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View Poll Results: Nitto vs Pirelli
Nitto
3
20.00%
Pirelli
10
66.67%
Other (please list below)
2
13.33%
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Tires - NITTO vs PIRELLI

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Old Feb 11, 2003 | 01:51 PM
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Tires - NITTO vs PIRELLI

Pirelli PZero Nero Vs. Nitto

Please explain why you picked your choice!


Pirelli Site Example:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....h=true&index=5


Nitto Site Example:

Go to www.tires.com
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Old Feb 11, 2003 | 02:00 PM
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I have nitto 555r's and for the price I paid, I like them a lot. I have not driven hard on them so I can't tell you all about that but they feel comfortable and grippy.
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Old Feb 11, 2003 | 07:54 PM
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Pirellis, man...Nittos are for ricers
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Old Feb 12, 2003 | 08:05 PM
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bump
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Old Feb 13, 2003 | 04:58 AM
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Usually, the choice comes down to tire models rather than brands. It is kind of like asking whether Ford or Dodge is better. I would rather have a Mustang than a Stratus, but I'd rather have a Viper than a Mustang.

There are probably some Nittos that are better than some Pirellis for sports cars. But, Pirelli certainly has better tires than any model from Nitto, so I voted for Pirelli. Which brand is better is kind of like Ford versus Porsche. It still depends on your intended usage and which models you are talking about, but I feel pretty safe in recommending Porsche over Ford generally since this is an enthusiasts forum.

What specific tire sizes and models are you considering, and why are you not considering models from other brands?

-Max
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Old Feb 13, 2003 | 06:50 AM
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I said above the Pirelli Pzero Nero vs any nitto!
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Old Feb 14, 2003 | 01:02 AM
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I missed the Pirelli model, but you did say "Pirelli PZero Nero Vs. Nitto" which is less than crystal clear.

What sizes do you need, what car are they going on, and where do you need to drive the car? What are your priorities (dry grip, noise, ride comfort, some rain, snow, etc)?

-Max
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Old Feb 14, 2003 | 01:26 PM
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-Why is that not crystal clear?
-Size 265/35 18 for the Pirelli
-Car: Well im in the rx-7 fourms (93 FD3)
-Drag race, launch!

Why ask for obvious answers!

~Josh
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Old Feb 15, 2003 | 06:56 AM
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I don't consider those answers to be obvious. You'll get better answers if you ask more specific questions. You haven't gotten a lot of responses on this thread because you didn't make your usage clear or provide enough information for people to help you make a choice. Not everyone is interested in drag racing, knows you have an FD (versus FB or FC), knows what sizes you are looking for, or why you have narrowed the choices down to the Nero or a Nitto tire. No tire is the best for everything, so it is hard to make a recommendation without that information.

Perhaps drag radials would be a good choice for your intended usage. Smaller diameter wheels will also give you more sidewall, which will be better for launches.

-Max
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Old Feb 15, 2003 | 10:49 AM
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Originally posted by RX-Racer
-Why is that not crystal clear?
-Size 265/35 18 for the Pirelli
-Car: Well im in the rx-7 fourms (93 FD3)
-Drag race, launch!

Why ask for obvious answers!

~Josh
How about a little respect for maxcooper? I agree with his assessment of your cryptic post. The low response rate speaks to your unclear thread. FWIW, the Nero ("black") is one of Pirelli's premier tire models..up there with the Rosso ("red") and the Asimmetrico ("asymmetric"). IMO there's no comparison between Pirelli performance tires and anything Nitto has to offer (and that includes their 555R). It's a no-brainer choice--Pirelli. The votes have been cast, so do us all a favor and buy the Pirellis already!
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Old Feb 16, 2003 | 05:13 PM
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Originally posted by SleepR1
Pirellis, man...Nittos are for ricers
Hey now Manny, you calling me a Ricer?

Read this: http://www.gmhightechperformance.com...3gmhtp_rippin/

They actually turned their quickest lap on a set of Nitto 555R II's...faster than they turned on Kuhmo Victoracer V700's!

K
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Old Feb 16, 2003 | 05:58 PM
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Yep, I'm aware of the GM F-body and Ford SN95 Mustang owners excitement for the Nitto 555Rs. Remember that one of my MDC members was raving about the Nitto 555Rs at one of my Putnam Park events last season. I also know Jeff Lacina the picture credit guy on the website you posted above. I'm one of Jeff's instructors for his Track Guys' SVTOA on track program. They had an SVT event @ IRP last September, where I instructed a number SVT Ford Cobra owners.

The F Body and SN95 guys love the Nitto because it's a durable tire and can withstand 3700 lbs of car cornering at 1.1 g. The Kumhos blistered pretty badly.

Frankly I don't like either track tire for the FD Rx7. Our cars are 1000 lbs lighter than an F body/SN95 and require a track tire that's got more finesse. The Hoosier R3S03 is the hands-down winner in R-compound tire performance for road racing. It's a lightweight tire that provides unrivalled stick performance and handling feedback.

The F body and SN95 guys would shred a set of Hoosiers in 10 laps due to their car's bloated 3700 lb weights.

Nothing against you, Kyle. I know that you chose the Nitto 555Rs for other reasons (you wanted a sticky street tire that could be used on the strip and track), but my personal opinion--given the choice between a Nitto 555 Extreme street tire and the Pirelli P-Zero Nero street tire, the obvious choice for our FD Rx7 is the P-Zero Nero.
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Old Feb 17, 2003 | 02:50 AM
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I have P-Zeros on the RX7 and Nitto *somethings* on my MR2. The Nittos are garbage - sloppy sidewall = not very responsive & don't send good signals as to what the car is doing. The sidewall on the P-Zeros are nice and stiff -> instant feedback - it goes where you point it as soon as you think about it. I love 'em.
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Old Feb 17, 2003 | 04:54 AM
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Originally posted by BrianK
I have P-Zeros on the RX7 and Nitto *somethings* on my MR2. The Nittos are garbage - sloppy sidewall = not very responsive & don't send good signals as to what the car is doing. The sidewall on the P-Zeros are nice and stiff -> instant feedback - it goes where you point it as soon as you think about it. I love 'em.
Brian--yeah, my favorite street/track tire is the Pirelli P-Zero Asimmetrico. I'll probably buy a set in 255/40-17 when my current Yokohama AVS Intermediates wear out this year
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Old Feb 17, 2003 | 09:39 AM
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Originally posted by BrianK
I have P-Zeros on the RX7 and Nitto *somethings* on my MR2. The Nittos are garbage - sloppy sidewall = not very responsive & don't send good signals as to what the car is doing. The sidewall on the P-Zeros are nice and stiff -> instant feedback - it goes where you point it as soon as you think about it. I love 'em.
The original Nitto 555R is a true Drag Radial with squishy sidewalls, the Nitto 555R Extreme II is their RoadRace Tire with firm sidewalls that happens to be made from the same compound as their DR's. I'll be running them at Putnam March 22nd, hopefully by the end of the day I'll be able to maintain speeds high enough to heat them up a bit and give some impressions...(my first time on a road course)
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Old Feb 17, 2003 | 10:54 AM
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The Thunderchicken test was also using different wheels in different sizes (9.5" Fikses for the Nittos versus cheap and probably heavy 9" wheels for the Kumhos). The article does have interesting commentary, but I don't think the lap times should be compared directly, and they don't really apply to a light car with an independent suspension like the RX-7 anyway.

I am not saying that the Nittos aren't as good or better than the Kumhos, but just that that test didn't yield trustworthy results.

-Max
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Old Feb 17, 2003 | 12:03 PM
  #17  
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I bought P-Zero's his time around and there an awesome tire.... The Nitto's are okay but resemble that of the Toyo which is who owns Nitto...
The P-Zero's are exceptional for the street.....If you want a great inexpensive street tire get the Falken FK 451's.....There the best I've had for the cash minus the S02's and or Pilot Sports

Brad
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Old Feb 17, 2003 | 02:30 PM
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Originally posted by SleepR1
Brian--yeah, my favorite street/track tire is the Pirelli P-Zero Asimmetrico. I'll probably buy a set in 255/40-17 when my current Yokohama AVS Intermediates wear out this year
OoOOoO then you can get the P-Zero Rossas that come adorned with the envy generating red Logo. (To be perfectly honest, if they made the Rossas in 225/50/16 - they'd be on my car before the Assymetricos simply because of the Red logo and the guilty pleasure it would bring me).
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Old Feb 17, 2003 | 06:41 PM
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Hmm I'm kinda partial to the bling bling yellow lettering that some P-Zero Asimmetrico sizes come in
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Old Feb 17, 2003 | 06:42 PM
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Originally posted by bkapold@aol.com
The Nitto's are okay but resemble that of the Toyo which is who owns Nitto...
Really, I didn't know that?! Learn something everyday!
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Old Feb 17, 2003 | 06:44 PM
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Originally posted by maxcooper
The Thunderchicken test was also using different wheels in different sizes (9.5" Fikses for the Nittos versus cheap and probably heavy 9" wheels for the Kumhos). The article does have interesting commentary, but I don't think the lap times should be compared directly, and they don't really apply to a light car with an independent suspension like the RX-7 anyway.

I am not saying that the Nittos aren't as good or better than the Kumhos, but just that that test didn't yield trustworthy results.

-Max
9.5 vs 9.0s? That extra half inch of wheel width helps 3700 lb cars corner better, IMO
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Old Feb 17, 2003 | 06:45 PM
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Originally posted by nocab72
The original Nitto 555R is a true Drag Radial with squishy sidewalls, the Nitto 555R Extreme II is their RoadRace Tire with firm sidewalls that happens to be made from the same compound as their DR's. I'll be running them at Putnam March 22nd, hopefully by the end of the day I'll be able to maintain speeds high enough to heat them up a bit and give some impressions...(my first time on a road course)
I hope the Nitto 555Rs work for you, Kyle!
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Old Feb 18, 2003 | 03:11 AM
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Originally posted by SleepR1
9.5 vs 9.0s? That extra half inch of wheel width helps 3700 lb cars corner better, IMO
I agree, but it is hard to quantify the difference without another test. I don't think the lap times for the different tires on different wheels can be pinned on the tires alone, as was done in the article.

-Max
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Old Feb 18, 2003 | 10:15 AM
  #24  
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I don't see Bridgestones on there. I like the S03's just fine.
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Old Feb 18, 2003 | 08:30 PM
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Cuz the initial poll maker was too narrow-minded to consider any other tire brands Seriously, Bridgestone S-03s are the sh*t, so I've read
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