The Toyo T1-Sport has been one of its maker’s most successful products, a tyre able to perform at the limit on the road, and in all seasons and conditions. This multi-faceted ability has made it a firm favourite with performance drivers of all types and tastes, in the process earning it an enviable reputation. Never one to rest on its collective laurels, Toyo has wasted no time in drawing up a replacement for the T1-Sport, the Proxes Sport, a tyre that builds on Toyo’s decades worth of experience to deliver superior wet and dry weather handling, stopping and comfort. Launching at the Autosport Show 2017, this tyre is bound to become a performance benchmark.
The Toyo Proxes Sport displays an asymmetric and high rigid rib pattern, again designed to enable it to perform in the vastly different grip conditions generated by extremes of temperature and weather. In practice this means that the inner edge of the tyre has a reflect block design for enhanced handling and braking performance, and a high sipe density rip for sharpened traction in the wet and reduced noise. The opposing edge sports a dynamic taper block design, again for improved levels of traction, and a stiffened rib – a trait proven to provide firm grip and exemplary levels of stability during cornering.
The upshot to such an exhaustive development process, one littered with unique design traits and significant developments, is a tyre with supreme wet and dry weather handling ability, along with class leading wet braking performance, the latter a full 6% better than the already impressive T1 Sport. Similarly, the Proxes Sport also boasts a 33% reduction in rolling resistance coefficient over its forbearer, and a 10% improvement in wet weather grip.
The stats don’t lie, the Toyo Proxes Sport really is an astonishingly capable tyre, more than fit to follow on from the illustrious T1-Sport. Available in a wide variety of sizes and fitments, it will no doubt make a fine addition to the wheels of any performance car – whether or not it will be driven on a track.
The Proxes Sport has strength in depth, with a multitude of design features that you’ll never be able to see – not unless you opt to chop it in half of course! If you did opt to slice one of Toyo’s latest offerings in two, you’d be greeted by a pair of high tensile steel belts with spiral cap piles (intended to provide enhanced stability and comfort), a specially formulated sidewall compound for reduced fuel consumption, a hardened bead filler for quick response when cornering hard, and a rigid rayon ply carcass for enhanced directional stability and high speed uniformity.
