This a really odd tire dimension for a Toyota Starlet indeed. Stock Toyota Starlet GT comes with 185/55/14 tires. Stock tire dimension if on a semislick like Advan A048 is at least very good. Combines fast response, direct feeling and fast lap times.

But when someone feels the need for more improved lap times a different tire dimension can be chosen. The Toyota Starlet EP82 should be ready to accept this change, meaning that it is better to have added as much suspension mods to your EP before continuing to this step.

I combined this tire with a set of four Volk Racing TE37 15×7.5 lightweight wheels. I chose these wheels mostly for their width that is 7.5 inch instead of 7 inch that more rims are and secondly for their weight that is very low. Thus overall tyre and wheel weight is as low as it can be. Kumho recommends 7 wide wheels so you can mount this tire to a 7 inch wide wheel with no problems.

Because of the wider tire and wheel I had to install wheel spacers so tire won’t be able to touch the spring or other areas of the car when steering the car. This is very important. You can’t install this tyre without spacers. I have 15mm ones. Second modification needed was to pull out the front and rear fenders so tyres wont hit on them. Car must be not to much lowered too or must wear very hard springs.

I had the time to test these tyre twice at circuit. The difference was very noticeable. I managed to lower my lap record at Megara circuit from 1.11.00 to 1.10.15 although the day was very hot(~36 C). I am pretty sure that the lap time can be lowered more with more practice and when tempratures fall.

The car’s steering wheel response didn’t change very much. The Toyota Starlet EP82 is more or less the same when driving it. I only found out that its easier to save oversteer at high speeds.

To end, tyre wear as I am finding out is very good. I suppose the tyres will last more than a set of 185/55/14.

What to say about these dream wheels! :)

They are made by aluminum through forging process. This make them lightweight and stronger that cast aluminum wheels. They are made by RAYS Engineering at Japan and costed around 1400 euro to fetch them to Greece.

I combined these 7.5 inch wide wheels with Kumho V70A 225/45/15 semislicks.

Lightweight duralumin nuts also used made by RAYS.

Please read the above article about the Kumho 225/45/15 tyres in order to see some fitting issues that come with wide wheels.