Tires?

[M-technik-3]

I am on my third year with my Michelin PS 4S Great tires no complaints other than $ amount. was thinking of being cheap, yeah I know bad Idea...and trying the Kumho PS91, I still have spare set of PS 4S with low mileage already mounted on my other car. So ijust noticed TR did a comparison of the 4 best performers, guess I just get another set of PS 4S

[tcphoto]

I’d look at Firestone Firehawks, I too have PS4S’ but the reviews look pretty good.

[Buug959]

Check out this guy. He tests pretty much all the tires and typically uses BMW 3 or 4 series cars as his test car. Search for the tires you're interested in and I'm sure he has tested them at some point.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

I'd run the Michelin as well if I was rich but I'm not. I enjoy my Firestone Firehawk Indy 500s.

But yeah tires are a plenty... I'd recomend like above you check reviews and comparaisons.

[HFW003]

The PS5’s are pretty good, maybe give them a go?

[floridaorange]

I feel foolish for just now learning this but there is a difference between Michelin OE and non OE. I just bought all new Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 5's. Didn't realize they would feel so different from the OEM's.

Hope this helps someone. Also, stick with Michelin - worth it IMO.

[RugbyBro]

Try Yokohama V601s - meaningfully cheaper than PS4S, better in someways, worse in others.

+ steering feel
+ dry grip
= ride comfort
- wet grip
- road noise

[DubaiRich]

I have the Continental SportContact 7's on the Z4. Handles really well on the Italian roads and didn't break the bank.

[Llarry]

PS4S for sure (says the guy with Conti DWS06+s)

[tranquility]

PSs are supposedly the standard but personally I never got the benefit of them by just driving on public roads. They wear out WAY too quickly and are ridiculously expensive: I never really cared for price because I've exclusively used them from Day 1 until just recently switching to my first set of Firehawks, and I personally don't see any tangible real-world difference, at least not enough to justify, what is it, 2x the cost?

[Josh-PA]

I'm a big fan of the Conti Extreme Contact (used to be DW now Sport 2 or something similar). I've run multiple sets on my 1er, and other BMWs and found them to be grippy through a wide temp range, excellent in the wet and quiet enough to daily drive. Noticeably cheaper than Michelins as well.

[oVeRdOsE.]

Originally Posted by tranquility

PSs are supposedly the standard but personally I never got the benefit of them by just driving on public roads. They wear out WAY too quickly and are ridiculously expensive: I never really cared for price because I've exclusively used them from Day 1 until just recently switching to my first set of Firehawks, and I personally don't see any tangible real-world difference, at least not enough to justify, what is it, 2x the cost?

canada and US prices are not the same. We dont got deals on michelin.

Also, with our roads, the risk that the tire got changed BEFORE it worn out is very high.

So yeah, I keep it simple. I was on my 2nd indy500 set, I love them. Silent, good treadwear for a summer tire, they dont squeal, even when I take a highway exit curve and the 4 wheels slide. and of course it stick good for the price.

Now testing falken fk510.
reviews said they are a bit better than indy500, same price and they look like any classic touring tires.

[Alfisti]

The PS4s are expensive but TBh so are the alternatives. I'd have saved all of 15% on a set of four for tyres that offer a noticeably firmer drive and more road noise vs the PS4s so i just bit the bullet and got the right tyre.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

The PS4s are expensive but TBh so are the alternatives. I'd have saved all of 15% on a set of four for tyres that offer a noticeably firmer drive and more road noise vs the PS4s so i just bit the bullet and got the right tyre.

At 15% I guess it may be worth... for me like Tranquilty Firestone VS PS4s is almost double the price in my tire sizes for mostly the same feel. And I mean to say the Michelins are the right tyre isn't accurate either, idk why everyone fanboys over Michelin so hard.

Like if we're talking track sure but street use idk Michelins seem so overrated.

[oVeRdOsE.]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

At 15% I guess it may be worth... for me like Tranquilty Firestone VS PS4s is almost double the price in my tire sizes for mostly the same feel. And I mean to say the Michelins are the right tyre isn't accurate either, idk why everyone fanboys over Michelin so hard.

Like if we're talking track sure but street use idk Michelins seem so overrated.

even that .

serious track day, yes, cup2 and r888 all over the place.

But some amateur tracking, even with gt4, 911, boxter, rs series, etc I tend to see a lot of indy500.

I even catch few guys having fun with DWS06, which is a 4 season.

[freakystyly]

Looking at treadwear numbers helps determine "performance" a lot of times. DWS06+ are 560, Firehawk Indy 500s are 340, PS4S are 300 , Cup2 are 240. Softer tires will wear quick and grip more, all else being equal (which I know tread patterns and other factors exist too). Do the manufacturers lie on those treadwear numbers? Probably.

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by freakystyly

Looking at treadwear numbers helps determine "performance" a lot of times. DWS06+ are 560, Firehawk Indy 500s are 340, PS4S are 300 , Cup2 are 240. Softer tires will wear quick and grip more, all else being equal (which I know tread patterns and other factors exist too). Do the manufacturers lie on those treadwear numbers? Probably.

This from the Rack:

"As a result, it is generally only somewhat helpful to compare Treadwear grades on tires from the same manufacturer, and we don’t recommend comparing grades between different brands."

Source: https://www.tirerack.com/upgrade-gar...utqg-standards

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

Like if we're talking track sure but street use idk Michelins seem so overrated.

Quite the opposite. The Michelins offer great handling but the slightly softer sidewall means they have fantastic ride quality for a summer tyre. They are also quite, track well and do really well in the wet. Truth be told the weakness of the 997 platform is harsh ride on imperfect roads and the PS4s really help without losing fell on a good road.

[RugbyBro]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

Like if we're talking track sure but street use idk Michelins seem so overrated.

Michelins are overrated on track too.

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Quite the opposite. The Michelins offer great handling but the slightly softer sidewall means they have fantastic ride quality for a summer tyre. They are also quite, track well and do really well in the wet. Truth be told the weakness of the 997 platform is harsh ride on imperfect roads and the PS4s really help without losing fell on a good road.

I would second this. I used all brands of tires throughout the past 30+ years, both cheap and expensive tires, and I've learned that you really do get what you pay for. I am a HUGE fan of Michelins ever since first experiencing the Pilot Super Sports that came stock on my M235. Since then, my M235 and now 2011 Cayman, only run Michelins, PS4s and Pilot All Season 4s (PAS4s), respectively (M235 runs PS4s in the summer and PAS4s in the winter). I am absolutely blown away by the performance of the PAS4s. Excellent performance in the PS4 is a given.

Michelins are definitely expensive, but they ride and grip so well, are quiet, and wear uniformly. The PAS4s don't wear extremely fast either. The PS4s do wear fairly fast (20k-ish out of a set).

The worst tires I've had are most anything from Bridgestone or Pirelli. Continentals are pretty good. Goodyear, BFG, and Nitto can be hit or miss and those brands all get REALLY loud when they get close to the wear bars.

The worst tire I've ever experienced is the Pirelli PZero that came on my Cayman that were installed right before I got the car. Absolutely the worst performance tire made by mankind. If you want the fast wearing, harshest riding, loudest, causes chassis and clutch pedal vibrations you swear was a failing dual mass flywheel or wheel bearing, and ill-handling performance tire, this is the tire you want.

[chowser51]

My Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4s are down to 4/32 after 27k miles. Not getting them again when these are done.

[Alfisti]

Yeah I had PZERO's ... LOUD and harsh ride.

My use scenario is about 5k KM a yr in warmer months only so my tyres will get old before they wear out.