997 GT3 Cup Sports Tyre Wear at 2300 miles

[nbetts]

All,

I am a very happy owner of a 997 GT3. I just thought I would post this as a bit of information.

I recently took the car into an OPC for a change of steering wheel - (I ticked the box for a thicker sports steering wheel in smooth leather) - and I wanted to change it back to Alcantara...

Whilst the car was in at the OPC - they did the usual Wash/Valet and tyre check... and this is what the tyre check states... All measurements are taken at lowest wear point. The inside edge of the rear tyres seem to be the biggest wear area.

4mm LHF
3mm RHF
3mm LHR
2.5mm RHR

I have not had the opportunity to track the car yet and as such the car has not really been driven that hard. With the current lack of grip on the UK's roads I have also not been able to exploit reguarly the high levels of grip that the car on a dry piece of road can provide. Most of the mileage has been motorway... a return trip to Cornwall, a trip to Weltmeisters (Silvertone) - a couple of trips to the Cotswolds etc...

So using these figures as a benchmark - I am guessing I will be lucky to see 4000 miles from the rear tyres.

My question is do I buy another set of wheels and fit high quality road tyres for my general use, knowing full well that the cars feel will be sub-optimal (I once ran a CSL on normal tyres, as opposed to CUPS and hated the difference) or do I just put up and pay the price?

Thoughts please.

[Bull996]

Well I have a lowly C2 (1999) and my Michelins lasted 3600 on the rear last time. You are doing well for Cups I reckon.

[Geneve]

When the Cups are nearing the end of their life, finish them off on track. Then consider an 'approved' road tyre for daily use.

[Don]

Blimey.

So how many track days should you get out of a set of Cups?

[nbetts]

Steve Rance reckons about 3 possibly 4.

[anglebox10]

Geneve said:

When the Cups are nearing the end of their life, finish them off on track. Then consider an 'approved' road tyre for daily use.

Presumably they have to be 'approved' for insurance, are there any officially 'approved' ones yet ??

[ROBBO7]

nbetts can i please ask why you have changed to alcantara as i also have ticked the box for thicker leather wheel?also how much did the OPC want to charge to swap/replace.

[nbetts]

ROBBO7 said:

nbetts can i please ask why you have changed to alcantara as i also have ticked the box for thicker leather wheel?also how much did the OPC want to charge to swap/replace.

Personal thing really - I went for the extended leather interior which gives you a leather dash and more Alcantara parts, rear cubby box cover and alcantara on the door cards etc... whilst the smooth leather wheel matched the dash -I felt the car would look neater with an Alcantara Wheel -

I bought a RS Alcantara Wheel from www.carnewal.com and my OPC fitted it for £50 -

I was going to attempt to fit it myself - but after a moments thought about airbags and that sort of thing I chose not to.

The end result of having the Alcantara wheel pleases me. It is slightly thinner - but it is a lot grippier - and the little orangey/yellow portion at the top of the wheel matches the instruments - (Which probably sounds really gay) - but I feel it suits the car a bit better.

[Geneve]

anglebox10 said:

Geneve said:

When the Cups are nearing the end of their life, finish them off on track. Then consider an 'approved' road tyre for daily use.

Presumably they have to be 'approved' for insurance, are there any officially 'approved' ones yet ??

The 'N' spec'd road tyres (Pirelli, Bridgestone, Michelin) fitted to the 997 C4S and 997 TT are the correct size for the 997 GT3.

As far as I know, GT3s are only being supplied with Cups or Corsas. However, the TPMS is apparently configured to recognise whether it is fitted with winter or summer tyres. And, last week, there was a 997 GT3 at the Alpine Snow Circuit at Obertauern and I asked Stefan Griese what tyres it was running and he said "standard winter tyres". So there is quite a bit of flexibility.