Best Tires?? Recommendations!!
 

I am buying my dad's boxster and will be picking it up next week.

His car has PZeros. I don't know the exact one. i will have to check on exact sizes...i know he has 265-35-18 on the rear. fronts are a bit narrower... 235 or 245?? anyway... his tires are "okay" but I now I'll be buying some new ones soon.

On my last car I ran PS2s and loved them but it was a large heavy sport sedan....

I will drive the car 5k / year or less. I want something that sticks like frickin glue. I dont' care if it wears out fast. I will NOT track the car. I live in so cal where I get hardly any rain, no snow. I want sticky super summer tires.

Any recommendations? I have to admit that right now, the way it is setup, I have to say it's one of the best handling cars I've ever driven....but I suspect that these tires are nice, but not the best. I'm not a tire expert...

what is "the tire" to get for a weekend driven boxster where I want to terrorize the turns and grip hard enough to pull mega lateral Gs... :)

I love the PS2's on my Boxster.

My picks:

Best cheap tire: Nexen N3000
Best balanced (wet/dry perf, wear, noise, price, etc.) tire: Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3
Best no compromise dry performance: ?? (Pilots have been the standard)

There are many, many threads on this on the forum and you should search them.

My box wears Michelin PS2's, and these are considered to be very good tires for our cars. However, there's a LOT of opinions about rubber and oil viscosity on this forum.

You, my new friend, have opened up a pandoras box!

My advice? Check your budget and realize rear tires last 7500-12000 miles or so. If you only have about $500 or so to spend, the Sumitomo HRTZ III's are a good tire for the money. If you have $1300 to spend, you can buy PS2's or other top of the pile tread.

Pirellis wear very fast, but are soft and sticky for cornering, by the way.

I've had Kumhos and others swear by them but I found them to be out of round and noisy after just a few thousand miles.

Let the games begin... others will probably disagree with some or all of what I've shared with you.

I *think* the current tires are PZero Nero Assimetricos.

That was what was on the car when my dad bought it, and that is all he has ever put on it. part of his issue was - fronts or rears never needed replacing at the same time, and he didn't want to buy all 4 when he only needed two, nor did he want mismatched f/r.

so he stuck with what it had. they are NOT bad tires. if that was all i put on it, i'd be smiling ear to ear around every turn. i just wondered if it could get even better. :)

part of why i think his car handles so well is the combo of 18's + M030. i test drove some "base" boxsters w/out this suspension upgrade and they have substantially LESS performance in the turns.

the car will proably handle great w/any GOOD tire. I just want it to be as good as I can amke it. :)

I have the PS2 michelins on the car and I've been happy with them. I would like even more dry grip though for auto-x. They are just about worn out and I think the next set will be Yokahama Advan Neova's. I've heard good things about them.

Ah, another tire thread...
I shall quote myself quoting Randall

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour I have PS2's on my car now and unless I am flat broke, I'm going to keep putting them on my boxster. Excellent traction in all sorts of weather...

I swear by PS2s, but if you really don't care how long they last, get Michelin PS Cup tires. They will only last a season but you should be happy with the grip. Just stay away from wet spots.

Yeah the Pilot Cups are a good tire, but there are others out there that perform as good or better for significantly less. R compounds are tempting, but I would like something that lasts longer. The Advan Neova's are a bit stickier than the PS2's and I should be about to get two seasons or more out of them so they seem like the best compromise.

I, too, am getting close to the point where I need new rubber.

A quote from Tire Rack regarding the Goodyear Eagles:

"Like all summer tires, it is not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice."

They say basically the same thing about the PS2s.

While I don't drive my Box in the snow (or even if there's visible road salt still on the road, after the snow's gone), I do still drive to some extent year-round.

What are the consequence of driving such tires when it's cold? Is it dangerous? If so, is that still true even if you're not "pushing" your car anywhere towards its limits, traction-wise? Is it detrimental to the tires? Just curious. :confused:

Frodo, it is mainly detrimental to your sheet metal! :eek:

PS2's rule,

Ed

:cheers:

For PURE dry traction - what is the BEST gripping tire that is street legal?

I am not going to drive my boxster in the rain. It is a third car, in so cal - for weekends and ripping around twisty roads.

screw wet traction. Dry GRIP, money no object - what is best?

If there is some kind of tire that is really a street legal track tire - how much do they cost and how long do these things last on the the street? I do NOT want a tire that will wear out in 3 months or something insane.

PS2s are a good blend of dry traction, comfort, etc. but are there tires out there that are BETTER in the dry at the expense of wet traction - b/c I don't give a rat's a$$ about wet. this car wil never see rain.

In the tests I've seen the Yokohama Advan Neova and Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R, test out ever so slightly better than the PS2's in the dry only. If you want more traction than that you'll have to go street legal competition tires like the Pilot Sport Cup or Yoko Advan A048. They'll last longer than 3 months on the street, but not certain how much longer.

I was wondering about this very issue just last week. I'm thinking of replacing the all seasons with summer rubber and wonder if cold temps damage the tire or simply degrade performance.

Like you, I drive when it's cold, but not if there's any precip or salt on the roads

I'm no tire expert, but I did find that my ultra high performance summer tires flatspot badly in cold weather (40 degrees and colder) and feel like wagon wheels for the first few miles after taking the car out of the garage. The Kumhos were the worst in this regard. Sumitomos were better, and Michelin PS2's much much better.

Wheel spin, especially on wet roads when its cold, is prevalent with many ultra high performance summer tires.

I don't think the temperature drop hurts the tires in any way... they just don't perform well. But I could be all wrong on that.

If you're talking about running R Compounds on the street, I'd be more concerned with accumulating too many heat cycles in them before before they wear. Those tires are designed to last a few track days, not several thousand miles with hundreds of heating cycles.

And yes, most compounds used in any dry performance tire do not work well when cold, hence the significant grip tradeoff when the temps come down.

Patrick

Real R compounds (Hoosier R6 or Kumho v710) are not gonna make it on the street for four reasons:

1) With only circumferential grooves thay look like slicks to most cops who will write you up regardless of the fact that they are DOT tires.

2) They tend to be poor at resisting sidewall damage. Just a stone thrown up can slice those suckers wide open

3) They will heat cycle top stones pretty quickly.

4) No resistance to standing water aquaplaning. Regardless of your beautiful SoCal weather, a little rain falls into every life.

A more practical R-like street tire is the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup or the Pirelli P-Zero Corsa. These tires sacrifice almost everything for pure grip (price, longevity, comfort and noise).

Another possibility is the Toyo RA1 - a great track tire with enough groove and heat

However, I would caution you against this quest for ultimate grip. You may think you want a race car with race tires but the sacrifices will quickly make the driving experience old.

Good luck,
Alan

By and large Porsche is more frequently equipping new Boxsters with Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires, cheaper to replace than the PS2's and longer tire life, as they have a stiffer sidewall which is really advantageous for the Boxster. I had the Michelins on my '06 and found that they were a good tire, but replaced them with Bridgestones. Fortunately my '08 with 19" wheels came with the Bridgestones, and enjoy the crisper turn in. You may wish to check the Bridgestone Pole Position tires, as they are rated even higher, but make sure they are suitable for your needs. Some reviews can be read at:
http://www.tirerack.com/survey/SurveyComments.jsp?additionalComments=Y&commentSta tus=P&tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Potenza+RE050 A+Pole+Position
vincesf

Flat spotting on modern tires is much myth. Unless your tires are steel belted, it's not much of a concern. With modern high-tech cords such as Kevlar and the increasing use of silica compounds and such, any flat spotting will disappear as soon as the tires are rolling and heat up.

maybe I'll jus stick with the Pzeros that are there, or upgrade to PS2s.

i don't want "track" tires for the street.

You can't go wrong with either the PZero's or PS2's. The PS2 is a comfortable riding tire, a little less responsive than some other choices, a little more costly, but by many is considered the standard for comparison.
vincesf

I dont think thats a myth.

Lately my Boxster is only getting driven once a week max,sad yes I know. But when I'm hoping in it it has to be flat spots that causing the shimmying in the steering,because it goes away within 3-5 miles of driving.

That's only when it sits for a week or more though that it's bad like that.

As for tires,I really recommend P Zero Rossos. I didn't realize how good they were until lost them. They were a little bit sticker then the S-03s I used to have,where the S-03s would start to break the Rosses stuck on a little more,but it seemed like the Rossos gave without any sign though while the S-03s would give signs of the grip breaking.

Don't buy BF Goodrich(don't know the model) if you want sporty,I have them now and they are only good for driving on from a-b,I won't be recommending these to anyone besides soccer moms.

Have you looked into Falken Azeni Rt-615s?
http://www.vulcantire.com/azenis_rt615_t.htm

They are great tires but don't last long.

I did a lot of research and chose Potenza RE960AS Pole Position. I also live in Charleston, SC, and you never know when it might rain. FYI, I have tried a few times to get the back end out a little on turns in the rain, but have not been able to. Probably just a little cautious

My favorite til this day are the Original Michelin Pilot Sport N1s.

I have a set of 225/40/18 Pilot Sport N1 front and 285/30/18 Pilot Sport N1 rear. Great Tires!

I prefer these over the PS2. The PS2s felt too soft for my taste

I have those and I think they are excellent. They are also pricey.

I do autocross and I put on the Falken Azeni Rt-615 this summer for the first time. I have been quite happy with them.

They are priced competively, and have lots of grip. Also in the wet (Pacific North West) they seem to do quite well. They probably don't extract water as well as most tires, but under damp conditions, light rain conditions, I haven't had any issues. Even autocrossing in some heavy rain, they have done quite well.

I can't comment much on there wear, but I suspect they will not last as long as some more common type tires.

Grassroots Motorsports did a tire comparison between 4 or 5 autocross type tires a few issues back, and the Falken came out on top, when it came to lap times. Hence why I decide on them Unfortunately, I don't have the kind of $ to buy and try different tires so I depended on their opinion.

18" Michelin Pilot Sport N1's are what I have and love them.

Purchased just recently from the Tirerack. I didn't think the cost was that aweful.

Hell of a tire and you're keeping with the OEM recommendations for N spec. I know I may catch flak for that on this forum, but hey, I'm a Porsche pureist!!!

The Pilot N1's came on my car new and the steering repsonse was a bit sharper than the PS2's but they didn't grip as well. The PS2's seem to have a softer sidewall which also makes the ride a bit more compliant over the bumps at the expense of steering response. Overall I like the PS2's better.

Trigem - your boxster is FRICKING nice!!

i'll keep you all posted on my tires...

I'm not saying they don't flat-spot, but it's not a permanent condition. Drive the car and the symptoms go away. If not, and you're on Pirellis, you have other issues.

I agree with you on the pirellis, I think they're much maligned on this forum ! They're really very good tires. I WILL replace my current set with the same next spring. They're spendy, and not the longest lasting, but having experienced Ironstones... er... Bridgestones, Dunlops, Continentals and Goodyears, I have to say that the perellis outperform them all (subjective of course).

One interesting tire is the Cooper. We replaced the conti's on my wife's car with a Cooper Touring Tire and nothing but positives to say regarding price, wear, Dry/Wet traction, etc They make a Hi-perf tire and considering the price difference, I may (emphasis on may) give them a shot.

Go with the Azenis 615's. They stick amazingly well and lasted longer than expected.

So if I want the best turn-in steering response possible, which tire should I buy?

the car is in the shop now. dealer said all four tires have excessive wear and need to be replaced.

so i'm looking at a full new set of tires. the car Pzeros now. i love the grip, the turn in...

are the PS2s goin to have more or less grip? better or worse turn in / steering response?

i don't mind spending the money, but this is a summer, top down, go around corners in the dry car. i don't care about year round wet, snow, etc.

i don't wnat R compounds. i want to get 7-10k out of them.

i'm thinking either stay with pzeros as i like them.
or ps2s? or advan neovas? these all get good ratings...

i want a street tire, not a race tire, that has excellent dry traction, excellent turn in. stiff sidewalls are okay with me. i wan to have fun, not a comfy ride. :)

i noticed on tire racks site they have an N3 and N4 Pzero tire. one has a higher treadwear rating.

the stickier one is only 140! even lower than the neova. the PS2 is 220. are these therefore stickier and have better grip? at the cost of tire life?

^ basically, yes :D

Tire Tales
 

I am running non-N rated tires on my 04 Boxster. They are Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R's. Rated as an "Extreme Performance Summer" tire. I run 265's in the rear and 225's in the front on 18 inch rims. I drive 2 old highways that are not used because of the concrete 4 lanes right next to them in some places. They are two lane blacktop that are not posted so that makes the legal top speed 55 mph. There is a reverse "S" curve posted at 15 that goes to one lane through a tunnel that is blind from both sides and several straight's where 100 is easy if you are not careful. On the rest of the road, most of the time I am in 2ed gear with the RPM's between 4K and redline. The RE-01R's perform excellent. I did put some extra air in them when I first got them and was disappointed but when run at the Porsche recommended 29/36 I was happy. I like the way I can feel the front tires bite in the apex and the rears follow right along. I do not feel the rear try to turn out but the whole car will drift. As far as life span, the tires not mine, at 4K I see no wear even though a 4 wheel alignment showed three of 4 wheels had a misalignment of some sort or other. Porsche was kind enough to enter in to my service record that I have non N spec tires on the car. I run mud and snows in the winter and run the same road with snow on it but a lot slower. Previous tires were Michelin's.

I like the new GY F1 Asymmetricals
 

They are considerably less expensive than the PS2's --which they replaced but have man similar traits--low noise, great dry traction, great wet traction, supple ride. My only beef is the flat spotting when cold which clears up in about 10 miles. Best of all for 987 owners, they are available in stock sizes.

For the Eagles in question (I have them and I did think about that warning before I chose them) it's a combination of rubber compound as well as tread pattern. The rubber compound gets too hard to give much grip so you lose some traction. How much you lose is uncertain - my guess is they're covering asses by warning you but you'll generally be OK as with any Summer performance tire. The tread pattern is a different issue. The V-shaped pattern on the Eagles will not grab in snow or mud. It's purely meant to put down to biggest tire patch while funneling away water. The tires have great dry and wet grip but I wouldn't risk getting caught in any kind of snow with them. I've read stories of people parking in dirt lots, getting rained on and remaining stuck until the mud dried. Goodyear did recently release the all-season version with some gripping tread but I don't know much about those.

Pirelli P Zero Rossos is what I would get
 

I don't think I have ever owned a better tire. They did not last too long but at about 13K miles it is not too bad for hard driving on a Porsche. The grip is amazing but more importantly the car is so sharp in steering and so responsive. This is the tire Ferrari uses on their cars and one of the OEM on all Porsches.