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Any better tire than the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2?

6K views 39 replies 17 participants last post by  Monstro3.7 
#1 ·
A tire change is coming up for me pretty soon (especially if I am going to the Ring :) ).

My (simple?) question is: is there a better tire than the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 from these requirements?

*Optimal dry grip for hard country side road driving (B-roads as I think you call them in the UK). Hence, it should not be necessary to heat them up to temp levels impossible to reach in public road driving.
*Really good grip even at low temps (i.e. good for day to day driving)
*Should be able to handle the GTA at track days and not overheat.
*Longetivity
*Better than catastrophic wet grip :)
 
#4 ·
on my gtv i've had proxy t1r's good grip a little noise but boy less than 12 mths spirited motoring and they were gone. before that goodyear eagle f1's they lasted a bit longer. but surely if its a trip to the ring it wont matter what you use by the time you get there and back and thrash the pants off them at the track they will be buggered anyway!!
 
#5 ·
I swear by Michelin, but a mate at work has a souped up Focus RS. He goes to the Ring several times a year and recommends the Yoko Parada. Not sure if anyone else with an Alfa can comment?? Worth investigating.
 
#9 ·
I don't think Sportmaxx are regarded as being as good as the PS2.
A good road tyre though.

BTW The Ring isn't really that hard on tyres compared to a track day in my experience.
I did need to inflate my front tyres more than for my local track to protect the sidewalls from scrubbing due to the very high cornering speeds under load (fugplatz, platntzgarten, Eschbach, Eis curve etc), but they just don't get the same heat soak as a typical track due to the fast and fluid nature of the ring.

Cheers,
TB
 
G
#11 ·
Very happy with PS2's on the GTA. Potenza 070 is probably as good or better in the dry, but perhaps not as good in the wet. The PS2'a are remarkably good in the wet.

Also very happy with Proxes TR-1 for street use, but they definitely get squirmy very quickly on smaller tracks. They too are very good in the wet BTW.

As TB says the Ring is not that demanding to the tires, especially if you are not very experienced there, so a relative inexpensive tyre like the Toyo TR-1 could make good sense!


I'm betting you know http://www.dackonline.se/ ? Otherwise they are an exellent place to buy tires from!
 
#12 ·
Ive got the Potenza RE050 and they work very well on wet and are comfortable for every day use. Ive had them also on track in Spa and after 14 turns the rubber was really wet. Ive also noticed when i drive fast >200km/h they get very hot when i put my hands on the tyre.
cheers
 
#13 ·
@vamos

Have you tried the PS2 also, so that you know what to compare with? ;)

@Peter

Sure, I know about them, and I have used them a couple of times. Excellent service and pricing! They do not seem to have the RE070 though, not in the Swedish web site or in the German.
 
#15 ·
@vamos

Have you tried the PS2 also, so that you know what to compare with? ;)
I have had pax laps in TBs and Peter's cars with PS2 on them, but never had them on my car. PS2 is a good tyre though ;)

my previous tyres were Potenza RE 050 (significantly more pedestrian than 070, but less noisy) and GY F1 Eagles (good allrounder, but probably not as good as a PS2, and certainly not as good as RE 070)

I have also tried R888 around the ring on a rental Alfa 75 - that is a sweet tyre, but not practical for all round use.
 
#14 ·
but those Yokohama's are a summer tyre only, so no good unless you change wheels and tyres for the winter here in the UK? Also see they do a parada 2 which according sounds interesting but say this:

Like all summer tires, PARADA Spec-2 tires are not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice.
.

and this
As a result of the increase in grip, PARADA and PARADA Spec-2 tires cannot be mounted on the same axle. If mixed in axle pairs on a vehicle, PARADA Spec-2 tires must be used on the rear axle with the original Parada tires used on the front axle
I've used Continentals Contisport 2's for sometime now, and I am due 4 new tyres soon and I think I'll continue with them, do all I need and I am still here despite the weather!
 
#21 ·
Kumho Escta V-700a medium and hard compounds are very good type-R tyres.

I have the hard compound but have been in cars with medium.
The hard compound almost have the same comfort as road tyres, perfectly streetable but would obviously wear more quickly.

Cheers,
TB
 
#20 ·
not sure?? Looking around I can only find them in 225/45 R17 now, which is the size I have, but I am sure they make a R18 version.

I have also seen somewhere that Bridgestone have stopped making them, but the same guy also insisted that they are poor in the wet, which I know not to be true. :rolleyes:
 
#24 ·
The Toyo-Proxes T1-R's came last out of 11 tyres on the two dry tests in the review above.
I sort of had them classified in the good-value camp.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/10252/tire-test-the-quick-and-the-tread-page6.html

They might be good value as a road tyre, but cant imagine them being great even as an occasional track day tyre with a GTA, since GTAs really heat the front tyres up and if the tyres aren't up to it then cause severe understeer and wear..
 
#27 ·
#25 · (Edited)
Toyos do go off quickly but my little diesel out performaned many tuned turbo nutter petrols at my last sprint day on both handling and slalom running the T1R, no complaints here, there was lots of wear and two slalom runs turned them to jelly but thats no different to what happened with F1 GSD3 at curborough.

Even running XL they have soft side walls and need more pressure than F1s.

If they are as bad as that review reckons I could well have placed in the top 3 on PS2 even top that would of been amusing with cars costing 50k upward and having 400+ bhp :lol:

I prefer PS2 personally but don't believe they are worth the money for the speed at which I get through tyres.
 
#28 ·
I disagree.... In terms of on the limit grip, maybe, but tyres are one area of a car that massively affect the feel all the time. I just swapped my fronts and rears around (I like my tyres to wear out together so I get 4 of the same type/batch to replace them) and until the tyres wore to the new cambers, the car felt very different.

Changing type of tyre or even pressures again has a massive effect. When I went from Conti SC2's to SO3's on my Passat V6 I was very dissapointed with the constant tramlining.

In a road tyre I want minimal tramlining, great communication, good quality (so I'msure it won't blow at silly speeds) and decent grip in all conditions. Personally I seem to favour a stiff sidewalled tyre run softer than recommended (30-32 psi for the P Zeros). Sounds like the 070 might be worth a look...

I've run Toyo T1-S on my 156 V6 and liked them vs the money, they are good value for sure.
 
#32 ·
I disagree....
I did say 'most drivers' you are bit of a special case as you look for these details, most drivers don't they just want a car that feels good within the limits of their perception, not everybody can perceive or 'feel' the difference or even cares.
 
G
#29 ·
I've had two 147 GTA's - The First on Michelins was OK- The second was on P zero ROSSO's and that was much better especially in the dry. Not cheap but good and make sure they are Rosso's - there are several types of P Zero - I've heard they have a new tyre out too.

For general references go to Mytyres.co.uk - A german company! It has links to tyre tests.
 
#30 ·
I really need some advice for my Ringtrip on this!

(Repost from the ringtrip thread)

"One potential issue I have is my tires, I am not sure if they will last the whole trip... I have approx. 1.5 mm down to the wear indicators on the inside of the most worn pair of tires (Michelin PS2 tires). I will do 860 km * 2 drive back and forth + an unknown number of laps on the Ring"

I will probably do at least 15-20 laps (probably more), but in a relatively slow pace the first laps. After that, I will raise the pace, but still try to have a decent safety margin :p
 
#31 ·
I assume the most worn are fronts?

How aboput put the fronts on rear for the drive over, and for your lapping, and change over to new tyres for drive back.

IME new tyres get disproportionately ripped on track, whereas old ones perform pretty well (in the dry). If its predominantly wet, put the new tyres on for the lapping. 1.5mm above wear indicator has loads of lapping left :D

That's assuming it's practical for you to bring the new tyres with you. It should be easy to find a tyre fitting place, buying new tyres in your size at the Ring will be difficult.

EDIT: Consider bringing spare front brake pads.
 
#34 ·
Many thanks for the comments guys, appreciated :thumbs:

The problem now is that it takes time to get new tyres from an online company (i.e. germany) to Sweden, and if anything messes up with the delivery = no tyres new for me before the trip.

But, as you said, I might make it with my current ones.

@Vamos, I have considered spare brake pads, but I have Ferodo DS2500 pads on now, and they seem to last forever. So, will they really wear that much on the ring?
 
G
#35 · (Edited)
@Pax

Im bringing my usual supply of spares, incl pads, air flow meter, brakelines, plugs, oil, discs, you name it.. Nice side benefit of a stock..:lol: If you need some and i don't you are wellcome to it, price is the same.

are you on 305 or 330mm brakes?


P.S not bringing wiper motor though.. that should be covered..:lol:
P.P.S don't let me near your windscreen BTW..I'm known to smash up the odd one...;)
 
#37 ·
Excellent Peter! Since I know you have a stock it has in fact already crossed my mind to ask you to bring a set of front pads just in case :)

I am on 305mm brakes atm.

P.S. Don't you dare come near my windscreen then, driving without one will ruin my hairdo, and I don't like that :lol:
 
G
#38 ·
Michelin bought before 2 years one company "Tigar" which is making tires, in Serbia (in town Pirot), and now days you can by quality original Michelin tire for cheaper price.
I saw that you are interesting in this stuff so you can maybe find on the internet or on some other way to by tire and save money.
 
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