That's a bit disappointing to see, the slightly slower pace wouldn't be a problem if the tire didn't heat soak and remained consistent over a session. Hopefully they can make some tweaks to the tire and improve it like Nankang did with the CR-S.
Photograph by Anna Overman
Does the world need another 200tw performance tire?
Yes, of course it does.
New for our scene: the Maxxis Victra VR2.
But Maxxis isn’t new to making tires. Maxxis International has been offering tires worldwide for more than five decades, originally for bicycles and later for the full range of passenger cars, light trucks, ATVs, motorcycles and trailers.
Only a dozen years ago, though, Maxxis entered our space with an on-track offering, the Victra RC-1. That tire was a DOT R-comp with a focus on durability and all-around performance, and it’s been updated recently with a new compound. A number of NASA road racing classes have selected it as their spec tire.
[100-treadwear tire test | Nankang Sportnex AR-1 vs. Maxxis Victra RC-1 vs. Toyo Proxes RR]
Buoyed by that success, Maxxis then entered the popular 200tw street tire market in 2016 with the Victra VR-1. Of note, the tiremaker was first to market with a 245/40R15 size that was perfect for early Miatas and golden-era Hondas.
While not the quickest over a single lap, the VR-1 was durable and inexpensive, so it quickly found a home in budget endurance racing. A later compound update made it both more consistent and quicker.
Maxxis has now aimed for the fences, releasing its Victra VR2–no more hyphen in the name. This product could rival the pointy end of the 200tw field, all while retaining the brand’s traditional low-price advantage. Its target? The Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS, part of the Holy Trinity of Extreme Performance, the other two being the Nankang Sportnex CR-SV2 and the Yokohama Advan A052. In controlled testing, we can run the same lap times on all three.
The initial offerings of the VR2 are fairly sparse at six sizes across four rim diameters–exactly the minimum requirements for SCCA autocross and time trials eligibility. Among those, only one size was suitable for anything in our test fleet, that being the 225/45R15. Our usual test size for our Triple Threat Miata is 245/40R17, but our 15x9-inch Kogeki wheels from Flyin’ Miata offer enough brake clearance for our application. That size also lined up with a set of low-time Nankangs that we had in our inventory, providing a good relative benchmark for the front of this field.
[Tested: How does the new Nankang Sportnex CR-S compare?]
We gave the new tires an initial heat cycle by driving them to and from the track, with a series of six laps at an ever-increasing pace in between. The street drives also gave us a chance to evaluate the road manners for non-motorsports use.
On the road, the Maxxis VR2 felt much like a normal passenger car tire by hiding its motorsports intent. Unlike many tires in the category, this one was very quiet at highway speeds and not at all harsh over bumps. Only a significant highway expansion joint clunk would interrupt the ride.
Steering response felt somewhat vague with a sizable dead zone in the middle. This required fairly large inputs before the tire would turn.
By contrast, the Nankang offered much quicker steering response and a more athletic feel around corners. While a little harsher over highway joints and marginally noisier, it was still above average for the category.
Test day dawned sunny and warm, with temps as high as the upper 80s across our morning’s work. We first mounted up a set of older CR-S scrubs and ran a practice session to clean the surface and tune the driver. Once lap times stabilized, we pitted for test tires.
From left to right: Maxxis Victra VR2, Nankang Sportnex CR-S V2. Photograph by Andy Hollis
With the new Maxxis Victra VR2 being the focus of the test, we used it as our bracket tire, giving us two turns at the tire. On the track, the VR2 again felt very natural with the exception of the required large steering inputs. Breakaway at the limit was progressive and easy to recover from. There was also audible feedback to help with that balancing act.
When pushed hard, that light squeal would turn to a growl as the tire quickly heat soaked. It was especially susceptible to that effect in the two big combined loading events, the entries to Turns 5 and 2. Early laps were the quickest, both at 1:28.3.
By contrast, the Nankang CR-S V2 loved heat and was a superstar on this day. Right from the outset, it delivered quick lap times with a combination of excellent grip and a willingness to dive to the apex. The harder we pushed, the better it cornered. In these conditions, a single hard-out lap was enough to activate the motorsports-oriented compound, initiating a consistent string of fast laps–most of them at 1:26.1.
Switching back to the VR2, we were a little more careful with the out lap this time, putting as little energy into the tire as possible. Our efforts were rewarded with a pair of early laps that were a little quicker than before, the best being 1:27.9. The rest of the laps were all as before, so we were satisfied with the veracity of our data.
At this point, we were baffled as to how far apart the two tires sat on pace. Maxxis told us it had third-party confirmation testing results that supported its RE-71RS target claim. Our previous testing has shown equal best pace between the CR-S V2 and the Bridgestone RE-71RS, so we expected our two test candidates to at least be in the same ballpark–but they were not.
Maxxis also told us that the original design size, and the subject of that other testing, was 265/35R18. Perhaps something didn’t scale properly when building the other sizes?
We compared notes with a racing team that tested two different sizes of the new Maxxis on the same car: 255/45R17 and that design size of 265/35R18. They found the 18-inch VR2 to run substantially faster than the 17, matching the latest from Bridgestone. Perhaps the 18 has some special sauce not shared with the others?
Still, we wondered, would the compound benefit from an additional heat cycle? Or was it just the tire getting heat soaked on a warm, sunny day?
We returned to the track at the next opportunity with a plan to try a range of pressures on the VR2 to verify we hadn’t missed the window. What we found was that the tire not only heat soaked quickly, but kept getting hotter and hotter in subsequent sessions, even after 30 to 40 minutes of cooldown between. Pressures just kept building, even when bled back to targets. Lap times were no quicker than before.
Armed with this knowledge, we came up with a new plan to keep temps in check. We returned the next day and, after tiptoeing around on the out lap, did only three laps at a time. We did two sessions like this with an hourlong break between. The second was the quickest.
Further, the weather had turned cooler, with ambient temps down 15°. We also focused on what the tire did best: straight-line braking. Any attempt to trail brake would add additional heat to the tire. This plan worked a treat, and we found another second’s worth of pace. The VR2 gripped better and sounded better, and pressures only came up a few psi with this approach.
Data comparison shows better mid-corner grip in the big sweepers and a big improvement in corner exit power-up. Basically, don’t overheat the tire on entry and it will deliver in the middle and off. We also saw about a two-tenths pickup in pure acceleration from the cooler temps, so while the timer said 1:26.8, we’re calling that a 1:27.0 based on the tire itself–thus the 1-second improvement over the first test.
This heat characteristic will likely make the VR2 a good choice for autocross, where comparably less energy goes into the tire and there’s plenty of chance to cool off between runs. For optimal track lapping, having a large tire for the weight of the car will also mitigate the situation. And finally, shaving to a lower tread depth should also help the cause.
Once Maxxis fills out the line with more sizes, we’ll revisit the VR2 with our typical 245/40R17 for a more refreshing experience. In the meantime, as cooler fall and winter temps approach, quick times will require less restraint and planning.
[Grassroots Motorsports ultimate track tire guide]
For sure, though, Maxxis has upped the ante over the VR-1, a tire it will continue making for those who value endurance and consistency over single-lap pace. The lower pricing of the VR2 will also appeal to many.
That's a bit disappointing to see, the slightly slower pace wouldn't be a problem if the tire didn't heat soak and remained consistent over a session. Hopefully they can make some tweaks to the tire and improve it like Nankang did with the CR-S.
TBH I'd be concerned about the amount of temp sensitivity shown even for autox use. Sounds like a tire where a sprayer would be mandatory. Did the tire change a lot in feel as it heated? It it get greasy or just ultimate grip fell off? If wear and price are good, and feel remains okay I can see that being a good tradeoff for autox capable tires you can still take to a hpde without melting them.
Wow, pretty disappointing results. I really thought they would be more on-pace than they were. A small temperature window also ups the amount of work that needs to be done, which in a competition setting you may not have all the time you need to tune it accordingly.
We're definitely eager to revisit the VR2 when more sizes become available.
Very interesting. Maybe they will come up with a revised compound for the smaller sizes 🤔.
theruleslawyer said:Did the tire change a lot in feel as it heated? It it get greasy or just ultimate grip fell off?
Not really...just less grip and more noise. Happy tire squeal became angry tire scrowl.
Yeah, I made that word up, but that's what it sounds like. Scrowwwwlllll.
Welp there goes any hope for that tire.
Ill wait til Jan '25 to buy another set of Falkens 😉
Interesting. I have a set of 205's on my weekend canyon car.
Probably won't track this tire, but I run RC1s for NASA and figured I'd support Maxxis some and try them.
I read the initial stuff that they were similar to a 71RS as well, oh well. Still work for my use for the occasional canyon run, but kinda disappointing to see.
IndustryPartner said:How was the wear on the tire? So you think shaving will make the tire more competitive? How much to remove to make it competitive?
Here's a pic of the worst-of-the-four for a GLTC competitor using the design size on his S2000. Tire was new before the weekend. Five 15-minute races plus practice and qually. I told him to take what's left there and shave that much off a fresh set for the next race weekend. So that means shave to 4/32nds, which leaves a little margin.
I made the mistake of using these tires at GTA. They heat soak way too fast after 1 lap and the grip was not there. The Falken RT666 was 5 seconds faster.
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