[flash]

i have NEVER had a continental tire i was happy with. they have always been noisy and harsh. they have usually been slipperier than deer guts on a door knob int he rain.



i have been very happy with michelin super sports. smooth ride, quiet, and very grippy dry and wet. i wish i could get them for the blue 968. i will be running them on the white car when i change the tires.

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[parptarf]

I'll look into those, but I don't think they come in the sized I need. Most likely end up with Pilot Sport 2 or 3.

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[EEZATOY]

so you would consider matching the tire to optimum tire\rim width over overall tire diameter?



Per Tire Rack

225/45/17 for rim widths of 7"- 8.5" optimal 7.5" overall diameter is 25" - match to rears (25") only 25#

235/45/17 for rim widths of 7.5" - 9" optimal 8" overall diameter is 25.4" - a littler larger than rears would be

245/40/17 for rim widths of 8"- 9.5" optimal 8.5" overall diameter is 24.7" - a little samller than rears



both weight the same 26#



of these options which would you choose for an 8" rim?

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[blau]

Parptarf, really depends on what kind of driving you are doing. If doing autocross, I would recommend the Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Specs which were just released. I've been running Z1 Star Specs for 3 years and have been really impressed with their performance wet and dry.

I'm running Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires on my Audi S4 - amazing street tires, but they can't handle heat-cycling very well so aren't good for autocross/track. They are great in the rain on the roads and highways. I've never had a hydroplane issue in puddles where I'm seeing cars in front of me lose traction.

Can't speak for any other tires as I haven't tried too many others (besides cheap tires that previous owners bought)...but these have both done the jobs very well.

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[jferraro17]

I'm a tire idiot. I have to google the sizes/decoder every time I even think about tires. Having said that.....



The 16" C1 wheels on the car have 10 year old tires that simply aren't safe due to sidewall cracking. I have some new-to-me 17" (7 & 9) 993Cup (Cup 2s) arriving this week. I want to get some drivable tires on this car ASAP, so would like advice, rather than a weeks worth of research.



Street car; Texas (wide temp range, but think 60-90 degrees); wet/rain only by accident--never in snow; pleasure driver...meaning country roads & 200 mile club tours, maybe longer once I'm comfortable with mechanical reliability; I will drive fast/aggressively but not race the car (you know what I mean); willing to sacrifice performance for quiet/comfort...to a point.



Educate me if you want to, but mostly tell me which tires to buy! PLEASE! <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/biggrin.png" class="smilie" alt="" />



Thanks!

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[flash]

if you can get them, i highly recommend the michelin pilot super sport. best tire for this kind of use that i have ever driven on.

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[Peter B]

I'm in need of new tires.  I've read the forum.  I can see that opinions have changed in some cases.  I got Sumitomo HTR Z-III now.  I like them, but I haven't done a comparison.  On Tire rack, in my size:  225/45R17,  255/40R17 (what I've got now).  

 

Few options. 

a) Same thing Sumitomo HTR Z-III (385$)

b) Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position  (500$)

c) Conti DW (500$). 

d) Ventus V12 EVO2 (321$ with rebate)

e) Mich PS2 (865$).  

 

My wallet says stay away from the Mich PS2.  I'm inclined to stay with unless if I hear A LOT of LOVE for the Bridgestone Potenza.  I'm after summer max performance because I do drive in the rain, but not snow or too cold.  

 

My current tires are too old.  I need to find a legal place in Portland to tear them up doing donuts or something.  

 

Other notes, I signed up for track-night-in-america Friday. This is why the new tires. I'm pretty excited. 

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[Rap]

Toyo makes some good tires that work for the track and street.

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[flash]

i hate the sumitomos.  cheap, but wear out quick, and get noisy.

 

bridgestone pole positions tend to be stiff.  good in cornering. bad for ride quality.

 

can't go wrong with michelins

 

i have the DW on the X5 and am incredibly impressed.  i have always hated contis.  these are amazing.  with these, i am finally able to take advantage of the M suspension, and put some of that turbocharged V8 power to the ground

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[Chris Vais]

I'm currently running Conti DWs on my A5 and PolePositions on the 968. Flash is correct on both accounts. The pole positions are stiff but the cornering is great. As far as durability is concerned, I get about 30 to 35 K on the pole positions. My impression of the Conti DW is that they are grippy, reasonably quite for a high performance tire and very complimentary to the handling characteristics of the all-wheel drive A5. I find that I am able to carry a boatload of speed deep into a curve, confident that the tires aren't going to give up on me. Haven't had the tires long enough to comment on wear.

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[Peter B]

Thanks Chris, Flash, Rap.   

The next summer tires I put on my A6 will be the conti DW.  

For the 968?  The dig I heard for the Conti DW is that it doesn't feel as precise.  I would not want to take that precise feeling away from the 968.  What are your guy's impressions?  

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[flash]

they are a bit soft, which, on the X5 is very nice, but on the 968, it may be too much.  from that list, the michelins are likely the best fit.  figures.

 

the best tire i ever drove on a 968 was the yokohama advan AD08

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[williamoss]

Hey Peter give me a call as I have the MIch. sport on my coupe. come over here and take a test ride

 

William Moss

5034-590-7978

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[Peter B]

Thanks William, 

 

The PS2 looks pretty good on tire rack, but in our rainy conditions, I would take the Conti DW or the Bridgestone Poleposition S-04.  Plus, I'm too cheap to buy the PS2.  If they are that much better, I don't want to know.  So thanks for the offer William.  

 

I'm going to "track night in America" Friday at PIR.  If you can, do it.  It's fairly priced.    Still open slots.  I'm signed up for the novice group, which is fitting.  Hope to see you there.  

 

On paper the Conti DW suits my needs best.  Are they too soft to feel precise?  If so the Bridgestones look best?  For really dry weather, the extreme summer tires look the best.  I'd welcome any direct opinions.  I appreciate all the feedback thus far.   

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[Bulti]

Make sure to consider the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2's. They are great when dry, but even better in the wet. I like them very much. Good reviews too.

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[flash]

the one piece of advice i always give is to never cheap out on tires.  they are the only thing between you and the ground.  they also make the single biggest impact on both the performance and comfort of any car.

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[Ernie]

I have the Eagle asymmetric tires I run in cold weather and the Ventus V12 evo I use for summer. I like the Ventus so much better than the Eagles. I don't really drive in the rain so I can't comment on rain performance, but when it's dry, they are pretty sticky. I only put about 5000 miles/year on my 968 so the tires will age out, before they wear out, so cost was a consideration for me. I have Conti DWS on the 928 and the Ventus are much better than them as well. JMHO

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[Peter B]

Yes - I give the advice not to go cheap on tires too.  Everyone does like the PS2.  

 

For my upcoming track night, I'm going to use the last of the Toyo RR's that I go with the car on 16" rims.  This gives me a little more time.  I also figure I'm a fool if I don't use these.  This is what they are for!  I haven't used them in 2 years - why wait.  

 

The Ventus Evo 2 are really inexpensive.  The rain is the part that worries me on this tire - they are supposed to give a very precise feeling (tire rack).  I think I'm still down to the conti DW's or the bridgestone S-04.  Outside chance on PS2.   

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[williamoss]

Peter I got to tell you I find the PS2 great in the rain. I can not say if they are great on the track. but How much % do you drive on the track versus how much driving do you do on the road? If price is that much of an issue then I would want a great tire for the road, After all If I am on the track in club driving events, I am sure the PS2 will do fine. If on the other hand this was true out and out racing and you were drifting around corners, then price would not be an issue and you would have slicks, and racing rain tires and all sorts in-between, mounted on individual rims.

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[flash]

if rain is an issue (and i hear you get a bit of that in portland) i would run the DW.  in the research i did, it had the best wet traction of any tire.  they even make a DWS (s is for snow) that almost tracks as well as the DW.  not likely great for track, though i know a guy who owns a tire shop here, and he runs them on his boxster, on the track.

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