1957 Bel Air Nitto Tire Test - Performance Tires

Clockwise on the 300-foot skidpad. Two-tons of vintage Bow Tie are giving the NT05s all they can handle, but their grip was insane. We registered 0.873 lateral acceleration in this direction.

Clockwise on the 300-foot skidpad. Two-tons of vintage Bow Tie are giving the NT05s all th

On the skidpad, the NTO5s were given quite a workout. (It should be noted that Gainesville has a 300-foot-diameter skidpad, as opposed to the 200-foot pad we've employed in the past.) Despite having two tons of vintage Tri-Five crushing down on them, we averaged 0.873g clockwise and 0.83 counter-clockwise. Frankly, had the '57 had a shoulder harness or a bucket seat, the CCW number would have been higher, but it was all we could do to stay on top of the bench seat. At least going clockwise we could brace ourselves against the door and keep two hands on the wheel. In the opposite direction I had to brace myself with my right hand on the seat while steering with the left! To put that two-way average in perspective, it's nearly the equal to the new Camaro on 20-inch summer tires, which clocks in at around 0.92g.

In the 420-foot slalom, the NT05s trumped the 555s. We picked up 0.74 mph through the cones (to 42.42 mph), reducing our time from 6.87 seconds to 6.75. The grip was simply outstanding.

More than numbers, however, was the way they felt on the street and during instrumented testing. They responded beautifully to steering inputs and were predictable up to and beyond their limits.

We were not expecting the NT05s to evacuate water the way they did. Their performance in the wet was beyond what we've come to expect from the 555s. Even at speeds approaching 80 mph, the car was glued to the road (no, we don't recommend this). The Bel Air was remarkably sure-footed. Hydroplaning was simply not an issue. The only thing that slowed us down was the 52-year-old wipers. Sometimes they'd work, sometimes not. This is not what we think of when we hear the term "intermittent wipers."

The 555 is still an excellent tire and will offer longer tread life, but for those looking for more aggressive sneakers, Nitto's NT05 might be what you are looking for.

At the limit, the Bel Air transitioned from neutral to understeer, but the tires were very predictable and communicative.
At the limit, the Bel Air transitioned from neutral to understeer, but the tires were very
From behind, you can really see the workout we gave these tires. They sang a few times, but hung tough. You could really feel what the tires were doing through the steering.
From behind, you can really see the workout we gave these tires. They sang a few times, bu
Turn-in was razor sharp, much better than the 555s, which still rank as an exceptional tire. The NT05s are just...
Turn-in was razor sharp, much better than the 555s, which still rank as an exceptional tir

...far superior, especially in the dry. The downside to the NTO5 is its 200 treadware rating, which means you'll wear them out sooner.
...far superior, especially in the dry. The downside to the NTO5 is its 200 treadware rati