Review: Nitto INVO
Last Updated on Saturday, 21 February 2009 09:14 Written by Christopher Ihara Thursday, 10 April 2008 04:14
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Historically speaking, tires are an afterthought for most people. They are something the car needs, but unlike bolt-on parts significantly less research goes into buying a set of tires than the latest go-fast goody. For the most part they're hunks of black rubber that separate your pimpy alloy rims from the pavement. For many people the determination on what tire to buy comes down to price and how long they think the tire will last before they're inconvenienced again to buy another set. Unfortunately this is not the way to approach buying tires.
Tire ratings can be as subjective as grading artwork -- one man's masterpiece is another man's door mat. When looking for a tire, the tread pattern, sidewall markings, and anti-curbing features all play a role in tire selection; however, these things are just icing on the cake. The ultimate decision point rests in a tire's performance and what your intentions for the car are. How well it handles in dry, wet, or snow are your major determinants when compared to your plans for the car.
Nitto's new INVO series tires seem to fit both the aesthetic and performance targets. This is a gorgeous looking tire. It's tread pattern is composed of wide tread blocks on the shoulder which are divided by thin diagonal lines. These lines run across the face of the tire and widen towards the center to form a water channel that leads from a pair of deep, wide rain grooves. Sizes to fit 17-inch to 24-inch rims, in widths ranging from 225mm up to 345mm, are available. The Nitto INVO comes in W (up to 168 MPH) and Y (up to 186 MPH) speed ratings. Treadwear ratings are 260 for W-rated tires and 220 for Y-rated tires, and traction has an AA rating for both. Unlike many other ultra-performance tires the Nitto INVO is a non-directional tire, meaning that the tires may be rotated around the vehicle from one side to the other. This will help even out tire wear enabling you to lengthen their service life.
Not only does this tire look great, but dry performance is excellent. The large tread blocks on the shoulder provide a generous contact patch. These wide, fat tread blocks reduce tread squirm keeping the car and the tire planted accurately on the asphalt. Understeer is greatly reduced when the car is pushed hard around the turns as a result of this design characteristic. Straight line grip is also improved because of the large volume of rubber in contact with the road. Road noise is significantly less than the Nitto 555 series tires.
In addition to excellent dry characteristics the Nitto INVO also has very good damp traction. Wet traction at normal highway speeds is very good; however, at higher speeds the tire does seem to suffer somewhat. Of course the speeds at which this comes into play are beyond what would be deemed a prudent speed during inclement weather.
The anti-rub strips that protect the rim from curb damage are a little sparse and could stand to be a bit larger. At present they don’t provide adequate protection against accidental curb damage as they are almost flush with the rim.
The Nitto INVO’s good looks hint at awesome performance. Fortunately these tires go beyond just mere hinting when out on the asphalt. Quiet ride and tenacious dry grip will make any enthusiast smile. For the Mustang enthusiast who’s looking to put a new set of shoes on their ride the INVO should be high on the list of candidates. It has the good looks for winning trophies at the local car show and the performance for the weekend open track enthusiast who is not quire ready for R-compound tires. You can read more about the INVO at Nitto’s web site: http://www.nittotire.com
