Tried the CRS in a 992.1 GT3 for 3 track days. This was the first time with this car on a track and I couldn't have made a better choice on tires. They lasted a bit over 400 miles, even with me testing all kinds of things and subsequently abusing the tires more than I should, trying to understand a new car. Somehow the wear was even on all 4 tires on a track that will typically knockout the front left first.
- The first thing to notice is that this tire is incredibly consistent until it is absolutely dead. I believe though that scrubbing in is necessary. Throughout the first few laps traction was all over the place. I have tried 3 similar tires on the same car and the CRS was the one that really required the first heat cycle to start performing well. Obviously scrubbing in is a must for this kind of tires, but the other 2 tires would be good straight from the beginning. CRS was not. But after that initial heat cycle, they performed the same until the very end (the other tires did not). So this is probably the perfect tire to learn a new car. The CRS also did require significant time to warm up and while it is cold it underperforms compared to the other 2 tires I tested. But once it gets to temperature it can hold its performance for consecutive laps.
- Performance wise, it is a well balanced tire and works well with the GT3. Braking is good. Traction is relatively better. By all means it is a fast tire, but not a one lap hero. Steering is probably its only true weakness. You feel it rather heavy in weight transfers and you have to wait a bit until it settles. Trail braking is not too much of an a issue, but accelerating after a direction change is. If you request it to do one thing, it does it well and is very progressive, but when you are pushing hard and start braking & cornering or (even worse) accelerating and cornering after consecutive corners then snap oversteering is around the corner. Need to wait for it a bit... Steering is dead around the center, and there is a bit of a steering delay but once you are there, it provides great steering feedback and you can feel the grip building underneath. Once you are at the limit, you will know. All these probably have to do with the stiff sidewall. To sum it up, steering is very good but only when the tire is settled.
Considering its lower price point, its durability, its consistency and its performance, despite its weaknesses, this is so far the best track tire for someone who wants to enjoy track days with a very good tire and is not really interested in personal lap time records.
- The first thing to notice is that this tire is incredibly consistent until it is absolutely dead. I believe though that scrubbing in is necessary. Throughout the first few laps traction was all over the place. I have tried 3 similar tires on the same car and the CRS was the one that really required the first heat cycle to start performing well. Obviously scrubbing in is a must for this kind of tires, but the other 2 tires would be good straight from the beginning. CRS was not. But after that initial heat cycle, they performed the same until the very end (the other tires did not). So this is probably the perfect tire to learn a new car. The CRS also did require significant time to warm up and while it is cold it underperforms compared to the other 2 tires I tested. But once it gets to temperature it can hold its performance for consecutive laps.
- Performance wise, it is a well balanced tire and works well with the GT3. Braking is good. Traction is relatively better. By all means it is a fast tire, but not a one lap hero. Steering is probably its only true weakness. You feel it rather heavy in weight transfers and you have to wait a bit until it settles. Trail braking is not too much of an a issue, but accelerating after a direction change is. If you request it to do one thing, it does it well and is very progressive, but when you are pushing hard and start braking & cornering or (even worse) accelerating and cornering after consecutive corners then snap oversteering is around the corner. Need to wait for it a bit... Steering is dead around the center, and there is a bit of a steering delay but once you are there, it provides great steering feedback and you can feel the grip building underneath. Once you are at the limit, you will know. All these probably have to do with the stiff sidewall. To sum it up, steering is very good but only when the tire is settled.
Considering its lower price point, its durability, its consistency and its performance, despite its weaknesses, this is so far the best track tire for someone who wants to enjoy track days with a very good tire and is not really interested in personal lap time records.