Our tyre tests have proven to be some of the most popular videos on our YouTube channel. We have carried out 3 since 2021, testing high performance track day tyres as well as doing a back-to-back test on the Nankang AR-1 vs CR-S. This time round we’ve narrowed our range of tyres down and got a new contender to add to the mix that seems to have taken the internet by storm.

The Track

The test took place at Blyton Park on a test day which meant we had no issues with timing throughout the day. It offers a good mix of slow and fast corners with a good blend of straights too. The weather was stable throughout the day with the ambient air temperature around 14 degrees.

The Car

The test mule we used was our recently imported MK7 Golf GTI. Before the test we had sent the car off to Area Motorsport with a boot full of Tegiwa supplied track parts which included:

• Yellow Speed Racing Dynamic Pro Sport Coilovers
• Yellow Speed Racing 6 Piston Big Brake Kit
• Hawk HP+ Brake Pads
• Racingline Performance R600 Intake Kit
• Racingline Performance Oil Catch Tank Kit
• Milltek Catback Exhaust
• TSW Imatra 18×9 ET45 Wheels

As you can see, these are just the right modifications to give the Golf a bit of extra handling capability and stopping power on the track. With all the modifications fitted and after an Area Motorsport alignment we gave the car a Ti Motorsport engine and gearbox remap which took power levels to around 300bhp.

The Tyres

The size we had chosen to use for this test was a 235/40/18. This is a common size used on the MQB platform and fit the 9J wheels that we were using perfectly.

Yokohama A052

Widely regarded as one of the best track tyres that money can buy, the A052 has always come out shining in our previous reviews. This is also the control tyre in Time Attack and the Racing Hondas Championship for both wet and dry weather so we know that it’s a great all rounder.

£274.86 per tyre (based on a 235/45/18 as the 235/40/18 is not available in the UK)

E-Marked (Road Legal): Yes

Nankang CR-S

Nankang’s flagship semi-slick tyre, the CR-S. Most recently we did a back-to-back test between this and it’s older AR-1 with great results for both tyres. In terms of side wall, this tyre definitely looked the best and looked the beefiest on the rim.

£271.00 per tyre

E-Marked (Road Legal): Yes

Vitour Tempesta P1

The Vitour Tempesta is a new tyre that everybody on the internet is talking about. We’d like to put this talk to the test and put this tyre up against two other proven tyres. It’s worth noting that the other two tyres measured 240mm wide whereas the Tempesta only measured 225mm wide. This was visually noticeable as they had some stretch with these fitted.

£267.00 per tyre

E-Marked (Road Legal): Yes.

A key question for any semi-slick is its road legality. The Vitour Tempesta P1 carries the all-important ‘E’ marking, confirming it has passed the minimum legal requirements for sale and use on European roads. This means it meets standards for tread depth, wet grip, and noise.

However, “legal” doesn’t mean “inconspicuous.” The design of the P1 pushes the definition of a road tyre to its performance limit. The most striking feature is the outer third of the tyre, which is virtually a solid block of rubber with minimal grooving. While this is fantastic for track work – providing a huge, stable contact patch for grip during hard cornering – it could cause an issue on a visual inspection on a MOT.

UK law requires a continuous tread pattern across the central three-quarters of the tyre’s breadth. On the 225mm P1’s we tested, this legally-required central band measures approximately 130mm. This leaves a significant portion of the tyre, especially that critical outer shoulder, dedicated purely to performance. While it passes the letter of the law, its aggressive appearance means it’s worth being aware that an uninformed inspector might question it.

The Driver

With the car and tyres in place, we handed the keys over to Tegiwa Co-Director and resident race driver, Luke Sedzikowski. Luke was fresh off the back of winning the Pro Time Attack Championship so was in great form for this test.

We drove the car to the track on a set of Yokohama AD09 tyres. These are a great performance tyre for the road so Luke did his warm-up laps with these tyres. Once he’d racked up a few laps and got a feel for the car and conditions we sent Luke out to set a benchmark time on the AD09’s. He set a time of 1:12.

“These felt great and are perfect for driving to and from the track and then blasting around all day. However, when you really start to push on then this is where you will need to step it up a level”

With the benchmark set, we changed the wheels over. We actually didn’t tell Luke what tyres were on the car so he could run this test ‘blind’. The plan was that Luke would do two sessions on each tyre. These would be back to back sessions, the first where Luke gets a feel for them and up to temperature, and then he would pit and bleed the pressures down to where they need to be before he goes back out. This would be the same for each tyre and then after lunch he would do one more session on each. This meant that the tyres will have had a full heat cycle on the third and final session and should be performing at their optimum level.

Tyre 1 – Yokohama A052

It made sense to put the A052 on as tyre 1 so we could see the difference in performance between an AD09 and an A052. After session 1, we bled the tyres down from 36 to 30 and the feedback was that the tyre had ‘ballooned’. His best time on this tyre was a 1:09.6. Luke said that the A052 felt great to drive on and were very rewarding. Although we haven’t tested them in wet conditions, we know that they perform well as they are the control tyre for the Racing Hondas Championship for both dry and wet.

Tyre 2 – Nankang CR-S

We then switched over to a set of Nankang CR-S. Luke’s first feedback was that these felt great however he did comment that they took a couple of laps to come up to performance. He’d managed 2 nearly identical back-to-back lap times with the CR-S which shows just what a consistent tyre they are. The best time on this tyre was a 1:09.5 in session 3 with Luke saying that they had nothing left in them to give.

Tyre 3 – Tempesta

Now to see if the Vitour Tempesta could put in a lap time like the previous two tyres. Luke’s initial feedback was that it was like driving on ice and the car had no grip on either axle with a lot of understeer. These were considerably harder to get up to temperature as well as once they were up to 30psi they didn’t rise. Luke managed a 1:09.8 in the third session of the day which shows they have the pace in the pace in them to match the A052 and the CR-S but the side wall was rolling over and generally didn’t feel as good. In terms of the tyre life and tread wear which seems to be a big thing that people are talking about, from what we saw, we don’t think they’d last 100 laps on track like people are saying they would, especially if you are really pushing the car to its limit.

The verdict

With all 3 tyres all within a £10 price difference, budget is something that we don’t actually need to consider here. The Tempesta showed us that it was capable of putting in a similar lap time to the already proven CR-S and A052, however, if you’re looking for a tyre that inspires confidence and doesn’t put up a battle this probably isn’t for you.

What would Luke’s choice be?

“The A052 was the nicest to drive on and we know from other tests they are great in the wet so this would have to be my choice. The CR-S put up a great fight and also felt really good. On other tests in other sizes we know this hasn’t been as close to the A052 time wise but is always a tyre that inspires confidence. The Tempesta had been hyped up to be better than the rest so this was a little disappointing, however the time was still very impressive. To get to this time pushing as hard as possible, the tyre will not last and the wear shows that, especially when compared to the other two.”

We hope this test gave you a good insight into the three tyres that we have chosen. It’s important to say that on a different car with a different setup, or even something that is RWD, the results may be different. We can of course only report on what we found!

For all your tyre needs you can check out the A052, CR-S, Tempesta P1 and more at Tegiwa.com! Unsure which tyre best suits your needs? Call or email our friendly team for advice!