The definitive Vantage tyre thread.

[LTP]

Slightly necro'ing this thread to ask if anyone has fitted the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 on the front and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S on the rears - I have a 2015 V8V with the 245/40 R19 fronts and 285/35 R19 rears and this was the recommended fitment from the Michelin website, as they don't market PS4S in 245/40 R19 in the UK, as previously mentioned.

[cypriot]

LTP said:

Slightly necro'ing this thread to ask if anyone has fitted the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 on the front and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S on the rears - I have a 2015 V8V with the 245/40 R19 fronts and 285/35 R19 rears and this was the recommended fitment from the Michelin website, as they don't market PS4S in 245/40 R19 in the UK, as previously mentioned.

do not mix and match tyres, it is a very bad idea as the tyres has different grip levels. just adjust the sizes to make sure you have the same tyre on all 4 tyres. always play it is safe with tyres, and make sure they match. I am sure someone will come along and tell me they have done it and it has been fine, but I would not risk it personally

[bogie]

Michelin dont recommend mixing the tyres, the tyre fitting place told me so last time I inquired.

There are other quality options in the correct sizes, like Continentals, Yokohama etc

[JonnyCJ]

cypriot said:

do not mix and match tyres, it is a very bad idea as the tyres has different grip levels. just adjust the sizes to make sure you have the same tyre on all 4 tyres. always play it is safe with tyres, and make sure they match. I am sure someone will come along and tell me they have done it and it has been fine, but I would not risk it personally

Are you not at risk of invalidating your insurance if you mess about with recommended tyre sizes ? I would think that as long as you stick to same size/model on the same axle, you are getting equal braking/handling characteristics across the axle. To my mind the difference between PS4 and PS4S isn't that great that it would make a difference front to back.

If you had a set of 4 tyres which were 3 years old with decent tread all round, would you advocate replying all 4 in the ever of one being destroyed, as the compound etc is newer for the tyre being replaced ?

Look forward to hearing other's comments as I'm certainly no expert. PS4 are a world apart from O/E Bridgestone.

[Big Rat]

My two penny’s worth on this is much the same as many others on this, but I come from the knowledge that I worked for Michelin in one of my previous life’s for years as a test / development driver for performance tyres used by the Police in pursuit vehicles and the like, and a short spell on winter tyre development.

A huge amount of time money and expertise goes into these items as after all it’s our only contact with the road surface.....hopefully..... and it’s about the size of the palm of your hand.... most the time

They are right up there as a choice IMO but of course there is a myriad of other manufactures you pays your money as they say.....but I would always advocate the same tyre on all four wheels.

And it’s absolutely imperative to check and maintain pressures, in my experience more failures were caused by not checking pressures than any other reason usually under inflated but occasionally over.

[cypriot]

JonnyCJ said:

Are you not at risk of invalidating your insurance if you mess about with recommended tyre sizes ? I would think that as long as you stick to same size/model on the same axle, you are getting equal braking/handling characteristics across the axle. To my mind the difference between PS4 and PS4S isn't that great that it would make a difference front to back.

If you had a set of 4 tyres which were 3 years old with decent tread all round, would you advocate replying all 4 in the ever of one being destroyed, as the compound etc is newer for the tyre being replaced ?

Look forward to hearing other's comments as I'm certainly no expert. PS4 are a world apart from O/E Bridgestone.

I am not advocating deviating from OEM tyre sizing. The v8 vantage has 2 OEM sizes, 235/245 for the front and 275/285 for the rear. So sticking to those sizes are still within OEM sizing, but it allows you to have the same tyre all round. Having the same tyre all round is far more important in my books. While the PS4 and PS4S may not feel so different, they are different especially in the wet and aquaplaning.

Anyway, if you are not comfortable with different sizes that what you currently run, then just get a set of Continental Sport contact 6. They are equal to Michelin PS4S.

Edited by cypriot on Monday 3rd August 16:11

[TR-Spider]

JonnyCJ said:

Are you not at risk of invalidating your insurance if you mess about with recommended tyre sizes ?

Depends on your country...

JonnyCJ said:

To my mind the difference between PS4 and PS4S isn't that great that it would make a difference front to back.

I read a report in a BMW forum, where a user mounted PS4 front and PS4s rear and suffered understeer - which disappeared after changing to PS4s front...

JonnyCJ said:

If you had a set of 4 tyres which were 3 years old with decent tread all round, would you advocate replying all 4 in the ever of one being destroyed, as the compound etc is newer for the tyre being replaced ?

I guess it depends on how you drive/what you expect from your tires.
I would probably just change 1 on my daily, but not on my "fast" car.
On second thought, even on the daily I'd prefer to change them axle-wise...

[EVR]

cypriot said:

I am not advocating deviating from OEM tyre sizing. The v8 vantage has 2 OEM sizes, 235/245 for the front and 275/285 for the rear. So sticking to those sizes are still within OEM sizing, but it allows you to have the same tyre all round. Having the same tyre all round is far more important in my books. While the PS4 and PS4S may not feel so different, they are different especially in the wet and aquaplaning.

Anyway, if you are not comfortable with different sizes that what you currently run, then just get a set of Continental Sport contact 6. They are equal to Michelin PS4S.

Edited by cypriot on Monday 3rd August 16:11

Basically, this. I started deep diving into the matter and you have basically two choices in Europe:

- Michelin Pilot Sport 4S in smaller sizes: 235 front & 275 back
- Continental SportContact 6 in bigger (Vantage S) sizes: 245 front & 285 back

What you guys would buy at gunpoint? Price is the same for me, quoted at 1100 € all in.

What is important for me is longevity and comfort, no track.

I have not researched other brands such as Yokohama, Goodyear, Pirelli, Toyo.

[bogie]

Ive been running Yokohama Advan Sport for the last year in the larger "S" wheel sizes. Had good experience of them for many years on previous cars. Bridgestone are the largest manufacturer in the world, also from Japan, hence I dont think the issue is with their tyres overall, just that the particular AM homologated tyre from 2005 has been improved upon over the last 15 years.

Based on a few thousand miles of spirited road use, I can say that the Yoko Advans Sport are a nice improvement to the OE Bridgestones in the wet, dry, and quieter. Dont know about longevity yet. Im not a professional tyre tester with access to latest equipment and test track, nor can I test different tyres back to back on the same day, so its all a bit anecdotal evidence like most forum opinions ....I mean you take off a worn out set of old tyres and replace with new fresh ones,its kind of common sense that they ARE going to feel better unless you have made a drastic choice

I have not tried the Michelin option yet due to the availability issues. Had negative experience of the Continentals on other cars, not re performance, they just didn't last very long (like 1/2 mileage of the Michelin option I had on the same car prior)

[cypriot]

EVR said:

Basically, this. I started deep diving into the matter and you have basically two choices in Europe:

- Michelin Pilot Sport 4S in smaller sizes: 235 front & 275 back
- Continental SportContact 6 in bigger (Vantage S) sizes: 245 front & 285 back

What you guys would buy at gunpoint? Price is the same for me, quoted at 1100 € all in.

What is important for me is longevity and comfort, no track.

I have not researched other brands such as Yokohama, Goodyear, Pirelli, Toyo.

If your priorities are longevity and comfort, then go michelins. The continentals are slightly more sporty in nature. I like to drive my car quite hard, and I certainly didn't want to reduce the front size, so I went Contis. In all fairness, you can't go wrong. both tyres are so vastly superior to the OEM bridgestones, that any differences between the michelin/contis are negligible in comparison.

[jon-]

cypriot said:

EVR said:

Basically, this. I started deep diving into the matter and you have basically two choices in Europe:

- Michelin Pilot Sport 4S in smaller sizes: 235 front & 275 back
- Continental SportContact 6 in bigger (Vantage S) sizes: 245 front & 285 back

What you guys would buy at gunpoint? Price is the same for me, quoted at 1100 € all in.

What is important for me is longevity and comfort, no track.

I have not researched other brands such as Yokohama, Goodyear, Pirelli, Toyo.

If your priorities are longevity and comfort, then go michelins. The continentals are slightly more sporty in nature. I like to drive my car quite hard, and I certainly didn't want to reduce the front size, so I went Contis. In all fairness, you can't go wrong. both tyres are so vastly superior to the OEM bridgestones, that any differences between the michelin/contis are negligible in comparison.

This is spot on

[EVR]

Thank you for your replies guys.

[LTP]

Thanks for all the input on my necro'ing of this thread, guys. Looks like I'll be shopping for some Continental SportContact 6's as my Vantage sits on the 245 & 285 "S" sizes

[On`it]

I have been reading through this thread and yet still have a question ref a v12s as most comments seem to be more focused on the v8.
I am running 255 and 295 pirelli with 10mm spacers and have had the geo sorted for fast road so handling is ok now.
But as I had the velocity upgrade kicking out about 600bhp you can guess the rears are struggling for grip.
I am thinking about going for the s4s 265 35 and 305 30 both 19inch. which I have seen reference to and redpants etc.
I note the GT12 is around 600BHP and is on 265 and 325 obviously a different set up.
I am wondering if there is a better option than what I am proposing for the v12s?
Do we have any comparisons between the Conti 6 and Goodyear?
TR spider have you any feedback in the wet?

Edited by On`it on Tuesday 11th August 16:09

Edited by On`it on Wednesday 12th August 15:29

[On`it]

[quote=On`it]I have been reading through this thread and yet still have a question ref a v12s as most comments seem to be more focused on the v8.
I am running 255 and 295 pirelli with 10mm spacers and have had the geo sorted for fast road so handling is ok now.
But as I had the velocity upgrade kicking out about 600bhp you can guess the rears are struggling for grip.
I am thinking about going for the s4s 265 35 and 305 30 both 19inch. which I have seen reference to and redpants etc.
I note the GT12 is around 600BHP and is on 265 and 325 obviously a different set up.
I am wondering if there is a better option than what I am proposing for the v12s?
Do we have any comparisons between the Conti 6 and Goodyear?
TR spider have you any feedback in the wet?

Edited by On`it on Tuesday 11th August 16:09

Edited by On`it on Wednesday 12th August 15:29

[/quote]

Well maybe I should have check available sizes first my only option, if I keep standard are the ps4s and the size I am going for 265 and 305.
I looked at all reviews including going back over Tyre Reviews and would have gone for the Goodyear F1super sport mainly due to wet tyre handling especially on a wider tyre though for most the ps4s suits most gt sports car for what it`s worth.

[LTP]

LTP said:

Thanks for all the input on my necro'ing of this thread, guys. Looks like I'll be shopping for some Continental SportContact 6's as my Vantage sits on the 245 & 285 "S" sizes

As I necro'd this thread a couple of months ago, I thought I'd slap the paddles on its chest again, yell "Clear!" and shock it back to life to finish my particular contribution.

Having debated the possibility of using Michelin PS4's on the front and PS4S's on the rear, due to Michelin not selling the PS4S in 245/40-R19 in Europe and having had a reply from Michelin advising not to mix the two (as other contributors have confirmed) I finally got around to ordering a set of Continental ContactSport 6's from Camskill and had them fitted today by Bamford Rose.

Bearing in mind I only have about 50 miles on them, I will say initial impression is that the ride quality has been absolutely transformed. I have the non-S "comfort" suspension on my non-S V8V and it's as though I've had some softer bushes fitted somewhere in the suspension system - the car no longer bangs over sharp minor bumps like drains and manhole covers, instead riding them with a more subtle, damped "thud" that doesn't jar through the cabin so much.

A slight downside is a feeling that there is slightly more "roar" in the rear of the cabin (I know, just open the exhaust valves and it'll go away ) but this may be because I'm listening for it, I was on wet roads and the tyre now has full-depth tread rather than the 4-odd mm my Bridgestones had left on the rear. However, my impression would be supported by the fact that the EU bypass noise rating for the rear 285 Conti's is 2dB higher than the Bridgestones or the Michelins. One of the things that always impressed me about the Vantage is how civilised it is at 70mph on a motorway - you can chat or listen to the radio with no issues like a GT; when I drove a 911 after driving Astons I thought the cabin noise level was borderline unacceptable, especially in the rear cabin space behind your head.

I can't comment on steering or handling yet as I'm obviously running them in and they're still full of release agent, plus I'm not exactly (......chooses appropriate driver for an Aston...) Seb Vettel or Darren Turner on the road, as my choice of "comfort" suspension shows.

I do wonder if fresh Bridgestones, rather than 5-year-old, hard and cracked ones, would also have shown an improvement in the ride harshness - but I wasn't prepared to spend over £650 to find that they didn't and be stuck with them banging over small imperfections for the next 5 years.

Edited by LTP on Tuesday 27th October 17:27

[EVR]

LTP said:

As I necro'd this thread a couple of months ago, I thought I'd slap the paddles on its chest again, yell "Clear!" and shock it back to life to finish my particular contribution.

Having debated the possibility of using Michelin PS4's on the front and PS4S's on the rear, due to Michelin not selling the PS4S in 245/40-R19 in Europe and having had a reply from Michelin advising not to mix the two (as other contributors have confirmed) I finally got around to ordering a set of Continental ContactSport 6's from Camskill and had them fitted today by Bamford Rose.

Bearing in mind I only have about 50 miles on them, I will say initial impression is that the ride quality has been absolutely transformed. I have the non-S "comfort" suspension on my non-S V8V and it's as though I've had some softer bushes fitted somewhere in the suspension system - the car no longer bangs over sharp minor bumps like drains and manhole covers, instead riding them with a more subtle, damped "thud" that doesn't jar through the cabin so much.

A slight downside is a feeling that there is slightly more "roar" in the rear of the cabin (I know, just open the exhaust valves and it'll go away ) but this may be because I'm listening for it, I was on wet roads and the tyre now has full-depth tread rather than the 4-odd mm my Bridgestones had left on the rear. However, my impression would be supported by the fact that the EU bypass noise rating for the rear 285 Conti's is 2dB higher than the Bridgestones or the Michelins.

I can't comment on steering or handling yet as I'm obviously running them in and they're still full of release agent, plus I'm not exactly (......chooses appropriate driver for an Aston...) Seb Vettel or Darren Turner on the road, as my choice of "comfort" suspension shows.

I do wonder if fresh Bridgestones, rather than 5-year-old, hard and cracked ones, would also have shown an improvement in the ride harshness - but I wasn't prepared to spend over £650 to find that they didn't and be stuck with them thumping for the next 5 years.

Nice review, thanks. I am looking to improve my ride quality too, especially since I have the Sport Pack. But I was leaning on the PS4S in the slightest smaller non-S size so far. I might change idea when the time comes.

[LTP]

EVR said:

Nice review, thanks. I am looking to improve my ride quality too, especially since I have the Sport Pack. But I was leaning on the PS4S in the slightest smaller non-S size so far. I might change idea when the time comes.

You're welcome. I did fleetingly think of using the earlier Vantage tyre sizes to get the PS4S's but I wasn't sure if Aston had increased the rim width when they increased the tyre size, plus I was concerned that, if ever the unimaginable happened and I got involved in an accident, an insurance company might use the fact I had tyres in sizes not specified for my particular model and year as an excuse to try to avoid paying out.

[jon-]

Great review I can thoroughly recommend finding some sort of tyre reviews website and leaving that there too for all to see

[Jon39]

EVR said:

- Michelin Pilot Sport 4S in smaller sizes: 235 front & 275 back
- Continental SportContact 6 in bigger (Vantage S) sizes: 245 front & 285 back

The Vantage S has bigger tyres than the Vantage.
Does that mean therefore, that the Vantage S wheels are wider than the Vantage?