Track day tires for 987 Boxster S - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

arshadj · 10-13-2007, 04:40 AM

Hi All!

I am planning to take the Boxster out on track this season. Just wanted to know if any of you guys have tried the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, and whether the size (235/40 R18 fr. & 265/40 R18) is available for my car. If not, then which track day tire would you suggest that would fit?

Cheers
Arshad

easyc · 10-13-2007, 09:27 AM

265/35 not 265/40 ... the later will play havoc with your Speedo, ABS, and PSM. MPSC are good track tires... you could also try Toyo RA1's or Toyo's new R888. If you want major speed and if you won't be driving to and from the track, try some hoosier R6's. First time you try hoosiers its like trying crack... you will become addicted.

mdex · 10-20-2007, 04:28 AM

The MPSC are great tires.. ran them for the last few events this year. They really need at least 2 degrees of camber though to get them working well. The first event we only were able to get 1.8 degrees in and while they did still work, they didn't have as much grip as they could have.

I don't recommend going to an R compound tire unless you are an experienced track driver, as they can cover up a lot of driver errors and slow down the learning experience.

Marc

Topless · 10-20-2007, 06:19 AM

Lots of good choices for your car. How much driving experience do you have? How many track days/heat cycles do you want them to last? How much $$ do you want to spend?

SteveK-O · 10-20-2007, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by easyc

265/35 not 265/40 ... the later will play havoc with your Speedo,

Why? 235/40 R18 fr. & 265/40 R18 rear are the stock sizes for a 987S.

Pat · 10-20-2007, 09:55 AM

Do you have any track experience? If not, use your regular summer tires. The car will likely be too much for a begginer as it is.

easyc · 10-20-2007, 08:32 PM

are they for a 987? I didn't know that... they aren't for a 986... maybe you will be okay.

arshadj · 10-21-2007, 02:16 AM

Hey, guys, thanks for all the inputs!

Mdex, I will take note of your recommendation about camber, thanks!

Topless, Pat, Pat, I have had 3 track days thus far, and have come to the limit of what I can achieve with stock tyres. So though I am not advanced yet, I think I can do better with better tyres. Here in Dubai (desert!) there is very little rain in the winter to worry about, and the normal road conditions are really good. So I am thinking that I will keep the semi-slicks on the car till Feb-Mar by when I hope I will have done another 4-5 track days. (So full slicks and soft-compound racing tyres are out)

I have made enquiries, and Michelin don’t do 265/40s in PSCs. They however do 265/35s and 275/40s. Can I use any of these instead?

Cheers, Arshad

mdex · 10-21-2007, 04:58 AM

I am not sure on the 987, but on the 986 the front maxes out around 1.7 to 1.8 degrees of negative camber, so you will be swapping suspension parts out to get more.

I would look to see if you can find any of the Pirelli Corsas. I can't get them in Canada anymore, but if you can find a set for the car I would recommend them over the MPSC. They are a little bit slower, but far more progressive in their break away which makes them a better learning tool (and more fun for lapping days... I am happy to go a little bit slower with an easier drive... guess I am getting old!

)

All that said, I would look at a good track alignment first before going crazy with r compound tires... There is a huge improvement in handling, but you still get the better feedback from the summer tires.

Marc

Pat · 10-21-2007, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arshadj

Hey, guys, thanks for all the inputs!

Mdex, I will take note of your recommendation about camber, thanks!

Topless, Pat, Pat, I have had 3 track days thus far, and have come to the limit of what I can achieve with stock tyres. So though I am not advanced yet, I think I can do better with better tyres. Here in Dubai (desert!) there is very little rain in the winter to worry about, and the normal road conditions are really good. So I am thinking that I will keep the semi-slicks on the car till Feb-Mar by when I hope I will have done another 4-5 track days. (So full slicks and soft-compound racing tyres are out)

I have made enquiries, and Michelin don’t do 265/40s in PSCs. They however do 265/35s and 275/40s. Can I use any of these instead?

Cheers, Arshad

I'm sure you'll hear a lot of different things from many different people. I would recommend at least ten track days before going to R-comps. In the long run, you will be a better driver.
I'm not the only one that believes this, either. I have many friends that are instructors, and they'll all tell you the same thing. They come from a few different groups, too, including SCCA, ACNA, PCA, BMWCCA and NASA.
I had probably 15 days under my belt before going to R-comps, and dropped two to three seconds off a 1:24 lap time immediately. I have no regrets and feel I'm a better driver for doing so.
Of course, if your goal is to set a fast lap time on your next day at the track, get the tires. If you're more interested in improving your sills, don't.

Topless · 10-21-2007, 02:14 PM

I agree with others here that 10-15 track days on good street tires will improve your learning curve. The stickiest Street tire right now is the Bridgestone RE01R Pole Position. If you simply must run R-compounds now the Toyo RA-1 or R888 would be a good medium track tire for your car.

10-21-2007, 04:59 PM

Arshadj, are you near Dubai? How many Porsches do you see in the UAE?

arshadj · 10-22-2007, 12:55 AM

Yes, I'm living in Dubai. Here Porsches are really common, in fact the Porsche dealer here has the largest sales outside the US! Here seeing a Boxster (or any other Porsche apart from GT3s) is not really awe-inspiring (except of course to the owner!!) You don't get noticed as much as if you have an Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, etc.

I love that, as I bought the car not so much to pose in but because according to me it is the best sports convertible I had driven this side of a 911. (And then if you buy a 911, why ruin its dynamics by getting a convertible one?!) Needless to say I am LOVING driving it here on these expansive and smooth roads. The Porsche Club UAE organises track days in the winter (when the weather is cooler), and it is for these that I was asking about the track tyres...

I got myself a custom cat-back muffler job, done under the auspices of a German company called Fox Auspuff (http://www.fox-auspuff.de/) where they tuned the sound to my liking, so now it doesn't drone when cruising and sounds brilliant when revved!