Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2

Author
Discussion

jon-

16,496 posts

215 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
quotequote all
jfp said:
Shame they are not available in a 315/30/18 rear for the 996 GT2 - odd as the CURRENT ads for the tyre ARE for a 996GT2 test program. A strange choice of car I thought....?
The OE development was done mostly on a 997 GT3 RS, C2S and Turbo S, (and a Megane Cup) alongside to OE program for the new 991 GT3 with Porsche.

jackwood

2,607 posts

207 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
quotequote all
Moog72 said:
OP, that original photo is a bit of an odd Photoshop mashup - fake lettering on both tyre and rim
I took that photo. It is not a potatochop. The lettering does actually look like that. Really nice. The sticker on the rim is stuck on wonky. Blame Mike (Sports and Classic) for that. It's his car.


Joe911 said:
I heard that the 18" sizes will start to become available from November.
18" 996.2 GT3 sizing is available now. These sizes also fit and work very well on 996.1 GT3 rims.

chriscoates81

482 posts

131 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
quotequote all
jackwood said:
18" 996.2 GT3 sizing is available now. These sizes also fit and work very well on 996.1 GT3 rims.
Is that the same size for a 996 turbo?

LuckyP

6,243 posts

224 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
quotequote all
LaSource said:
Moog72 said:
OP, that original photo is a bit of an odd Photoshop mashup - fake lettering on both tyre and rim
No they really do look like that.
...lovely velvet lettering on the tyre walls...
But do you know how the lettering is made to look like that?? tongue out

LaSource

2,622 posts

207 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
quotequote all
LuckyP said:
LaSource said:
Moog72 said:
OP, that original photo is a bit of an odd Photoshop mashup - fake lettering on both tyre and rim
No they really do look like that.
...lovely velvet lettering on the tyre walls...
But do you know how the lettering is made to look like that?? tongue out
No. Please enlighten smile

Also whether they can be 'dressed' with tyre dressing or not. Too scared to kill the velvet biggrin

LuckyP

6,243 posts

224 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
quotequote all
LaSource said:
LuckyP said:
LaSource said:
Moog72 said:
OP, that original photo is a bit of an odd Photoshop mashup - fake lettering on both tyre and rim
No they really do look like that.
...lovely velvet lettering on the tyre walls...
But do you know how the lettering is made to look like that?? tongue out
No. Please enlighten smile

Also whether they can be 'dressed' with tyre dressing or not. Too scared to kill the velvet biggrin
I thought the very same when I saw it. Just looks like a stick on!?

According to Steve at Michelin it's all about the tooling.

Thousands of tiny negative reliefs in the tool meaning that when set the rubber form thousands of tiny 'cones' on the surface of the tyre. That's why they appear so black as there is no reflective area (it's all angled away) and why it's velvety to the touch. Blooming cool ain't it!?

Pete

LuckyP

6,243 posts

224 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
quotequote all
As for the dressing. Hmm. I didn't think to ask. But thy are just rubber. But could you 'clog' them with dressing? Dunno. frown

jamiemcwhir

43 posts

122 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
quotequote all
Hi all..
Firstly can I introduce myself. I'm Jamie McWhir and I am the Technical Manager for Michelin UK for the car product line. Hence I'm particularly well placed to comment on our glorious new Pilot Sport Cup2 Tyres.

Firstly, thanks a lot for all your comments, it's great to hear feedback from users of our tyres, as it's better than any review or marketing information that I can supply..

Ok. Lets run through a few things. The tyres were launched in the original equipment market back in 2012. Our fitments to date include the Porsche 991 GT3, Porsche 918 Spyder, Koenigsegg One:1, Ferrari 458 Speciale and the AMG SLS Black Series. 2015 fitments to come on a few high profile cars including the replacement Bugatti Veyron.

The tyre was designed by compound and construction teams that worked in F1 and with our Le Mans programs. The tyre is of the same family as the Pilot Super Sport, where they both share the same production techniques. Both tyres work well on track and road, but I'd say the Cup 2 is designed for 80% track 20% Road, while the Super Sport is 20% Track and 80% road.

Both tyres have a compound technology allowing us to apply a tread with multiple compounds, e.g. a different inner and outer compound. This has allowed us to improve not only the wet grip of the Pilot Sport Cup2 but also it's resilience to wear with a stronger Le Mans compound on the outer shoulder. We've seen a 50% improvement in wear over the Cup/Cup+ tyres it replaces. This resilience to wear has also allowed us to increase the tread depth meaning improved wet weather performance

The velvet sidewall finish is very fancy, where we prepare the inside of the tyre mould to give the rubber on the sidewall a velvet look and finish. And it lasts..

We make in in many sizes for many cars, with some different marked versions (including N,*, M0 etc) and will have the tyres available in 15-17" fitments in early 2016.

Please excuse me jumping in, but I'm a petrolhead myself and happy to contribute without making the thread seem like an advert.

Please feel free to ask me anything you need to know
Jamie

LuckyP

6,243 posts

224 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
quotequote all
Hi Jamie,

Are Michelin having a stand at the PCGB Festival weekend? If they are and if you are there...bring a beard comb. You'll need it.biggrin

Thanks for the info.

Pete

LaSource

2,622 posts

207 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
quotequote all
Jamie, welcome and thanks for posting. I believe the forum is enriched by technical input.
Mods, if you feel otherwise please work with such contributors to allow their input instead of restricting it as I sense has happened recently.

jackwood

2,607 posts

207 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
quotequote all
jamiemcwhir said:
Hi all..
Firstly can I introduce myself. I'm Jamie McWhir and I am the Technical Manager for Michelin UK for the car product line. Hence I'm particularly well placed to comment on our glorious new Pilot Sport Cup2 Tyres.

Firstly, thanks a lot for all your comments, it's great to hear feedback from users of our tyres, as it's better than any review or marketing information that I can supply..

Ok. Lets run through a few things. The tyres were launched in the original equipment market back in 2012. Our fitments to date include the Porsche 991 GT3, Porsche 918 Spyder, Koenigsegg One:1, Ferrari 458 Speciale and the AMG SLS Black Series. 2015 fitments to come on a few high profile cars including the replacement Bugatti Veyron.

The tyre was designed by compound and construction teams that worked in F1 and with our Le Mans programs. The tyre is of the same family as the Pilot Super Sport, where they both share the same production techniques. Both tyres work well on track and road, but I'd say the Cup 2 is designed for 80% track 20% Road, while the Super Sport is 20% Track and 80% road.

Both tyres have a compound technology allowing us to apply a tread with multiple compounds, e.g. a different inner and outer compound. This has allowed us to improve not only the wet grip of the Pilot Sport Cup2 but also it's resilience to wear with a stronger Le Mans compound on the outer shoulder. We've seen a 50% improvement in wear over the Cup/Cup+ tyres it replaces. This resilience to wear has also allowed us to increase the tread depth meaning improved wet weather performance

The velvet sidewall finish is very fancy, where we prepare the inside of the tyre mould to give the rubber on the sidewall a velvet look and finish. And it lasts..

We make in in many sizes for many cars, with some different marked versions (including N,*, M0 etc) and will have the tyres available in 15-17" fitments in early 2016.

Please excuse me jumping in, but I'm a petrolhead myself and happy to contribute without making the thread seem like an advert.

Please feel free to ask me anything you need to know
Jamie
Hi Jamie, thanks for jumping in and saying hi.
One question that a LOT of users here would like answered concerns N-rating. Specifically if there is any difference in construction or materials on N-rated tyres over their identical sized non-N rated contemporary.
Are you in a position to comment on that?
Jack

mrdemon

21,146 posts

264 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
quotequote all
HI Jamie can I keep using my non N spec Pilot Super Sports on my Cayman, As Porsche will not fit them or renew my warranty.

ALso as I have CGT front N spec tyres fitted to the back of my Cayman, has that been tested ? as Porsche will happy fit the front CGT tyres to the rear of my Cayman.

Or like most of us think here is N spec just bks ;-)

Because my NON N spec PSS are far better than my N spec PS2's

So if you can get Michelin to put in writing that my non N spec PSS are a better tyre than the N spec PS2 they might be happy to allow me to fit them !!!!

Moog72

1,598 posts

176 months

Tuesday 12th August 2014
quotequote all
jackwood said:
Moog72 said:
OP, that original photo is a bit of an odd Photoshop mashup - fake lettering on both tyre and rim
I took that photo. It is not a potatochop. The lettering does actually look like that. Really nice. The sticker on the rim is stuck on wonky. Blame Mike (Sports and Classic) for that. It's his car.
cool Fair enough, it just looks so "fake" in the photo I thought someone had drawn round the lettering in Photoshop with a big black line and the wonky sticker completed the look

You learn something new every day!

911p

Original Poster:

2,331 posts

179 months

Wednesday 13th August 2014
quotequote all
jamiemcwhir said:
Hi all..
Firstly can I introduce myself. I'm Jamie McWhir and I am the Technical Manager for Michelin UK for the...

...me anything you need to know
Jamie
Thanks for taking the time to post!

Do you know of any plans to bring out more Pilot Super Sport sizes at all? It seems a shame they're not in 996 GT3 sizes, we're stuck with the old PS2's for road use (and often track use!) from Michelin. Many go for Yokohama AD08R's as an alternative to the PSS in 235/40/18 and 295/30/18 sizes, so the market is there.

It's great that at least the PSC2's are going to be in such a large range of sizes, though!

funnyman

1 posts

115 months

Wednesday 13th August 2014
quotequote all
nxi20 said:
+1

I can also add that they offer better grip in the wet & dry than Supersports. I have a set of wheels with Supersports on & have not fitted them since putting Cup2s on my other set of rims.

Anyone need a brand new set of Cup 1s in 997.1 GT3 sizes? No reasonable offer refused wink
Hi, am interested to know of price of CUp 1 tyres and do you send them into Germany and what cost?

br.new member Juha P,Munich,GT3

mrdemon

21,146 posts

264 months

Wednesday 13th August 2014
quotequote all
Slippydiff said:
Brilliant.

We finally get an individual contributing to the forum who maybe able to give us some categoric answers to a host of issues we're interested in, and what do you do ? you post a load of drivel and an insult.

Grow up, FO, or get some help.
he has posted here before, people ask a few questions , he does not answer any, My post is very VALID, not insulting.

jamiemcwhir

43 posts

122 months

Wednesday 13th August 2014
quotequote all
jackwood said:
Hi Jamie, thanks for jumping in and saying hi.
One question that a LOT of users here would like answered concerns N-rating. Specifically if there is any difference in construction or materials on N-rated tyres over their identical sized non-N rated contemporary.
Are you in a position to comment on that?
Jack
Jack

Yes, there is a difference in the majority of cases, we tune Compound or carcass or both. N marking can also signify other differences e.g. pattern or slight dimensional changes (within ETRTO tolerances)
So yes, they are different to a Non N marked tyre. Doesn't mean the Non N marked tyre is wrong, it's just not optimized for the car

jamiemcwhir

43 posts

122 months

Wednesday 13th August 2014
quotequote all
mrdemon said:
HI Jamie can I keep using my non N spec Pilot Super Sports on my Cayman, As Porsche will not fit them or renew my warranty.

ALso as I have CGT front N spec tyres fitted to the back of my Cayman, has that been tested ? as Porsche will happy fit the front CGT tyres to the rear of my Cayman.

Or like most of us think here is N spec just bks ;-)

Because my NON N spec PSS are far better than my N spec PS2's

So if you can get Michelin to put in writing that my non N spec PSS are a better tyre than the N spec PS2 they might be happy to allow me to fit them !!!!
Ok, to answer your points:
- You can keep using any Non N rated tyre on your car, it's up to you. Suffice to the tyre complying with legal requirements for the country and legislation. That applies to a Non N rated Super Sport just as it applies to a cheap imported ditchfinder
- N Spec isn't as you say ##ll##ks. The homologation process requires a lot of cost, time, personnel and effort to pass. Yes, Porsche are tighter with the application of fitting those tyres to the vehicles, but I can assure you it isn't an easy process to pass. Plus to be honest as a tyre manufacturer if we only made 1 "flavour" or tyre in a size, life would be simple but it isn't. We do it because we get asked to, and we like seeing our tyres approved for the best vehicles, which brings me onto the next question
- PSS vs PS2 "N", while the PSS is probably a way superior tyre in every way, it isn't homologated for the car. It's not a question of what's best. We are in the process of developing the replacement for PS2 "N" with a launch date of late next year.
- The carrera GT spec front tyre won't have been tested to my knowledge on your cayman. As the homologations are car specific. I suppose in some way that shows some frustration that the dealer may approve a tyre for your car just as it's got an N rating on the side and not the right N marking for your car.
- I'm sorry but the decision lies with the dealer, not me. That's not a "get out" but I can happily speak to any Porsche dealer, and do on a regular basis, but sadly it's their decision. Not all dealers adopt the same mindset with regards to PSS.

Edited by jamiemcwhir on Wednesday 13th August 13:36

jamiemcwhir

43 posts

122 months

Wednesday 13th August 2014
quotequote all
mrdemon said:
he has posted here before, people ask a few questions , he does not answer any, My post is very VALID, not insulting.
Does that pass as an answer? I'm sorry, however as I don't sit in front of my laptop all the time I maybe don't reply quickly enough for some folks.. I do have a job to do as well..

jamiemcwhir

43 posts

122 months

Wednesday 13th August 2014
quotequote all
911p said:
Thanks for taking the time to post!

Do you know of any plans to bring out more Pilot Super Sport sizes at all? It seems a shame they're not in 996 GT3 sizes, we're stuck with the old PS2's for road use (and often track use!) from Michelin. Many go for Yokohama AD08R's as an alternative to the PSS in 235/40/18 and 295/30/18 sizes, so the market is there.

It's great that at least the PSC2's are going to be in such a large range of sizes, though!
Hi 911p
Good news
What we have is 235/40-18 Cup2 and 295/30-18 Cup2 launched June 2014
I don't know what stock levels are, but we have launched them. Both Non N rated however