Tire Recommendations? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

OldBlevins · 06-09-2007, 12:03 PM

It's time to get new tires. I've scoured the posts and realize that the "best" tires depend a lot on use. I'm hoping y'all can give me a recommendation or two.

I use my Box S exclusively for street driving. Probably by the standards of the people in this forum, my driving would best be described as cautious. I push it some through curves, and happily consider posted speed limits as recommendations, but I'm not expecting to break 100mph in it. Although I don't push it very hard, I don't want a tire that significantly compromises what the car can do. My habits could change (in fact they already have) and there are always emergency maneuvers to consider.

My wife rides with me a lot (see "cautious" above) so I also want a fairly comfortable ride.

I was looking seriously at the Kumhos until I ran across RandalNeighbour's post about how slippery his were below 40 degrees on wet pavement. I live near Seattle, so I need a good wet-pavement tire. It doesn't freeze here all that much, but 40 degrees isn't uncommon in the winter. Or fall. Or spring. But I do want to use the same tire year-round.

I won't say money doesn't matter, but my earning power will be severely curtailed if my tires fail me, so...

Oh yeah - I have 17" rims and I'm thinking a little about the BF Goodrich g-force Sport tires.

Any suggestions?

drburton · 06-09-2007, 12:35 PM

You can't go wrong with the Michelin PS2, they have wonderful grip and are very good in the rain. I also happen to think the ride if very smooth as well.

The downside is they are very expensive and tend to wear out quickly. Generally speaking, I believe if you have a high performance vehicle you need to get a very good tire. If you cut costs on the tire, the whole package ends up losing.

Also, the new 987 Boxsters and Caymans come with the PS2 factory. So Porsche obviously thinks they work well with the car.

Sammy · 06-09-2007, 12:53 PM

I run Goodyear F1's and recently ran an autocross that had a wet track. Oddly enough I had my fastest clean run when the track was wet. I also used them at the Tail of the Dragon and they performed extremely well. They are a little cheaper than the PS2's so for me they have been a fantastic bang for my buck tire.

kls · 06-09-2007, 02:39 PM

I just bought 4 Bridgestone Pole Position RE960 tires and love them. I read a ton of reviews, and for performance and price they seemed to be one of the best. They are rated very high for wear, and I assume they sacrifice some traction to accomplish that, and so far that has not been an issue.

One reason I bought tires was that the car did not track well on rutted pavement. That could have been the wear on the old ones, or the mismatched brands (PS2 & Toyo) but the Pole Positions completely eliminated the problem.

insite · 06-09-2007, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kls

I just bought 4 Bridgestone Pole Position RE960 tires and love them. I read a ton of reviews, and for performance and price they seemed to be one of the best. They are rated very high for wear, and I assume they sacrifice some traction to accomplish that, and so far that has not been an issue.

One reason I bought tires was that the car did not track well on rutted pavement. That could have been the wear on the old ones, or the mismatched brands (PS2 & Toyo) but the Pole Positions completely eliminated the problem.

for the style of driving described by Blevins, i agree w/ kls. a high performance all season tire makes the most sense. the 960's are awesome, i run them on my G35. they're better than most summer tires, last longer, are quiet, and great in the rain. they also give good feedback.

funster · 06-09-2007, 07:10 PM

I run the Kumho mx and it is a great dry tire and only ok in the wet. I have a friend who has the Goodyear F1 it has a great wet rating (see tire rack site for comparrissons of all the brands mentioned here) And it is excellent for what you are describing as your needs.

evilmorg · 06-10-2007, 05:07 AM

Just about 500 miles ago I replaced my aging/noisy/fast wearing Pirelli
Rosso's with Goodyear Eagle F1 tires. Even though they are not N rated by Porsche they have been highly praised by many P car types who bought them. They have a rep for being quiet, long wearing, and great in the wet. Nice too that they are cheaper than Michelins or Bridgestones. I also live in the Northwest, where a good wet weather tire is really appreciated. I haven't tracked my Box yet, but I'm delighted with the F1's performance too. Now that the new is scrubbed off these babies, I've had a chance to push them a bit in the twisties and in the rain. Great street tires. We'll see how they hold up ....

Paul · 06-10-2007, 07:45 AM

All high performance summer tires can be dangerous below 40 degrees.

Maybe you should buy all season tires instead.

boxsterx · 06-10-2007, 09:56 AM

Toyo T1R ftw! You can also check out nitto 555, not as good as the ToyoT1R's but has a longer thread life.
Toyo T1R = Best bang for the buck imo!

FrayAdjacent · 06-10-2007, 12:47 PM

When I picked up my Box in December, it had mismatched tires on the rear... replaced them with BF Goodrich GForce Sports. They were a bit slick when new (spun the damn car in the rain on a curve... luckily no one was close to me), but they are pretty good so far for the money. I still get a little cautious when it's wet.

The front tires are Bridgestone Potenzas, but I have no idea how long they have been on the car, and they're showing some dry rot, so they will be replaced soon... likely with GForce Sports to match the rear.

When they wear out, I'll probably go with Kumhos all the way around.

cvhs18472 · 06-10-2007, 04:39 PM

When you say that all High Performance tires are dangerous below 40 degrees, at what speeds are you talking about? Thanks Ed

funster · 06-10-2007, 05:22 PM

As the temperature approaches freezing, the rubber compound hardens and reduces the amount of traction that the tire gives. Some tires are predictable and if there is not precipitation, and if you are not pushing the car, it's generally not dangerous in my opinion on most tires.

FrayAdjacent · 06-10-2007, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cvhs18472

When you say that all High Performance tires are dangerous below 40 degrees, at what speeds are you talking about? Thanks Ed

Umm... all speeds?

See, rubber gets stiff when cold... softer tires would be more prone to getting stiffer in cold weather. Stiff tires = no traction.

OldBlevins · 06-10-2007, 05:51 PM

Thanks, everyone. Out of the responses I see three suggestions for the Goodyear F1s; 2 for the Bridgestone Pole positions, and a mix for the rest. It looks like there's a clear consensus that for my kind of driving in the Great, Wet, Pacific Northwest, all-season radials are a smart decision for my kind of driving.

I think I'm going to go with the F1s. They've gotten great reviews. A tad pricey, but I tend not to skimp on oil, brakes, or tires. I mean, I want the car to go, stop, and turn.

Fast.

This is a really helpful forum!