. Rolling Resistance: 4
  6. Noise: 7
Excellent grip and accurate steering in the dry
Poor wet grip
Particularly recommended

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2nd: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3

Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3
  • 225/40 R18
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 43.7
  2. Dry: 9.1
  3. Wet: 8.6
  4. Comfort: 8
  5. Rolling Resistance: 10
  6. Noise: 8
Good handling on wet roads, short braking distances on dry roads
Poor handling on dry roads
Recommended

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2nd: Toyo R888 R

Toyo R888 R
  • 225/40 R18
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 31.1
  2. Dry: 10.6
  3. Wet: 5.5
  4. Comfort: 2
  5. Rolling Resistance: 5
  6. Noise: 8
Good wet traction for a semi slick, high grip and good steering in the dry
Very nervous in wet handling, very noisy
Particularly recommended

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3rd: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
  • 225/40 R18
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 36
  2. Dry: 9.9
  3. Wet: 5.1
  4. Comfort: 7
  5. Rolling Resistance: 6
  6. Noise: 8
Balanced performance and accurate steering int he dry
Poor wet grip
Recommended

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3rd: Bridgestone Turanza T001 Evo

Bridgestone Turanza T001 Evo
  • 225/40 R18
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 43.2
  2. Dry: 8.3
  3. Wet: 8.9
  4. Comfort: 8
  5. Rolling Resistance: 10
  6. Noise: 8
High traction and good handling and stability on wet roads
Inaccurate and slow steering the dry, poor resistance to aquaplaning
Recommended

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4th: Continental Sport Contact 5

Continental Sport Contact 5
  • 225/40 R18
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 35.7
  2. Dry: 9.1
  3. Wet: 8.6
  4. Comfort: 6
  5. Rolling Resistance: 5
  6. Noise: 7
Excellent in the wet, high resistance to aquaplaning, short braking and good handling in the dry
Poor comfort, high noise
Recommended

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5th: Pirelli P Zero PZ4

Pirelli P Zero PZ4
  • 225/40 R18
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 43.6
  2. Dry: 9.2
  3. Wet: 7.4
  4. Comfort: 9
  5. Rolling Resistance: 10
  6. Noise: 8
Short braking on dry roads, accurate steering and good stability in cornering on dry roads
Relatively long stopping distance on wet roads
Recommended

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6th: Toyo Proxes Sport

Toyo Proxes Sport
  • 225/40 R18
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 41.4
  2. Dry: 8.4
  3. Wet: 8
  4. Comfort: 7
  5. Rolling Resistance: 8
  6. Noise: 10
The shortest braking distance on a wet roads, high resistance to aquaplaning
Slow reaction to steering, weak lateral stability on wet roads
Recommended

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7th: Kumho Ecsta PS91

Kumho Ecsta PS91
  • 225/40 R18
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 34.7
  2. Dry: 8.4
  3. Wet: 7.3
  4. Comfort: 6
  5. Rolling Resistance: 5
  6. Noise: 8
Acceptable handling on dry surfaces (although nervous behavior), good resistance to aquaplaning
Poor grip in the wet, low comfort
Conditionally recommended

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