Tyres

[DasChin]

Question...

has anyone run NON N rated tyres on their 996?

is it really a scam that the tyres were homologated by porsche and that they could wreck the balance and handling?

I have conti Sports at moment but I have used Falken FK 451 and Toyo Proxes to great a plomb in the past.

would appreciate feedback on this.

I have been told non N rated will invalidate the warranty....which does not surprise me!!

cheers
NW

[singh911]

I run Dunlop SSRs (non N rated) on my GT3. On road as well as track. And the grip is amazing, wet is okay too. No issues with warranty either.

Only proviso would be where porsche have made comment - in the back of my mind i have it that running slicks (on track) on a non GT3/Turbo/GT2 996 could cause oil supply problems.

I don't think the N rated thing is a scam - Porsche do develop tyres for their cars and some models are quite tyre sensetive (but more sensetive to proper geometry and setup!) - just that there are owners without N rated tyres without issues.

Needless to say, quality tyres for a quality car. Make sure its got the right speed rating eg ZR etc etc.

Cheers

Ajit.

[scaryx50]

I imagine there is a real difference. I once read an article in Christophorous which explained it all and there seemed to be an awful lot of R&D by Porsche themselves on tyres alone.

[polarexpress]

I know my GT3 runs better on non-N-rated Corsas than it does on any N-rated tyre...

[rigsby]

I run non n-rated Vredestein winter tyres. Porsche only n-rate Pirellis (I think).

At a recent OPC service they gave me a report stating "All 4 tyres required as not N-rated, this is a requirement from Porsche that all tyres have to be N-rated". They also implied that my insurance might be invalid.

I fired off e-mails to my insurance co. and Vredestein sseking clarification. Vredestein were back within the day saying that this was complete rubbish and that there could be no problem as long as the tyres were the correct speed rating/size etc,etc.which of course they were. They wanted to be kept informed if there was any problem with insurance.I followed up with a letter to my insurance co. but never got a reply.

I think it boils down to what you're comfortable with.If Porsche spend time testing and approving certain tyres then it makes sense to use them. However if you're offered a very limited choice as I was I don't see a problem. I am now back on summer N-tated p-zeros.

Incidentally I think the Wintrac Extreme Vredesteins are fabulous.(120 mph plus on snowy roads).

[tr7v8]

According to my Tyre dealer whom I trust if the manufacturer makes an N Rated tyre
then the terms of his insurance mean he HAS to fit them. If the manufacturer doesn't
then providing size/speed rating is OK then he can fit them.

[abarber]

Non N rated conti sports are a different compond. iirc N rated are tread wear 160, non N over 200. Also, some have commented that N rated 205 fronts are wider than 225 non N, same brand.

[DasChin]

thanks guys and it looks like a bit of a mare and possibly a bit of marketing by porsche!

the issue I have is the lack of options I have with the N2 rating for my age of car.

all there is is Pirelli, Contis and Michelin, all of which I am not a huge fan of. Pirellis are a mare to get hold of too!!

I am tempted to change but worried about what OPC will say about non N2 tyres and whether the warranty will be devoid basically!!

[gfreeman]

All the major tyre manufacturers have worked hard with Porsche to produce N rated tyres to suit the handling characteristics.

I don't know how long N rated tyres have been around but Porsche have been making cars a lot longer so they weren't even available on early models.

Insurance Co. are happy with legal tyres. Porsche are happy with legal tyres but in their opinion you will get the best out of your car by using N rated tyres.

N rating does not necessarily mean more expensive - some of the specialists offer better deals for a set than non-rated equivalents.

As developement of tyres continue the N number will change but if you do a search you will see a lot of discusiion when a manufacturer updates a tyre with a new N rating some owners find it is too hard/too soft/better grip/quicker wear/noisier etc and may hanker, for whatever reason, after the previous N number whilst stocks last!

When I got my car it was running SO2 Bridgestone 285 N rated rears with 235 non N rated fronts instead of 225 fronts (to get rid of a bit of understeer). It went through the 111 point check and a warranty was issued with no adverse comments whatsoever. It was pointed out to me and we discussed the probable reason for the wider fronts, but that was all.

Moral of this tale is if you are worried then pick up the phone and tell your insurance co, tell Porsche and get their reaction. N ratings are recommended not mandatory, but it seems like a lot of wasted research to ignore it completely.

Track use is a completely different application and all rules go out the window... I discussed with my insurer using BBS race wheels on the road with sticky tyres to get too and from trackdays and they agreed it would be a lot safer than hooning round with a set of road tyres! the chap knew his stuff as he said if I did use the BBS's on the road watch out for potholes! Good man I thought! (I wonder.... I hope they recorded the conversation for more than training purposes)