Anything much wrong with different tyres f/r on a Boxster?

[Frimley111R]

SWMBO's Boxster 2.7 needs new rear boots (265/35/18) and I can get a great deal on Continental Sport Contact tyres. The car currently runs on Dunlop Sport SP9090. I don't want to fit new tyres opn the front just to keep them all the same, particularly as the fronts still have plenty of tread left.

Given the SWMBO is hardly caning the car around every corner etc do you see any issue in different treads on the front compared to the rear?

[JACK6284]

I'm not sure about mixing of the tyres but i can confirm that the "Conti's" of the same size are excellent on my '98 996

[Trev450]

Opinons are divided on this. I personally don't consider it an issue unless you are exploring the limits of the car when unpredictable handling could be evident.

Mixing tyes on the same axle however is a definate no no.

[marky911]

No problem at all, especially for normal road use. Mind you someone will probably be along in a minute to say it will result in the car spitting itself and your missus into a hedge, but it won't.
A prospective buyer may grumble if they're fussy but it wouldn't bother me.

I have 4 Contis on my car and find them excellent, if a little rumbly. Although to be honest you get a bit a bit of noise in a 964 regardless so it wouldn't be fair to say it's down to the tyres.

[MogulBoy]

The only downdside is an aesthetic one. It's nice to have matching collar and cuffs but not essential!

[BRMMA]

I've got Conti's on the front and Goodyear Eagle aesymetric on the rear, I wanted to stick with Conti's but couldn't find any in the size you're looking for when I had to replace the rears

I drive my car pretty hard and have not had any problems with the handling

[nickfrog]

marky911 said:

I have 4 Contis on my car and find them excellent, if a little rumbly.

Well it's not just me then, having moved to Contis from Michelin, they are a noisier so I thought the balancing had been done poorly but rebalancing didn't change anything. No big deal though as they're very tractable and predictable beyond.

[spyderman8]

So long as they're of suitable speed and load rating, and as already stated you don't mix them on the axle, I would think its OK - but I wouldn't do it.

[Frimley111R]

Cheer guys. No plans to have different ones across the same axles.

[markiii]

seeing as how those 4 small patches of rubber are the only thing keeping you on the road. to my mind you want them ALL performing with the same characteristics as each other.

different tyres perform differently, in wet V dry, in snow or even based on temperature

seems like an uneccessarily stupid risk to take to me.

Just sell the fronts to someone else needing new boots of that type and change all 4.

[Porkster]

markiii said:

seeing as how those 4 small patches of rubber are the only thing keeping you on the road. to my mind you want them ALL performing with the same characteristics as each other.

The same could be said if you changed the profile and width of the tyres but porsche has done that already as the back differs from the front, . I doubt the average Jo could tell the difference on the road under normal conditions.
It would be a different story if was general use tyre vs winter tyre as the compound be be greatly different.

I have Pirelli P zeros all round but they are rosso's on the rear and nerro's on the front as rosso's weren't available, the tread pattern is sightly different but to be honest it still drives great and handles exactly as it did before.

[Jobbo]

I had Michelin Pilot Sports all round on mine - the rears wore out but the fronts had plenty of tread left, and since I couldn't get the same type of Michelins I thought I'd try Bridgestone SO2s (N-rated) on the rear. The Bridgestones seem grippier and make the car a bit understeery on turn in in comparison to having the Michelins on the rear. Not the end of the world, but I personally would try to keep the same type front and rear in future.

[g7jhp]

Jobbo said:

I had Michelin Pilot Sports all round on mine - the rears wore out but the fronts had plenty of tread left, and since I couldn't get the same type of Michelins I thought I'd try Bridgestone SO2s (N-rated) on the rear. The Bridgestones seem grippier and make the car a bit understeery on turn in in comparison to having the Michelins on the rear. Not the end of the world, but I personally would try to keep the same type front and rear in future.

Had different makes front and rear on my Caterham and the fronts would let go first which led to understeer which again wasn't the end of the world.

If the back had let go first it could be quite different.

I'd always go with same front and rear all round.