Nothing wrong with being a stickler for detail Can (re the weight downside). I'm one for the finer details myself as you may know. It's always good to rationalise what one really needs and doesn't need/want etc. Overall the reviews give PSS thumbs up. Never had any argument with that as you know. My issue was always along the lines of manufacturer/s recommendations, still is, however if that stance is changing or has changed then at least one can move forward from there if they so choose after rationalising their expectations from the dollars spent. You raise a good point on the unsprung weight issue though. It's a key point concerning a car manufacturer that takes so much effort in reducing that. For now I've got a set of new PS2's in the rack along with a set of PSCR's on stand by. May have paid more for em but couldn't be happier.

 

^^Paul are you speaking "Australian" to me? Kidding! What is PSCR? I am sure it's not Public Safety Communications Research that google points me to? PS2 and PSS are very similar and I would hate to blind test those two, so I agree you are alright with the PS2. AFAIK (anyone correct me as needed) during that particular test in Dubai, Michelin had journalists test Porsche with PSS against other brands, but never had PSS against PS2. Hmmm..... I would have thought that is a most important comparison.

GT-TT: I actually went from Corsa to PSS. Again no one here gets mad please and again I love my PSS, but the R comp Corsa is in a different league and you can't compare the 2.
PSS = street tire, more comfortable, quieter, excellent traction.
Pirelli Corsa = R comp, very stiff especially when old, as quiet as a freight train especially when old, traction that will drop your jaw as you already know.

In particular, the R comp tire's sidewall is very stiff, and it reduces body roll of my car considerably. It makes the car feel planted and handle like crazy but obviously comfort suffers. I did not know this when that ^$%#@! GT3 annihilated my Turbo baby in the canyons, but the fact that it had R comp and mine street tire tilted the favor heavily its way. Not fair! I know, I am a sore loser - can't stand them GT3.

 

Thanks, and where is our mod eclou (MIT) when we need him? Kidding aside, I was referring to angular momentum which is L=rp but it's been many years since I had college physics so I'll keep quiet here!

 

Well Can us Aussies do speak in a different tongue at times. Btw PSCR = Michelin Pilot Sport Cup R compound, and is certainly far better used for track purposes than street that's for certain. I can't see the point using street spec tires on a track except for in the wet....it's basically a waste of time in my books and an exercise for complete novices who either don't know any better or may not mind having 2.7 boxters sniffing their tails in the bends....basically saying move over tool!! In comparison to R spec or slick tires they simply won't be as fast nor stand up to the rigours. As you pointed out your Corsas may have handled well but the reality is on the street it takes too much time to get them to the right temperature to where they will actually deliver what they were designed to do....and where can you actually do that on the street these days? So, a street tire is better kept for street.. and vice versa. On the PSS vs PS2 debate I'm done. I'm sure the PSS is a great tire especially for the money....never contested that. You pointed out some interesting facts that have been overlooked entirely up until now...and both exceptional points! To be honest Can I'm happy to let others get all emotional rationalising their decision$. I'm happy with mine...that's all that matters to me. Merry xmas all!

 

Or put it another way, it's the tyres that make you fast and not your driving.....who's the tool now

But being nice, one if the things I actually enjoy about my 911 is that after 30 years of competition driving and instructing I can avoid stuffing about changing wheels and tyres everytime I go to the track to have some fun with my mates.

With this car and these tyres I can drive it to work all week and on the weekend cruise down to the track, aircon and stereo on (OK, can't hear that on our course chip goat tracks!), throw some numbers on, then go out and rattle off a few fun laps. Of course R's would be faster but that's simply not the point. As Jim Richards admited years ago, he was quick in the wet as much for the new wets he always used as for his driving.

If you really want to learn how to drive grab an old Alfa or something like that, shove some 6-inch wheels on it with some crappy tyres and wait for the rain.

 

Haha. As you (should) know its a combination of both. A good car nor a better set of tires will help a bad driver. In so far as using a different set for the track (R), there is simply no substitute. You pay good money for your time at the circuit so why not max the fun and why screw your road tyres in the process. Sure you can do it but why. Obviously you're not driving your car fast enough if you can get away without messing up your road tyres. A good boxer driver will be on the *** of an ordinary turbo driver on road tyres. Seen that many times. So there are them's that knows and them's that don't and, of course there are the them's that will never know. Which one are you? And JR, well I've been in the passenger seat with him (and vice versa) on a number of occasions now as well as a few other very well know Cup racers and sure, these guys are amazing in the wet and dry but unless you are at their level which i bet you're not, you are far better using the right rubber for the occasion. We all know a 911 is an amazing everyday car and all rounder but it's not an Alfa either so has its particular driving characteristics. Can't say driving an Alfa in the wet is really going to help you with your 911 skills but GL...and Merry Xmas to you.

 

No offence taken - just stirring as we do down here. No, I don't regard myself as being at the same level as the good professionals but like you I've had them in the car with me and they're generally good sorts.

Funny you mention the 911 driving characteristics vs. other cars. When I got my first 911 that's what I expected as well but really these modern ones are so docile. Even turning the PSM off and braking into corners, all it takes is a bit of opposite and a bit of power and all sorted. Just like a 105 Alfa.....

Mind you, before I changed to the PSS's I took my car out at Winton on the very worn PS2's. Talk about no grip - pretty much undriveable and no fun at all. Understeer, oversteer, every-where steer! New tyres and new car. Amazing how much these modern tyres grip compared with 20 or even 10 years ago.

 

Thats good. No offence taken either. +Aussies can take it, and give it. Careful with that psm off tho...it ups the stakes on high speed entry as I'm sure you know. Seen a couple of nasty hits and sad faces afterward. If you're doing a few days and need a spare set of genuine C2S rims i got a nice set laying around....perfect for a set of R's so you can preserve those PSS's and still keep the car looking street in between change outs.. PM if interested. Can supply em with or without rubber. Anyway nice chatting with an Aussie for a change. There isn't many of us here.

 

In response to the stuff above posted about street tires on the track, I'm not even going to bother quoting -- here goes.

A good high performance tire will take track days just fine.

Most will not, but the PSS holds up admirably well, as does the older PS2.

There are plenty of reasons to use a street tire on your car at a DE day. For example, until you're really going to benefit from the extra grip, it's safer and easier to drive on street tires than it is R comps. It doesn't mean you're a complete novice, either.

You also may not be ready to fork over the cash for an entire second set of wheels and tires just for DE weekends.

I haven't bothered changing mine out for those reasons. I could put track tires on my Porsche and probably gain 5 seconds at my local track but I'm not doing it until I'm truly pushing the car enough to need it.

I went out a handful of times before I needed to get a set of track wheels/tires on my M3.

I have been *really* surprised how well tires wear on the Turbo. On my M3, it doesn't matter if you're on an R comp or street tire -- unless you really crank up the camber, you're going to roll the edges on the fronts.

You do wear them faster, and at some point it makes sense from a performance and economical standpoint to move to more of a track oriented tire, but to so utterly scoff at the idea of going to the track with PSS tires is just nonsense.

At most lapping days there are more drivers who probably shouldn't be on R comps than those that can truly benefit from them.

Also... who the heck cares if someone with R comps on their car is going to catch you in the corners?!!? Did I really just read that?!

Seriously, if you move up to R comps so you don't have to give point-bys to other cars that are on them you're a complete tool and you need to have your DE license revoked.

Unbelievable.

 

O-M-G Yep unbelievable sums it up alright.

I don't believe i can ever recall reading such a litany of contradictions in the one post And to top it all off there are a couple of real doozies thrown in as icing on the cake

BTW I love that snippet suggesting PSS and PS2 are basically the only high performance tires that can handle track. That's brilliant

Nice dummy spit!!! .

Honestly. Please try and relax a little. It's xmas. Santa will come.

 

In an earlier post someone stated that: At this time Michelin is not offering the PSS in a 295/30/18 which is the stock rear wheel size on my 996 C4S. I am getting ready to replace all 4 tires and was looking forward to the price reduction on the PSS as well as the noise reduction, and better tire life I have been reading about. Does anyone know if this size is in the pipeline and when it should be expected? Are their any other alternatives (aside from new wheels)?

 

From what ive read they weigh 2lbs more than the ps2, anyone notice a bit more heff in the wheel?

 

I did not feel the weight difference going from old PS2 to new PSS, but that does NOT mean there is none, or that the weight gain is not harmful. In different circumstances or with better testing parameters: two different cars with back to back testing (instead of my single car going from old tire to new tire), better or more sensitive driver, higher speed, etc., someone might/will notice a difference.

Second, every little thing count, and although I may not feel this 2 lbs, in the end the accumulating effect of all the weight gains here and there will be felt. I would like to know that I am going in the right direction (reducing weight), whether I feel this particular weight gain or not. I hope this makes sense. For sure, there is no question about this: unsprung weight gain, particularly at the outer part of the wheel, is harmful.

That said, I love these PSS tires: comfortable, quiet, sticky. Sidewall is soft but this is appropriate for what the it is designed for, street usage.

 

Its like the 996 4s and Turbo wheels. Later are almost double priced as being hollow spoked and lighter. So it is obvious that Porsche is focused on wheel weight reduction

 

So is it legal on a CPO car or not? Anyone know