AMG GTS Tyres

[Big Brin]

I have put a deposit on an AMG GTS. Superb car in 99/100 respects but the road noise when motorway driving is too much for my liking (and certainly for Mrs BB). So a condition of going through with the purchase is that the Michelin Pilot Sports are changed with tyres with a lower decibel rating - the road noise from the 75db noise rated Michelins is incredibly intrusive. I have chosen Dunlops with a 70db rating but they seem to be hard to come by....a few questions if you'll humour me. Will this make a significant and discernible difference to the noise inside the car? I think so...simply in percentage terms they'll be 8% quieter., although the db ratings refer to road noise outside the car...... And the second question - a long shot - has anyone on here been faced with a similar problem of road noise and solved it another way.....I'm thinking whether I should consider some form of sound proofing...

Rgds, Brin

[InductionRoar]

This is a prime candidate for the Pistonheads and their first world problems thread.

I have MPSS fitted and I find them surprisingly quiet particularly compared to the OEM contis - the performance is in a different league too.

Saw/heard an AMG GT the other day. You are a lucky man.

[BIRMA]

I have had the complete opposite experience. On my Boxster I bought it with OEM Bridgestones and changed to MPSS at 70 MPH it was a lot quieter.
On my big Luxo Barge I changed from Dunlops to MPSS and despite the MPSS being a slightly larger section. I actually did a db test on my iPhone at 70 with the old Dunlops and the MPSS were about 2 db lower.
Not really that scientific but my experience is that MPSS are a better tyre all round.

[Big Brin]

Thanks for your contribution Chaps. And you're right it's definitely a daft problem to have in the context of other significant worldly problems....but it is an irritation. Maybe it's the design of the AMG itself that exaggerates the road noise of the tyres (MPSS)...some commentators on YouTube have said the boot area can act like a sound box........If only Kumho did tyres in the rights sizes, I'd have them like a shot....

[R8VXF]

I would try some dynamat in the boot before changing the tyres. MPSS are prob the best tyres for higher power cars for all seasons.

[BIRMA]

R8VXF said:

I would try some dynamat in the boot before changing the tyres. MPSS are prob the best tyres for higher power cars for all seasons.

Good idea the dynamat in the boot. (bloody spell checker kept bringing up dynamite which is probably not going to work)

[InductionRoar]

BIRMA said:

Good idea the dynamat in the boot. (bloody spell checker kept bringing up dynamite which is probably not going to work)

I don't know. You would be unlikely to hear the road noise over the dynamite.

On a serious note, I am surprised it is overly audible over the exhaust.

[chiefski26]

Are you sure you want a Gts ?

It came at 9th place out of 11 in evo magazines car of the year test -

http://www.evo.co.uk/features/16861/2015-evo-car-o...

[zeDuffMan]

chiefski26 said:

Are you sure you want a Gts ?

It came at 9th place out of 11 in evo magazines car of the year test -

http://www.evo.co.uk/features/16861/2015-evo-car-o...

Imagine if we all bought our cars based on what evo says...

[SFO]

BIRMA said:

I actually did a db test on my iPhone at 70 with the old Dunlops and the MPSS were about 2 db lower.

might not be a fair comparison .. need to compare like with like, new tyres with new tyres

[BIRMA]

SFO said:

BIRMA said:

I actually did a db test on my iPhone at 70 with the old Dunlops and the MPSS were about 2 db lower.

might not be a fair comparison .. need to compare like with like, new tyres with new tyres

True, but the Dunlops weren't that worn they were on a set of wheels that I disliked. The new wheels were wider but having noted the difference on my Boxster I thought this time I'd make a more accurate test so downloaded an app on the phone.
It was far from scientific but did post it on the VW forum. I will search for the post as I can't remember the figures and do another test just for the sake of it.

[KungFuPanda]

zeDuffMan said:

chiefski26 said:

Are you sure you want a Gts ?

It came at 9th place out of 11 in evo magazines car of the year test -

http://www.evo.co.uk/features/16861/2015-evo-car-o...

Imagine if we all bought our cars based on what evo says...

We'd all be in Porsche 911's!

[Big Brin]

Thanks all.....dynamat looks very interesting. Certainly an option. We've managed to locate the Dunlops which are alleged to offer 4db less road noise. That should give a decent sound reduction and if not sufficiently, the dynamat will be added into the mix.....as to the question on 'am I sure I want a GTS'.....well yes! Chris Harris gives it a decent rating; it can't be bad at all in that case. I'm looking forward to trying to live with it longer term than I have some other cars. Always been a big Merc fan.

Rgds, Brin

[R8VXF]

Good luck sliding everywhere on Dunlops. The power and weight you have is lethal, I went with tyres I trusted from lower power vehicles, they do not work on my current car. Going back to CSC5's or MPSS after I trash this set. Tyres that were grippy as fk at 200bhp are like greased weasel st. Make sure you test them on the car before committing.

[BIRMA]

Big Brin said:

Thanks all.....dynamat looks very interesting. Certainly an option. We've managed to locate the Dunlops which are alleged to offer 4db less road noise. That should give a decent sound reduction and if not sufficiently, the dynamat will be added into the mix.....as to the question on 'am I sure I want a GTS'.....well yes! Chris Harris gives it a decent rating; it can't be bad at all in that case. I'm looking forward to trying to live with it longer term than I have some other cars. Always been a big Merc fan.

Rgds, Brin

I'm sure you will enjoy the car, I read a report by Chris Harris on the long term test of the SL63 which swayed me after a very enjoyable test drive of the car against a few others in that price range.
I don't know whether to take the stated db figures as gospel though, but that is coming from someone who had a bad experience of aging Dunlops on a V8 Esprit at Castle Coombe so I'm not a fan of Dunlop tyres.

[Big Brin]

Interesting comments on Dunlop's.....I have read that these ones are specifically designed for extreme performance vehicles and have huge grip which explains why the fuel economy rating is a bit down. I'll report back after taking delivery of the car. I'm keeping the MPSS's anyhow so have a back up....and now I know about dynamat... I'm covered, hopefully.

Rgds, Brin

[BIRMA]

I'm sure you'll love the car, if you haven't joined yet you should check out the AMG Private Lounge forum. To join you have to give them your chassis number (I was a bit sceptical but I guess its to keep out the riffraff ) The event they held at MB World Brooklands was exceptional for a free event. Continuous high quality food and drink and a fairly small gathering with David Coultard mingling and chatting plus free sessions around the track driven by guest racing car drivers and at the end a goodie bag like no other. As you can gather I was impressed, nice crowd of people too.

[Big Brin]

Just reporting back now I have the car.......and I'm happy to say that the 70db rated Dunlop GT Maxx tyres appear to have made a real difference to the intrusive road noise that I had experienced with the 75 db rated MPSS tyres. And they do seem to have an amazing grip. This car is so much more composed than my former F Type R Coupe and the power is transferred to the road effortlessly even when the roads are wet and when using a heavy right foot. The Jag in comparison used to slip and slide all the time (it had Pirellis).... may be this is why my wife describes the AMG as 'boring' and the Jaguar as 'exciting'....I certainly know which one I prefer.

Rgds, Brin

[Palmball]

chiefski26 said:

Are you sure you want a Gts ?

It came at 9th place out of 11 in evo magazines car of the year test -

http://www.evo.co.uk/features/16861/2015-evo-car-o...

Serious comment - you really do have an irrational problem with this car which I cannot understand

Yes, it came 11th place in a test which contained far more driver orientated cars, and therefore with a less wide scope of abilities. In a test looking for the best drivers car (which i believe tat was) it was never going to compete with some of the more dedicated machinery it was up against. However, in the same magazine the GT also won a group test a few months previous against it's key rivals (including a 911) which I note you've not mentioned

No axe to grind here (on my part at least), but even though I'm no longer an owner of a GT-S I can firmly say it's a great car. Not as 'special' as the SLS maybe (what is?) but objectively better in every single way bar the over-light steering.

[Palmball]

Big Brin said:

Just reporting back now I have the car.......and I'm happy to say that the 70db rated Dunlop GT Maxx tyres appear to have made a real difference to the intrusive road noise that I had experienced with the 75 db rated MPSS tyres. And they do seem to have an amazing grip. This car is so much more composed than my former F Type R Coupe and the power is transferred to the road effortlessly even when the roads are wet and when using a heavy right foot. The Jag in comparison used to slip and slide all the time (it had Pirellis).... may be this is why my wife describes the AMG as 'boring' and the Jaguar as 'exciting'....I certainly know which one I prefer.

Rgds, Brin

It's a great car isn't it Traction is tremendous for a RWD car and much better compared to the Jag's (I had an XKR-S a couple of years ago and it always felt like it wanted to kill me!).

Interesting you've managed to cut the noise with the tyre change - I honestly wouldn't have thought it'd make that much difference given the open design of the boot and how this mustn't help the road noise acoustics.

Enjoy.....