Time for new tires - let the debate begin

[boxstter]

Originally Posted by MikenOH

I f I were living in FL, driving the way you do, I 'd be concerned with, in no particular order:
-Ride quality
-Noise
-Wet weather performance
-Dry weather performance
-Longevity
-Steering response

I would put special attention on wet weather handling, noise and ride quality since you don't track it.

The PS2's and Goodyear GS-D3's I think handle all those issues per tireracks comparisons and reviews. Sounds like the Goodyear may get a bit more tread wear. People in our club that have used the Goodyears gave them rave reviews.

Actually the order is just right. Since I am not tearing up the streets ride and noise are top's on my list. Performance is nice for the occasional on ramp. Longevity - well you just can't expect a lot here. I mean if you get 15k that is probably all that can be expected - you aren't going to get 30k out of these kinds of tires. The Goodyears seem to get rave reviews - except for a couple of BMW track sites that complained about them wearing down wayyyyyy to quickly. Guess I'll see if I can find them local for a reasonable price. Thanks to everyone for the input.

[Chris C Atlanta]

Car and Driver did a test of max performance tires recently (in conjunction w Tire Rack)...the Goodyears, PS2 and Yoko's all performed well. Contis were mushier but surprisingly good numbers wise.

Here's the url...

http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=4&article_id=10252

They offer a lot of subjective opinion and objective info...I found this very helpful.

I love my ps2s (06 987S) and will likely stick with them as I have had good results with Michelins on my Porsches. Had good experience with n-rated Pirelli Rossos on my 993 too...very quiet with exellent wet and dry grip.

N-ratings definitely make a difference. If you look up the specs by tire on TR's site, you can see that the PS2s (for example) in N-sizes are significantly lighter and designed for lighter loads. They are different designs. I too have used non N tires on my performance cars but, as some commented, there is a risk they don't mate well with your suspension/spring rate, etc.

Definitely never mix tires on the same axle, or even from front to rear. Amazing how many times i see "performance" cars with 2 different brands/tread patterns front to rear. Geez.