Nankang, by the first sound of it, sounds like another China tyre that is just out there going for cheap, but its not. It is made in Taiwan since 1959, and is the first tyre manufacturer in Taiwan, engineering towards aviation, trucks, then sedan and now motorsports.
But what has got me interested in the first place? Nankang has been trending to be an outstanding all-rounder tyre (especially the Nankang CR-S), with great grip and longevity. I have always been riding on Michelin Primacy to Pilot Sport as an all weather tyre, being a trusty wet tyre, and i dont dare to move on from it. However, lots of user feedback has said they used the tyres in wet and it still holds very steady. Safety is always my main requirement when it comes to critical things like wheels and brakes.
Here's a snippet of a user Hakim, using a Nankang AR-1 as a daily tyre for his Honda Civic FK8 Type R.
Essentially what he says in Bahasa Malaysia is, he is using the Nankang AR-1, and when he took it on the corners at about 100 km/h, its still ok so he pushed on to 200-ish km/h, there is still grip! and then up to 250 km/h, still holding on well! The tough sidewalls are suitable for going fast. Alot of his friends has been asking about the tyres, but unsure where to get (BTW, Tōge-Lifestyle is an official dealer for Nankang Motorsports Malaysia. contact us at +60122954950 to order). Hakim and his friends go to track often. Price is also affordable!
The Nankang CR-S was also a choice of a RWB build #5 by Nakai San in Kuala Lumpur!
So even i myself was keen to try. It was so tempting that even my Michelin Pilot Sport 4 are just at 50% treads, i took them off and got myself a Nankang CR-S for my Subaru WRX! And i did a short snippet and close up video, take a look.
So after putting it on, my first sentiments are, that it is really sticky. I can hear all the asphalt being picked up and knocking all over within my fender 😅 thats a good sign of grippy tyres so guys, dont tail my car if you dont want stone chips 🤣
Next thing was yes, the sidewalls are tough so i could actually get a real feel of the road. some may say, this is not comfortable. but as a trackie and i do touge often, this is what i need. I also believe that having harder sidewall tyres means you can protect your rims a little more.
Soon after i went for a quick touge with some friends at KKB, and i can say the cornering confidence is there due to its tougher sidewalls. the accuracy of turns and the ability to do correction in turns while it sticks to the ground so much really puts confidence in these tyres.
The biggest question i get is, how does it fare in the rain. well, i took it to the test. Disclaimer, i dont recommend speeding on the road but this was a road test done at a low populated area and was just done once. It was raining heavily towards Singapore second link highway. It was pouring and there were alot of deeper water pockets around. I was able to bring this car up to 150+ km/h in the wet, and it had no signs of slipping. To my surprise, it was really steady! But again, i dont recommend speeding in the rain, and always be safe on the road, keep the speeding and risks on the track.
So what level does the Nankang CR-S sit in with other brands? It goes neck and neck with the Bridgestone Potenza RE71RS, Hankook Ventus RS4 and Advan A052, all having a 200 treadwear rating.
Which is better? That really comes down to preference. There are hearsay about some tyres having uneven wear, there are some saying one of them is useless at 50% tread remaining, some also say theyre bad in the wet conditions. But all these really depends on the environment, driving style and setup of the car. the ultimate decision lies in you. Try at least all 4 of these tyres for yourself, and stick with the one youre most confident with.
Stay tuned as we will take my car on to Sepang track in 2 weeks time, testing the Nankang CR-S!
Interested to try Nankang CR-S? Buy Nankang CR-S from us, official Nankang Motorsports Malaysia Dealer Tōge-Lifestyle at +60122954950 or visit any of our pages
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