Michelin Pilot Sport Cups Prices

[roygarth]

225/40ZR18 MPS Cup = £208.57 + VAT each
265/35ZR18 MPS Cup = £258.76 + VaT each

I missed recent thread on this and can't find it. Are these OK prices for MPSC's? Should they be N rated for my 993RS?

Thanks
Piers

[Joe911]

Seems *way* too high to me.
Who's that from?

[tony.t]

Buy dunlop DO1J's instead £750 fitted same size(ish)better tyre.
Price for MPSC seems expensive try Protyre ( as if you have a choice - they all come from Protyre anyway)

>> Edited by tony.t on Tuesday 19th October 16:19

[burzel]

Hi piers
That is expensive,i know we get a bit better deal from pro tyre with club racing discount,which is at least the vat cheaper.( you might try them on the racing front),or scam them that you are thinking of racing on them next season and would like to see what they handle like!!
I pay £930 inc vat for 285 and 235 18 fitted and balanced,as they are our class control tyre sadly.
Dunlops are cheaper,and are a good track day tyre,but do go off quicker than the michelins if you are leaning on them for some time.
Regards

[dogsharks]

We're weaning ourselves off the Michelins (and French wine) here in the US, and we've found there are some very viable and less expensive alternatives.

On my wife's Volvo XC90, the Michelin Sychrone costs $212 per tire, and the Yokohama Geolander G052 $112, and the Geolander is superior in every single performance category, including dry traction, wet traction, hydroplane resistance, steering response, etc.

I purchased my last set of Michelins. My Porshe's are presently running Michelin (soon to be replaced), Firestone Firehawk SZ50-EP which I like, and Bridgestone RE-730 which I like.

I know the racing tires are a different animal and some people will insist on thinking they can't win without their old faithful, however, there are many racing alternatives available in the US, and Michelin isn't the only game in town for winning combos.

Just my three cents.

Dogsharks

[zanzibar]

prices are high due to a shortage of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tyres, I heard Michelin do not manufacture these tyres on a regular basis but rather produce them in batches, the last batch are nearly all used up hence if you want them you are paying top dollar its a sellers market.
I would guess come the new track season there will be plenty available again and they will be back down to £170.00 for the fronts & £220 + vat ish for the rears.

Z

[Dogsharks]

<a href="http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=MP"><a href="http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=MP">www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=MP</a></a>

<a href="http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=UHP"><a href="http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=UHP">www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=UHP</a></a>

I’m sure the Pilot Sport Michelin is a good tire. However, in the TireRack test it doesn’t rate as well as the guess what? >>Eagle F1 GS-D3<< <a href="http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Eagle+F1+GS-D3"><a href="http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Eagle+F1+GS-D3">www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Eagle+F1+GS-D3</a></a>

www.tirerack.com/images/tires/goodyear/gy_eagle_f1_gsd3_ci2_l.jpg">


You can’t take the numbers literally, because a 8.9 rating versus a 9 means they’re dead even, and the one with the higher number may not actually even be as good as the other one. I look at the test data in relative terms.

First of all, I wouldn’t even be buying a tire in the Max Performance category, because they erase themselves too fast. I generally go for the Ultra High Performance category, and I get to see em around a little longer. Right now I have some baldys on the back of the 928 and I’m back in the market for tires.

















Tires tested:
Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Position w/UNI-T AQ II Max Performance P225/45R17
Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 Max Performance P225/45R17
Michelin Pilot Sport Max Performance P225/45R17
Vehicles used:
2001 Lexus IS300 sport sedans
While many U.S. consumers only think of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company as an American business, few realize the extent of this corporation's worldwide resources. Multiple development centers and manufacturing facilities in countries around the world provide Goodyear with the technical expertise and manufacturing capabilities to build a wide variety of products for cars and light trucks. Fortunately for performance luxury sedan, sporty coupe and sports car drivers, Goodyear combined these global assets to develop and produce the Eagle F1 GS-D3 Max Performance summer tires.
The Eagle F1 GS-D3 is a "Grand Sports" (GS) member of Goodyear's Eagle Ultra Performance tire family that features a third generation European-developed directional tread design (D3). While the Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires were originally introduced in Europe a year before becoming available in the United States, today they are produced in both the U.S. and Europe.
In order to get a better understanding of the performance and comfort provided by the Eagle F1 GS-D3 summer tires, The Tire Rack Team conducted a Real World Road Ride and a Performance Test Track Drive comparing them to the Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Position w/UNI-T AQII and Michelin Pilot Sport tires. We used Y-speed rated, 225/45R17-sized tires mounted on 17"x7.5" wheels. This package was fitted to three 2001 Lexus IS300 sport sedans equipped with Eibach Pro-Kit Sport Springs and KONI Sport shock absorbers adjusted to their softest setting to control suspension movement and body roll.
Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Position w/UNI-T AQ II Technology
The Potenza S-03 Pole Position Max Performance summer tire was developed to blend dry and wet traction without abandoning comfort and wear. The Potenza S-03 Pole Position features Bridgestone's UNI-T AQ II technology that uses advanced compound and construction features to enhance and preserve wet traction through the tire's life.
On the outside, the Potenza S-03 Pole Position molds a dual layer tread compound into a directional tread design that features notched shoulders, large intermediate tread blocks and a continuous center rib to provide dry road response and handling. Circumferential and lateral grooves help direct and evacuate water through the tire to resist hydroplaning. The continuous center rib also helps reduce noise while providing constant road contact to enhance straight-line stability. Internally, the Potenza S-03 Pole Position features twin steel belts with spiral-wrapped nylon to stabilize the tread area to enhance handling, high-speed capability and ride quality while minimizing weight.
On the road, the Potenza S-03 Pole Position tires were recognized for their ride comfort and noise level while providing real world handling that's appropriate for the Max Performance category.
The dry track times for all three tires showed how competitive the Max Performance tire category has become, with only a few tenths of a second separating any two tires. In these conditions, the Potenza S-03 Pole Position tires provided predictable handling and appropriate grip. On the track in the wet, the Potenza S-03 Pole Position remained predictable, generating lap times that fell between the other two tires in this test.
NOTE: Since we test new tires, the Potenza S-03 Pole Position's feature that our testing didn't evaluate was the tire's ability to retain a greater percentage of its wet traction as its tread wears down.
Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3
The Eagle F1 GS-D3 Max Performance summer tire is for the drivers of sports cars, sporty coupes and performance sedans. The Eagle F1 is intended to complement everyday journeys by efficiently converting the capabilities of man and machine into precise motions on the road.
On the outside, Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires feature Goodyear's AAtrax tread compound molded into a distinctive wet weather racing-derived directional tread design which combines a solid and continuous center zone that maintains constant road contact to enhance straight-line tracking and initial steering response. Next, sweeping intermediate power transfer bridges use "virtual rib" technology to emulate racing slicks by delivering shoulder-to-shoulder tread contact to further enhance steering response and dry road cornering traction. Then, sweeping aquachannel grooves, which are three times longer than the tire's contact patch, angle forward and out to the edges of the tread to avoid trapping air and water between the tire and the road to reduce noise while enhancing wet traction and hydroplaning resistance. And finally, the virtual ribs flow into the shoulder area to form long, stable shoulder blocks to grip the road during cornering and help resist the wear associated with aggressive driving. On the inside, twin high-tensile steel belts are reinforced with spirally wound nylon to distribute the vehicle's load across the tire's footprint to provide high-speed durability and uniform ride qualities. Slightly angled body ply construction with high ply turn ups enhance steering precision and high-speed stability while exterior sidewall rim flange protectors help guard wheels from curb damage.
On the road, the Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires earned noise, comfort and real world handling ratings that were appropriate for the Max Performance category.
On the track in the dry, the Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires provided predictable handling and sufficient grip to run average lap times that fell between the other two tires. On the track in the wet, the Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires provided predictable handling and enough grip to run the fastest average lap times of the three tires in the test, confirming that the Eagle F1 GS-D3 is the most competitive Goodyear tire we've tested to date and that it earned its Max Performance category position.
Michelin Pilot Sport
The Michelin Pilot Sport Max Performance summer tire is designed to extend the capabilities of exotic and ultra high performance cars and their drivers in the wet, while providing progressive handling, exceptional feedback and refined road manners.
One of the most obvious features of the Pilot Sport is its directional tread design that features a continuous circumferential center rib flanked by a "V"-shaped pattern. The continuous center rib sharpens steering response and provides communicative road feel while the swept back lateral grooves efficiently evacuate water from under the contact patch to resist hydroplaning and enhance wet traction while reducing tire noise on dry roads. Internally, the Pilot Sport's tread is supported by two belts made of high-tensile, lightweight steel cords which are further reinforced by size-optimized, spirally wrapped polyamide cord to improve quick steering response and resist distortion while they enhance ride quality and high speed durability. Ultra-reinforced sidewalls promote cornering, while Michelin's cable beads help maintain the ideal shape of a running tire for better tire/wheel uniformity.
On the road, the Pilot Sport received good marks for real world ride comfort, noise comfort and handling.
On the track in the dry, the Pilot Sport-equipped car was willing to understeer slightly, yet remained predictable and ran lap times that were competitive with the other two tires. On the track in the wet, the Pilot Sport-equipped car continued to understeer slightly, yet remained predictable and ran lap times that were competitive with the Potenza S-03 Pole Position, but couldn't match the lap times of the Eagle F1 GS-D3.

Here are two more tests that draw the same basic conclusion. The Michelin is “best” but the Goodyear is right on the mark, just a hair behind. Therefore, if you’re using the tires for competition, then I can see going for the tire that gives the best times, and I’d actually be using a pure competition tire and not the Pilot Sport in the first place. Since I’m not buying anything from France, the choice for me is much easier. I’ve got products made in the US, and Japan, all of which have good reputations and provide great performance.
<a href="http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/bs_RE050A_rd.jsp"><a href="http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/bs_RE050A_rd.jsp">www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/bs_RE050A_rd.jsp</a></a>
<a href="http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/mi_ps2_nextGen.jsp"><a href="http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/mi_ps2_nextGen.jsp">www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/mi_ps2_nextGen.jsp</a></a>




>> Edited by Dogsharks on Tuesday 19th October 23:37

>> Edited by Dogsharks on Tuesday 19th October 23:38

>> Edited by Dogsharks on Tuesday 19th October 23:40

[Joe911]

Interesting test results - but they are for the road tyres - the "Michelin Sport Pilot" - where as I thought we were talking about the "Michelin Sport Pilot Cup" (the road legal race tyre) which is a different tyre entirely.

Any tests results on those - against the equivalent Dunlop Race tyres?

[nel]

Strange results in some respects. For example, the Goodyears come top in almost every category of the test on the wet track and yielded by far the highest G-force figures in the wet, yet are a second off the pace on the wet track lap times? Much of the data other than lap times and braking distances is subjective I assume.

Marketing.....

[Dogsharks]

Looking over the actual test charts for these tires that were tested, as available on the Max Performance chart at Tire Rack, the Michelin has a stiffer side wall, which could well equate to better track times, even though it may not produce the ultimate cornering g-force once flopped over into the seated stance.

Dogsharks