Yokohama AD07 LTS availability

[macca993]

Hi Gents.

I see many times on the forums it said that Yokohama no longer makes the AD07 in LTS OEM fitment.

Just wanted to let you know that this is not true. I have ordered two sets for my 2009 Elise SC over the last 5 years from Hypertyre and received most recently a pair or rear tyres last month and have just placed an order for fronts 175. The 225 rears are approx $800 a pair and the fronts approx $600 including GST and delivery. You need to place the order direct and they will go into production on the next run. Typically I wait 6 months for a pair to arrive. My latest order is my fourth pair since 2016. I like to keep a full set of new tyres on the shelf for this car.

Yokohama continue to make this tyre because in Germany and a few other countries where the Elise was sold new it is not legal to run the car with a tyre with a different width/fitment. 

I have found the AD07 a better tyre than the V105 and for an original car the 175 front makes the car handle much more responsively and restore the handling characteristics it was designed to have. For teh road teh 175/225 AD07 combo is just perfect IMO.

 

Hope this is of use.

[Sam Downey]

Hi Macca. If true this is of huge use!

I agree, fitting wider front tyres reduces the steering feedback which I don't want to do if I can help it.

Who/what is "Hypertyre"? I know there is Hyper Drive/Hyper Tyres.co.nz and I ordered my last set of AD07's through them years ago but it is not even possible to search for AD07s on their website any more.

What country are you based in? i.e. are those landed and delivered costs representative of NZ?

[macca993]

Its true. I will take pictures tonight. Yes. Hyperdrive tyres. Email Nick direct they dont have them on their site. Special order only. First set fronts were end of 2016, then we got second set of rears 2019, third set of rears arrived last month 2022 and I just ordered and paid for spare set of fronts (should arrive later in 2022).

NICK@hyper.co.nz 

Im based in Taupo.

The car feels so much better through the wheel compared to heavy 205 up front.

Although my mileage is low (maybe 5-6000 km pa) I replace the fronts every 5-6 years regardless of mileage as the tyres really are not performing their best when they are 6+ years old. With 175 up front you need as fresh and grippy rubber as you can get. People forget they go hard after many years of sitting....

The production dates on the set of rears I received last month were 2022. They are factory fresh and Yoko make them in batches or order maybe 1-2 times a year.

[Sam Downey]

Wow! That is the best news I've had in ages! Thanks so much for posting this mate. I agree on all points about feel and age etc.

Thanks for the contact details! This is definitely the route I'll take as soon as I can afford it.

 

[macca993]

All good buddy. Must say Ive been on Lotus forums for a few years hearing about AD07 being out of production and always been puzzled by this. Tirerack in USA have always had them in stock on their site so I figured it was just an issue in UK.

Interestingly I pay $285 for a each front 175 through Hyper and its cheaper even than USA where they are $219 USD each!

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Yokohama&tireModel=ADVAN+Neova+AD07&sidewall=Blackwall&partnum=755WR6AD07LTS2&tab=Sizes 

Rears were $390 each - again cheaper than USA $258 USD.

Go figure!

[Sam Downey]

Ha! That's everything though isn't it, cheaper in the US. This really isn't common knowledge AFAIK. The fact that you supposedly couldn't get these tyres was even influencing my decision to hold on to the car.

I think also in general, a 111R or similar is a good bet for parts going forward because they were the ones that were sold in the states and have a following over there. There is a whole little industry over there for supporting the cars.

I think the price you're paying is less than i've paid in the past, when the best deal i could get was personally importing through demon tweaks in the UK, so it's still very good imo.

Great stuff, thanks for the info.

[macca993]

Yes. Glad I could help. I have a few nice cars (GRY,GT3,Alfa G QV etc). However the Elise S2SC is my favorite drivers car. Its just so visceral and full of feedback. And it can be very quick too on our back roads. The 2Bular header back exhaust and Dolimiti shifter have transformed it. They will never make anything like it again so I dont mind investing in tyres for the future as I have no intentions to sell it. Your 111 with SC looks really lovely. If you did decide to let it go let me know first!

[lueysgarage]

Bringing this topic up from the dead... the issue with Hyper is that their stock and supplier agreements chop and change all the time. They no longer stock AD07 and it seems they are dropping Michelin stock too. So that again leaves the question...where do we get our tyres from?

Recently there's been 3 month wait times to get stock in NZ from Yokohama Japan so it is a bit of a worry when thinking about replacement tyres for our cars.

[macca993]

Hi Luan. Ive been buying the Lotus AD07 tyres for the last 6 years. 4 separate orders a pair each time. I order directly from the same person at Hyper. The last set of rears arrived only late 2023. Id be disappointed if they no longer have an agreement with Yokohama. If that's the case then its new for me. If you need the direct contact please DM me. Alternatively if Hyper dont do Yoko any more then next time I would deal direct with Yoko in NZ. The AD07 are special order only so not held in NZ stock or on the Yoko dealers websites....