flythecoupe

INTRODUCTION Thanks to a promotion through Rhino Custom Detailing (Huntington Beach, CA) by Nitto tires I was able to get a promotional set of Nittos new tire, the Motivo. The Motivos are Nitto's Ultra High Performance All-Season tire that just came out roughly a year ago. Alex at Rhino mentioned the promotion and I had to pick them up and try them out. Thanks Alex!

My former set of tires were Dunlop Star Specs Extreme Performance summer tires so this is what I'll be comparing to. Yes, I do realize these tires are in different categories performance wise but it is the only other set of tire I had on my S2000. The tread between these two tires are very different. The star specs are intended for summer use only and while that's good for Southern California year-round, it's not so great for other parts of the world. The Motivo's have a design that can withstand the elements yet provide great performance.

DESCRIPTION from tirereviewsandmore.com:
Dry traction and grip are enhanced through larger optimized outer tread blocks. A continuous center rib provides increased steering response, and better straight line stability. When the roads turn wet, the Motivo utilizes its angled tread blocks, four wide circumferential grooves and unique 3-D sipes to move the water and slush from under the tread, resulting in increased traction and hydroplane resistance. Additional “Fin” sipes provide for added biting edges to move the tire through snow and other winter weather conditions.

Here's a picture: http://www.nittotire.com/Tire/motivo

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS: The very first thing I noticed when driving off is how much QUIETER these are compared to the star specs. I was under the impression that my car was noisy and felt every bump in the road because of my stiff suspension. I was wrong, tires make a huge difference in road feel and noise. I was definitely satisfied with how much less noise they made. As I jumped onto the on ramp I was ready and expecting the tires to let me down (I like to attack on-ramps spiritedly, not dangerously). I just swapped out from my extreme performance star spec summers to my ultra high performance Nitto Motivo all-seasons and expected poorer grip on turn-in. About three seconds into the turn I thought, "Hey, it's holding!" No squirrelly rear end, no squealing and no funny business. The tires gripped!

So far I'm digging these Motivos because they provide comfort while performing at a high level. I have yet to auto-cross on the Motivo's but I'm liking what I'm getting so far.

MY PICTURES!

Tire Label: http://flic.kr/p/denJiY

Shot of the tread design: http://flic.kr/p/denKhz

My car getting ready to put on the Nittos: http://flic.kr/p/denK8r

Wide View: http://flic.kr/p/denKai

Tires on!: http://flic.kr/p/denKfe

Some dude in my sideview mirror checking out my ride: http://flic.kr/p/denJh3



INFORMATION from Nitto's website: http://www.nittotire.com/Tire/motivo


All-Season Ultra High Performance Radial

Motivo is the evolution of Nitto's Ultra High Performance street tires engineered to perform in all weather conditions while providing ride comfort, minimal road noise, and increased mileage. Motivo's all-season capability fulfills the demands of your active lifestyle by navigating you safely through challenging road and weather conditions.

The Motivo is available with a 60,000 mile limited treadwear warranty, the industry's #1 warranty for all-season performance tires*.

UTQG Treadwear: 560
Traction: A
Temperature: A

*Nitto Motivo 60,000 mile limited treadwear warranty. Longest treadwear warranty among all manufacturer published (as of May 2012) warranties for W & Y speed rated all-season ultra high performance tires. Please refer to Nitto's warranty manual for full details.

Check them out for yourself!