smokinvette2
11-09-2008, 11:24 AM
Hey SmokinVette people! Here is our product review on the Nitto Invo tires. Like everyone else that has had a Corvette for awhile we have gone through a few different tires and have liked some while not liking some others. When looking for tires we are looking for a tire that will not only give us great performance for what we do, but also last long enough so that we are not purchasing new tires too soon.
When we saw the Nitto Invos we initially thought that they looked fantastic with their aggressive tread pattern. We have always known that Nitto has long been known as one of the best tires in the industry especially with the racing crowd. The 555’s and the NT01’s are very popular with the racers both drag and road. However if you are like us in that you don’t do much racing you want a tire with a longer tread wear but still has a performance level that would satisfy your needs.
This is when we looked at the Nitto Invos in Nitto’s street department. These tires have a very aggressive tread pattern that gives you great traction in both dry and wet conditions. We have used some tires in the past with aggressive tread patterns that would have a pretty noticeable noise level when driving. With this pattern that Nitto has implemented on these Invos there is virtually no noise from the tires.
When we first took the the Vettes out after installing the Nitto Invos we loved the way the tire looked. This is something that a lot of people know is a big deal when looking for a tire, its overall looks. We then went on to seeing how it handled to our typical type of driving. This would include from the occasional burnout, a quick hard roll through the gears and through some turns at a decent speed. When we tried to burn out, the Invos did it very easily when cold. We then tried this again after they were warmed up and it was pretty impressive as to how they changed dramatically and didn’t break loose as easily.
We then went on to hammering through the gears quickly to see how they handled and we were very happy with how they performed. They broke free just a little bit when shifting, however keep in mind that we are using a car that has almost 200 more HP then a stock Vette. Even with this extra power the tires performed very well and got the Vette going straight and fast with minimal tire breakage.
Finally we took the Vette to the PCH1 for some nice turns. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the PCH1 it is a really nice road out here in California that has some superb sections of very sharp cornering that would allow us to get a really good idea as to how these Nitto Invos would handle on the corners. Once we got the tires warmed up a bit from just taking the corners at a decent speed about 10mph over the “suggested” speed for the corners, we upped the ante and started to work the corners. We started to take the corners at twice the suggested speed and they handled very impressively. When I tried to push it too much more than that, I could hear the tires giving out and I knew that I was getting close to their max performance level. Even when the tires were making their little squeal, I never felt like they were getting out of control or that the car was about to slide out of control.
All in all, we felt like the Nitto Invo tires were fantastic in all aspects of driving. Now if you are a person that likes to race allot and take the corners much faster I would suggest that you bump up to Nittos race division tires which they have some fantastic choices for you. If you are a driver that likes to have fun every now and then, likes to take some corners spiritedly but in the same time want a tire that will have a good life span and be able to handle wet or dry roads then these are for you.
We here at SmokinVette give the Nitto Invo tire a smoking two thumbs up!
When we saw the Nitto Invos we initially thought that they looked fantastic with their aggressive tread pattern. We have always known that Nitto has long been known as one of the best tires in the industry especially with the racing crowd. The 555’s and the NT01’s are very popular with the racers both drag and road. However if you are like us in that you don’t do much racing you want a tire with a longer tread wear but still has a performance level that would satisfy your needs.
This is when we looked at the Nitto Invos in Nitto’s street department. These tires have a very aggressive tread pattern that gives you great traction in both dry and wet conditions. We have used some tires in the past with aggressive tread patterns that would have a pretty noticeable noise level when driving. With this pattern that Nitto has implemented on these Invos there is virtually no noise from the tires.
When we first took the the Vettes out after installing the Nitto Invos we loved the way the tire looked. This is something that a lot of people know is a big deal when looking for a tire, its overall looks. We then went on to seeing how it handled to our typical type of driving. This would include from the occasional burnout, a quick hard roll through the gears and through some turns at a decent speed. When we tried to burn out, the Invos did it very easily when cold. We then tried this again after they were warmed up and it was pretty impressive as to how they changed dramatically and didn’t break loose as easily.
We then went on to hammering through the gears quickly to see how they handled and we were very happy with how they performed. They broke free just a little bit when shifting, however keep in mind that we are using a car that has almost 200 more HP then a stock Vette. Even with this extra power the tires performed very well and got the Vette going straight and fast with minimal tire breakage.
Finally we took the Vette to the PCH1 for some nice turns. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the PCH1 it is a really nice road out here in California that has some superb sections of very sharp cornering that would allow us to get a really good idea as to how these Nitto Invos would handle on the corners. Once we got the tires warmed up a bit from just taking the corners at a decent speed about 10mph over the “suggested” speed for the corners, we upped the ante and started to work the corners. We started to take the corners at twice the suggested speed and they handled very impressively. When I tried to push it too much more than that, I could hear the tires giving out and I knew that I was getting close to their max performance level. Even when the tires were making their little squeal, I never felt like they were getting out of control or that the car was about to slide out of control.
All in all, we felt like the Nitto Invo tires were fantastic in all aspects of driving. Now if you are a person that likes to race allot and take the corners much faster I would suggest that you bump up to Nittos race division tires which they have some fantastic choices for you. If you are a driver that likes to have fun every now and then, likes to take some corners spiritedly but in the same time want a tire that will have a good life span and be able to handle wet or dry roads then these are for you.
We here at SmokinVette give the Nitto Invo tire a smoking two thumbs up!