Yokohama A052 Review
May 22, 2019, 07:36 AM
#1
Evolving Member
Thread Starter
Yokohama A052 Review A052 vs RE71R
I will be posting my recent experience with the A052's on my Evo X. Will include pictures and video. They are amazing. I will edit this post. I'm making it now to force myself to finish the review and not look like a fool and never following up lol. I compare them with the RE71R which is the only tire I have used till the release of the A052.
(Update) review now posted. VVVV
For starters these tires are amazing. I wanted to give these a shot cause I know what Yokohama is doing with World Time Attack Challenge. They are making crazy grippy tires for the fastest TA cars in the world, so when they made a 200tw (A052) tire following their support of WTAC, it was a no brainer, sort of.
Why sort of? Because RE71R. This tire has dominated for quite some time. And it's the tire I have been running since 2016. The price is right and the grip is too. So how can it be beat? By making up for what it lacks. And the Yoko A052 does so. There is a price to pay for that though, and it's just that, the price. The Yoko is about $70-$100 more per tire. Thats a price difference an average income, average enthusiast will feel. So maybe if you are an avg consumer/casual track day person, these arent for you? Nope not the case. And so my review begins.
The RE71R has mega grip BUT it falls on its face quickly and heat cycles out quickly. My car (Evo X) with me in it weighs anywhere from 3600 - 3750. On 255s I can see a noticable decline in about 4 track days. Mind you i run TA and when i do track days i still only to about 4-6 laps avg. I'm not killing 20-30 min sessions.
The compound:
-The 71s start to heat cycle out after about 4 track days on my car. Where the tire is very blue and the compound itself isnt very soft anymore. They fall off after 2.5 hot laps (255s). I have also run 275s and they hold up for about 4 hot laps.
-The 52s I have yet to heat cycle out. They fall off gradually after about 4 hot laps (255s). I have done 3 days at RA, 2 Days at Sebring, 2 days at Homestead (only 2 sessions each day at HMS) set TT3 record at HMS. Events were done in that order. I will be taking it to SCCA TT at palm beach soon on the same tires. Super impressive.
Characteristics:
The 71 has lots of grip and when you get to the edge it just stops to grip but you still have control. It's not an on and off but when at the edge going over you get a steep decline of grip.
And this is where I was baffled by the A052. Its completely different. It's not peaky. It's so weird having been used to the 71. But it's so impressive. When I'm pushing it to my limit, and the car starts to slide or be outside the tires peak grip level the tires have this gradual slide where you dont really feel max grip but you dont feel you have lost it lol. It's kinda hard to explain. You dont get the oh **** max grip feeling the 71 does, but you do have a little more (255 vs 255). I suppose I can say the range between peak traction and no traction is much wider on the A052. So when you start to slide on the A052 you feel more control. Its not edgy and it not peaky. It's very intersting and help my confidence knowing if I make a mistake, chances of saving it are very good.
Now here is the cool part. The grip and control I feel on the A052 in 255 is how the RE71 felt when I ran them in 275s.
So all in all size for size my experience has been the A052 is pound for pound the best tire in the 200tw category. It has the grip and more (same size tires) as the 71 but is consistent like a rs4 or direzza.
I'll have some pix and maybe a video up this weekend.
I plan on running atleast 3 more time trial events on these tires. I will update this thread once these are done.
lmk if anyone wants anymore info or has any questions.
(Update) review now posted. VVVV
For starters these tires are amazing. I wanted to give these a shot cause I know what Yokohama is doing with World Time Attack Challenge. They are making crazy grippy tires for the fastest TA cars in the world, so when they made a 200tw (A052) tire following their support of WTAC, it was a no brainer, sort of.
Why sort of? Because RE71R. This tire has dominated for quite some time. And it's the tire I have been running since 2016. The price is right and the grip is too. So how can it be beat? By making up for what it lacks. And the Yoko A052 does so. There is a price to pay for that though, and it's just that, the price. The Yoko is about $70-$100 more per tire. Thats a price difference an average income, average enthusiast will feel. So maybe if you are an avg consumer/casual track day person, these arent for you? Nope not the case. And so my review begins.
The RE71R has mega grip BUT it falls on its face quickly and heat cycles out quickly. My car (Evo X) with me in it weighs anywhere from 3600 - 3750. On 255s I can see a noticable decline in about 4 track days. Mind you i run TA and when i do track days i still only to about 4-6 laps avg. I'm not killing 20-30 min sessions.
The compound:
-The 71s start to heat cycle out after about 4 track days on my car. Where the tire is very blue and the compound itself isnt very soft anymore. They fall off after 2.5 hot laps (255s). I have also run 275s and they hold up for about 4 hot laps.
-The 52s I have yet to heat cycle out. They fall off gradually after about 4 hot laps (255s). I have done 3 days at RA, 2 Days at Sebring, 2 days at Homestead (only 2 sessions each day at HMS) set TT3 record at HMS. Events were done in that order. I will be taking it to SCCA TT at palm beach soon on the same tires. Super impressive.
Characteristics:
The 71 has lots of grip and when you get to the edge it just stops to grip but you still have control. It's not an on and off but when at the edge going over you get a steep decline of grip.
And this is where I was baffled by the A052. Its completely different. It's not peaky. It's so weird having been used to the 71. But it's so impressive. When I'm pushing it to my limit, and the car starts to slide or be outside the tires peak grip level the tires have this gradual slide where you dont really feel max grip but you dont feel you have lost it lol. It's kinda hard to explain. You dont get the oh **** max grip feeling the 71 does, but you do have a little more (255 vs 255). I suppose I can say the range between peak traction and no traction is much wider on the A052. So when you start to slide on the A052 you feel more control. Its not edgy and it not peaky. It's very intersting and help my confidence knowing if I make a mistake, chances of saving it are very good.
Now here is the cool part. The grip and control I feel on the A052 in 255 is how the RE71 felt when I ran them in 275s.
So all in all size for size my experience has been the A052 is pound for pound the best tire in the 200tw category. It has the grip and more (same size tires) as the 71 but is consistent like a rs4 or direzza.
I'll have some pix and maybe a video up this weekend.
I plan on running atleast 3 more time trial events on these tires. I will update this thread once these are done.
lmk if anyone wants anymore info or has any questions.
Last edited by xBoostx; May 25, 2019 at 07:50 AM.
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May 25, 2019, 10:30 AM
#8
Wondering how the Yoko will do in the wet. The RE71 is pretty magical on damp courses but not heavy standing water. Will that be similar with the yoko or is the water just going to sap the heat and grip out of them?
I ran my small 265 RE71s last weekend on sunday after saturdays frustration with semi old Hoosiers (50 runs start of weekend) and the 2 years old RE71s logged 0.15g more than the hoosiers. It was super frustrating but for whatever reason I wasnt getting anything out of the A7s and RE's were killing it.
I ran my small 265 RE71s last weekend on sunday after saturdays frustration with semi old Hoosiers (50 runs start of weekend) and the 2 years old RE71s logged 0.15g more than the hoosiers. It was super frustrating but for whatever reason I wasnt getting anything out of the A7s and RE's were killing it.
May 25, 2019, 06:28 PM
#10
Evolving Member
Thread Starter
Wondering how the Yoko will do in the wet. The RE71 is pretty magical on damp courses but not heavy standing water. Will that be similar with the yoko or is the water just going to sap the heat and grip out of them?
I ran my small 265 RE71s last weekend on sunday after saturdays frustration with semi old Hoosiers (50 runs start of weekend) and the 2 years old RE71s logged 0.15g more than the hoosiers. It was super frustrating but for whatever reason I wasnt getting anything out of the A7s and RE's were killing it.
I ran my small 265 RE71s last weekend on sunday after saturdays frustration with semi old Hoosiers (50 runs start of weekend) and the 2 years old RE71s logged 0.15g more than the hoosiers. It was super frustrating but for whatever reason I wasnt getting anything out of the A7s and RE's were killing it.
May 25, 2019, 06:41 PM
#11
Ya 3:35 PM on the dot usually in SoFL....blowing sideways for 5 minutes....then it's jungle level hot....every summer day lol.
But in looking I'm concerned on TireRack cause it's showing the 52 as a closeout tire with (original) in the name, so either something new is coming out or something's getting redone.
But in looking I'm concerned on TireRack cause it's showing the 52 as a closeout tire with (original) in the name, so either something new is coming out or something's getting redone.
- $ (ea.) Closeout
Manf. Part #: 110105266 - Qty:
- Out Of Stock in Doraville, GA Fewer than 3 in Midway, GA Fewer than 5 in Shreveport, LA Fewer than 2 in South Bend, IN Out Of Stock in New Castle, DE Out Of Stock in Windsor, CT Out Of Stock in Roseville, MN Out Of Stock in Denver, CO In Stock in McCarran, NV
May 25, 2019, 07:02 PM
#12
Evolving Member
Thread Starter
Yea they did a minor update. They increased tread depth to comply with a few different racing series.
May 27, 2019, 05:28 AM
#13
Evolving Member
Thread Starter
Here is some data:
Static camber is around 3ish in the front and 2ish rear. I have added caster to the front as well as fixed the geometry given the ride height out front. I do have some data from RA. but this car needs spherical bearings for sure. My alignment specs wander a bit to much.
Track: Road Atlanta
Tire pressures: 38 square (hot)
Tire temps (outside to inside)
FR: 140 135 135
FL: 135 131 120
RR: 118 120 118
RL: 118 118 114
Static camber is around 3ish in the front and 2ish rear. I have added caster to the front as well as fixed the geometry given the ride height out front. I do have some data from RA. but this car needs spherical bearings for sure. My alignment specs wander a bit to much.
Track: Road Atlanta
Tire pressures: 38 square (hot)
Tire temps (outside to inside)
FR: 140 135 135
FL: 135 131 120
RR: 118 120 118
RL: 118 118 114
Last edited by xBoostx; May 27, 2019 at 05:36 AM.
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