TIRES, new setup, best bang 4 buck & size, Boxster
 

Hi All

I’ve got a 99 Boxster with 18 ’inch factory turbo twists wheels, zr 265/35 18’s on the back and the complimentary zr 225/40 up front. Bout ready for some new rubber.

Don’t drive to hard or race, but like grip. Can’t go very fast around here, 120 the most I’ve been (if that fits into the equation). Also like longevity, and price big (trade price and life for a little less performance). Votes for the best bang for the buck… size, brand?

Votes are appreciated…

P.K.

When it comes to tires on the Boxster I don't think you should skimp, buy the best ones you can. Some of the top end tires are fantastic (though not cheap at all). That being said, if you are on a budget, I like the Toyo T1R's of the lower cost alternatives.

My 2 cents
 

Well so far I have had Pirelli P-Zero's and BFG g-force KDW's, I have to say that the KDW's are amazing! However they don't last very long. I have been reading about some of the up and coming Tire companies like NEXEN, and they seem to have pretty good reviews. Would anyone with some N3000's like to chime in?

P.S. I also have the '18 Turbo Twist wheels with 265/35ZR18 (Rear) and 225/40ZR18 (Front)

Car and Driver (or maybe it was Road and Track) had a great review of the Goodyear F1 GS-D3 All-Weather (NOT all-season) tires. But they're pretty pricey and are not any good below about 40 degrees.

I ultimately decided to go with them as my summer tires and the Kumho Ecsta ASX for winter tires. I haven't gotten them yet, but the Kumhos look like an excellent value. The reviews suggest they're not the best all-season or winter tire out there, but they compare pretty well and are about half the cost of their competitors.

Tirerack.com also provides a lot of information and some useful reviews of different tires.

Look here. http://986forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12308&highlight=sumitomo
Or do a search on tires. Lots of recent input and opinion to narrow your choices.

Tires are what keep your car on the road. Don't be cheap. Your car was $40K when new.. it wants more than a $400 set of tires ;) If you liked the BFG's then get another set.

racer_d ( or anyone else for that matter ) please help me understand the major difference between a $400 set of tires and a $1000 set of tires :confused:

My car currently has the same tires on it when I bought it last year ( they were new at the time ) - Nexen N3000 - I had 28k on the odo when I bought it, I am now at 45k, and the tires need to be replaced. Tires have been great for daily driving, autocross, and our trip to the Tail of the Dragon...

According to Tire Rack, OEM replacements are Pirelli P Zero tires for $216 each front / $293 each rear - $1018 total

The Nexen N3000 are $84 each front / $114 each rear - $396 total

( I am running 225/40ZR18 front & 265/35ZR18 rear )

I am leaning toward sticking with the Nexen's unless someone can explain why the Pirelli's ( or any other brand for that matter ) are worth the extra $600 ?

Links

Tire Rack

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/CompareTireResults.jsp?search=true&pagelen=20&page num=1&pagemark=1&vehicleSearch=true&startIndex=0&a utoYear=2000&minLoad=S&rearWidth=265%2F&frontDiame ter=18&frontRatio=40&frontWidth=225%2F&rearDiamete r=18&rearSortCode=54300&autoMake=Porsche&autoModCl ar=&minSpeedRating=V&frontSortCode=53650&autoModel =Boxster+S&rearRatio=35&filterType=oe&speed_rating =V&speed_rating=Z&speed_rating=W&speed_rating=Y&Ru nFlat=All

Nexen

https://www.tiresavings.com/tireShop.php?action=findMan2&manufacturer=Nexen&ti rename=N3000&season=

Old Thread

http://986forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3669

As always, thanks to you all for your help and assistance...

Nick

Nick I think you should see if you can drive someones car that has a 1k set of tires on it and then make your own decision. Thats probably the only way to really tell if its worth it. There are too many people and too many opinions, the only one that really counts is yours.

Nick, based on the autoX performance and your driving skills, i would never tell that you had 400 dollar tires (never looked at the brand)
for godes sake Sammy had those racing tires and you were keeping up consistently, so i say go w Nex ones....and u can get 2 sets for the price of pirellis

I have the exact setup as you - '99 - 18" Turbo Twists. When I bought the car in '02, it had P-Zeros. I bought a set of Yokohama AVS ES100s I put 28,000 miles on them, great deal for $600. I replaced them with Kumho Ecsta SPTs (also $600). I have 10,000 miles on them and they still look brand new.

I have no complaints about the grip or noise. I live in "all season" land, so I can't comment on winter conditions.

Nick,
Absolutely nothing wrong with Nexen tires. Good grip wet/dry on the street, low price, last a long time. Similar performance to the Sumitomo. An excellent daily driver all around tire.

The difference between a $400 set and a $1000 set?? About 2-3 seconds at the track. An extreme performance summer tire wears out quickly, runs noisy, costs a lot, but brings home the bacon. Drive your car and then drive a fellow Boxter with Advan Neovas and you will feel the difference. Everyone must decide for themselves which tire best matches their lifestyle and driving style. Do you autocross for kicks or are you deadly serious? Are those few seconds worth the $$$.

Thanks for the advice guys ( and great suggestion TriGem2k ! )

djomlas, the sun even shines on a dog's ass some days. Did you get your new wheels yet ? Any plans on joining us in Maywood on Sunday ?

BoxsterBob, I was seriously considering the Kumho's ( that's what I put on the Benz this year ), but I figure since I already have the Nexen's and I know I like them I should stick with them ( I drive the Benz in the winter so I’m not really worried about all season performance in the Box ) plus they are $200 cheaper than the Kumho’s.

Topless, when I replace my street tires I am seriously considering picking up another set of wheels and throwing Kumho VictoRacers on them for Autocross. That is what Sammy has been running with great success, and they still keep you in Stock class !

( pk2 – sorry for the hijack, but at least all this is relevant to the subject )

Thanks everyone, you guys rock !

Nick

Nick,
my wheels actually just showed up today.
something happened to my rear tires delivery, so instead of tomorrow they will b here on Thursday sometime
they look GREAT :cheers:

That is another way to go too. Keep your daily driver tires for the street and get an extra set for the track. If you have the $$ and a place to store them it will shave another 2 sec. off your time.

Here in SoCal we must run street tires to stay in showroom stock class... no racing tires , no DOT comps. There are about 50 Boxters who compete in this class here in Zone8 so it makes for some good one design racing against the clock. For me it makes sense to use the best street tire I can find for now. Tires are a very personal choice. Everyone must decide for themselves.

I just ordered a set of Kumho Ecsta MX's for the box, very nice sporting tire, $789 mounted and balanced out the door. I had em on my 400 HP STI and they never once faltered.

Steve