Today I decided to try Nankang AR-1 / CR-S tires for the first time (the photos show CR-S). Until now, I’ve always driven on Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS, and honestly, I considered them the benchmark for track use.

But at some point I started wondering:

is there an alternative that delivers similar performance for less money?

Why I decided to try Nankang

The reason is very simple — price.

• Pirelli Trofeo RS — around AED 13,600 per set
• Nankang CR-S — roughly 2x cheaper

And if you drive a lot (like I do — 400–500 km per track day), the difference becomes very significant.

What is Nankang CR-S

Nankang CR-S is:

• a semi-slick (almost a slick)
• road-legal but track-focused
• widely used in:time attacktrack daysamateur racing

Why it became popular:

• strong price-to-performance ratio
• heats up quickly
• forgiving
• stable over long sessions

That’s why it’s very often compared directly with Pirelli Trofeo R / RS.

The key difference — warm-up

This is where things really differ.

Nankang CR-S:

• heats up very quickly
• 1–2 laps and it’s already in the working window
• perfect for shorter sessions

Pirelli Trofeo RS:

• takes more time to reach peak performance
• comes alive from lap 2–3 onwards
• requires more precise temperature management

👉 In short:

Nankang = quicker warm-up

Pirelli = stronger peak performance

On-track behavior

Pirelli Trofeo RS:

• maximum grip
• very aggressive
• strong high-speed stability
• sensitive to temperature management
• easy to overheat if driven incorrectly

Nankang CR-S:

• slightly less peak grip
• but more predictable
• easier to drive
• less sensitive to overheating
• more stable for amateur-level pace

Wear and lifespan

From my experience with Pirelli:

• 450–500 km of track driving = one set
• after that — cords

From what I’ve seen and expect with Nankang:

• lifespan is often similar or slightly better
• at half the price

👉 Which means:

for the same budget, you can potentially drive almost twice as much

Where each tire makes more sense

Pirelli Trofeo RS — if:

• you want the fastest possible lap time
• you know how to manage tire temperatures
• you drive at the limit
• every tenth of a second matters

Nankang CR-S — if:

• you drive a lot
• you want consistency
• you don’t want to overspend
• you’re looking for the best value

Why they’re constantly compared

Because:

• same segment (semi-slick)
• same purpose (track)
• different philosophy

Pirelli — top performance, higher cost

Nankang — slightly less extreme, but very efficient for the price

My first impression

I’m just starting to test the Nankang CR-S, but I already understand why it has become so popular.

Honestly:

• Pirelli is still the benchmark for maximum grip
• but Nankang looks like a very strong alternative

Especially considering:

• it’s 2x cheaper
• heats up faster
• easier to use

I’ll do a full track-day test very soon and share a proper review with lap times, data, and wear analysis.

Let’s see if it can truly compete with Trofeo RS over a full session 👀