[Chris Vais]

I've been running SO4's now for two years. The ride and performance work for me. I have a stock suspension set-up that has been augmented with the addition of Koni adjustable shocks, M030 anti-roll bars, D1R upper and lower suspension braces. The tires are sufficiently grippy for the kind of driving I do an the roads where I do it. The car is my daily driver and driven rain or shine. Wet weather performance is acceptable. During winter time here in the SF Bay area it's good idea to let them warm up a bit before pushing them to the limit as it is with any tire. I've been getting 30,000 plus on SO3s so I expect to do about the same on the SO4s.

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[94SilverCab]

Flash, couldn't agree more that the driver/vehicle makes all the difference. Melva's Vovo S60 just go the new Pirelli P7 LRR (Low Rolling Resistance). I hated Pirelli's on the 968, but on her car they made it drive like it should have from the factory...what a difference!



I really liked the Toyo's on the 968, leaning that direction for next time.



Jay

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[az968]

ahh, and they don't make a 255-40-17....

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[bombfactory]

I'm running the Sumi's (HTRZ3) on the M3 (17") and have been very happy with them. Not quite the ultimate grip of the Michelins, which I prefer, but the price is outstanding, the ride is quiet so far and they're wearing well on a car with a decent amount of negative camber.



I put these same Sumi's on the 968 (18") a while back but they haven't touched pavement yet, as the car is still dead. Will report my findings when I finally get it back on the road (I'm finally fed up with this situation and moving to make that happen soon).

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[Bulti]

For some reason, a 255 is pretty wide for a 17' nowadays. Most manufacturers like to sell you an 18' for that width



I can not agree more that tire choice is a personal thing. Amongst the 'premium' brands the Goodyears are the choice (roaduse only) for me: available in the right sizes, grippy, supposedly great wet performance (a must for me, we can have all 4 seasons in one day over here) and low road noise.



The fact that they are amongst the cheapest of the ones I compared with is nothing more than a bonus (they are made in Germany, maybe that is why).



No budget tires for me, that's for sure.

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[az968]

Just going by the owners manual which specifies 255's on the 17" wheels. I could be persuaded to ignore that.

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[scaldwell]

Hi



As has been pointed out with the 17" wheel option there are not many tires made that fit the rear rims. If we leave out run flats and Hankooks, Kumho and Sumitomo, Tire Rack only carries 4 sets of maximum performance summer tires for 17" 968's. They are the Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position, Continental Extreme Contact DW, Continental Conti Sport Contact 3, and the Michelin Pilot SuperSport PS2, which are also N3 rated for Porsche. Unfortunately the Michelin SuperSports are not on this list. If we limit the discussion to these 4 sets does anyone have strong feelings one way or the other? How important is the N3 Porsche rating for the Michelin?



Thanks again



Steve

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[Cloud9...68]

I can't remember the stock 17" rear tire size off the top of my head, but the BF Goodrich G-Force Rival comes in both 255/40-17 and 245/40-17, and this tire has been very highly rated, at least for track use.

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[flash]

given the choices available in the OEM sizes for the 17", i would choose the advan AD08 again

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[Bulti]

Steve, if I were you, I would forget about the N-rating... Other tires of different brands could be just as good or even better. I bet it's a marketing thing.



The stock CS-size for the rears is 255/40 R17.



The Rivals do get excellent (if not the best) reviews, but I wouldn't want to drive those in very wet conditions, especially not on a road were trucks made some nice 'canals' in the road surface...



I made an attempt to get the BFG Comp 2's from Tire Rack, but they won't ship them over here due to the lack of an EU approval.



Also, the Goodyears I bought are not available in the 255 at TR, which is weird, because it is still an American brand, no?

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[flash]

yeah - n rating is pure hype. all it means is that the car manufacturer said "we want a tire that does this". it doesn't mean that "this" is better than "that"

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[ds968]

I read many years ago that not a single other tire manufacturer matches Michelin's INTERIOR side wall construction technology, that factor being among the key reasons for the typical price difference of their tires vs. other "comparable" ones. Not sure if that's still the case so there could be some brands that now have incorporated that characteristic in their tires. Worth checking, IMO.

I've had nothing but the "Pilots" on my 968 and while I don't track the car, I do at times drive at speeds where anything short of a perfect tire in every way imaginable could spell disaster so not taking chances just to save a couple of hundred bucks or to have ( maybe ) a tire with some negligible incremental advantage in one or two of the categories listed by tirerack in their comparison charts. And the PS2s are the quietest tire I have ever driven on..slient all the way until their last worn tread..

YMMV <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/glare.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[lbpesq]

I LOVE this site! Needed new tires as my Sumitomos are nearing the end. I enjoyed them, but was a little disappointed in tread life. After reading through this thread and doing a little poking around on Tirerack, I went with the Bridgestone S-04 Pole Positions (thanks, Chris for an Alameda-centric review). $575.78 shipped for a 17" set of four (the rears are on sale for $144 each). Such a deal!



Bill

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[Eric_Oz_S2]

[quote name='scaldwell' timestamp='1395351942' post='156106']

Hi



As has been pointed out with the 17" wheel option there are not many tires made that fit the rear rims. If we leave out run flats and Hankooks, Kumho and Sumitomo, Tire Rack only carries 4 sets of maximum performance summer tires for 17" 968's. They are the Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position, Continental Extreme Contact DW, Continental Conti Sport Contact 3, and the Michelin Pilot SuperSport PS2, which are also N3 rated for Porsche. Unfortunately the Michelin SuperSports are not on this list. If we limit the discussion to these 4 sets does anyone have strong feelings one way or the other? How important is the N3 Porsche rating for the Michelin?



Thanks again



Steve

[/quote]



What's wrong with Hankook and Kumho. Kumho, specifically, makes some very good tyres? Hankook makes the best R-Spec tyre available today (Z221).



Also consider the Toyo R888 etc.

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[Cloud9...68]

[quote name='Eric_Oz_S2' timestamp='1395478118' post='156176']



What's wrong with Hankook and Kumho?

[/quote]

I was wondering the same thing. Both companies make some very good tires.

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[flash]

from everybody i have spoken to about kumho, the only thing they liked about them was the price. they wear very fast, make a lot of noise, and aren't the stickiest.



hankooks are hit and miss year to year, and very subjective car to car. i have no input on them on a 968.

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[Cloud9...68]

Funny - I've owned both Kumho's and Hankooks on this car. The Kumho's were beyond horrible - they were so slippery they were downright dangerous. The Hankooks (R-S3's), on the other hand, have been very good - no complaints. But tire recommendations are often so subjective, car-and application-specific, and anecdotal, that it is difficult to decide what might work for you. And for some reason, there often seems to be a lot of variation even within a particular brand and model, even on the same car.

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[scaldwell]

Hi



Many thanks to those who have replied to my question. I eliminated Kumho, Hankook and Sumitomos because I interpreted the Tire Rack tests to rank them behind the tires that I singled out. For example the S-04's seem to test out much better than the Kumho's, Hankook's and Sumitomo's and as has been pointed out already are not much more expensive than them . I should point out that, being from the Great White North our winter this year has been brutal, as it has in the northern states. The result of this is that roads will be devastated by the freeze thaw cycle. Governments are already warning us that roads have taken a terrible beating this winter. As a result I am looking at Maximum Performance tires rather than the Extreme Performance tires that several members have suggested. I would love to be able to put on Extreme Performance tires but I'd rather not have the car shaken to pieces therefore I'll try the Maximum Performance tires. It's interesting that those who have replied come from areas with less severe winters, California, Texas, Arizona, Belgium and Australia and can drive their Porsche's all winter. Please note I said "less severe" I know some of you have had some nasty weather. Hopefully in the next little while, some members from northern climes will emerge from hibernation and add their two cents on the tire question.



Thanks again.



Cheers



Steve

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[Bulti]

Steve, FWIW, I always use wintertires during the cold months of the year. Sometimes it is very necessary, sometimes not (last year we even got some snow as late as May, this year it hardly got below freezing).



If you get such harsh winters, you should consider buying a set. There is another thread about a winter/snow tire discussion. Might be interesting. :-)

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[az968]

Steve, let us know how the S-04's work out. I've had to push off my tire purchase for a few more months due to an unexpected root canal procedure that emptied my "feed the car" jar....... I'd rather have had the new tires.....

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