Best tyres for a Boxster S

[MattBCardiff]

Apologies my last most wasnt clear so reposting....


Any views on what is the best tyre brand to go for on my Boxster S (255/40 ZR17) without breaking the bank?

Currently have I Michelin but i know they are normally the most expensive but not necessarily any better than other brands like Continental, Toko etc...

Any recommendations and/or good sites online to buy from would be great.

Cheers

[Don]

MattBCardiff said:

Currently have I Michelin but i know they are normally the most expensive but not necessarily any better than other brands like Continental, Toko etc...

This is not the case. They *are* better. You will find that the pain of the cost now is more than made up for by

• grip both in the dry and particularly the wet
• their longevity despite drivers (like me!) who are ummm unsympathetic to their wear rate and drive the car like I stole it on track...in normal use astonishing numbers of miles are possible.

[TOENHEEL]

I have Dunlop sp sports all round they seem pretty good so far, great in the wet.

[K Man S]

Evo's 2007 tyre test posted some interesting results. The tests were based on a mixture of empirical and subjective data. Testing was blind on a mk5 golf.

Wet handling (Lap-times, lateral g, subjective)
Aqua-planing (Straight line, cornering)
Braking (Wet braking, dry breaking, resistance)
Dry handling (Lap-times, lateral g, subjective)
Road-route (Subjective)

Overall %

1. 96.4 Goodyear eagle F1 asymmetric
2. 95.3 Vredestein ultrac sessanta
3. 93.5 Continental contisport contact 3
4. 92.7 Bridgestone potenza RE050-A
5. 92.4 Michelin pilos sport PS2
6. 92.0 Pirelli pzero nero
7. 88.7 Kumho ecsta stp ku31
8. 86.0 Dunlop sport maxx
9. 82.0 Yokohama s.drive

Hope this helps. Those Eagles seem to be the clear winner in the test although your Boxster is a little different to the mk5 golf i suspect.

[dava]

I had Dunlop SP9090 on my 986S. Changed to Michelin PS1 and the difference is remarkable. Much less noise (like 80% less). Much better grip and steering feel.

Bottom line is the PS1 give me much more confidence in the car.

[car.chic]

Pirelli P.Zero's on mine

[Vr6-er]

After 5 Boxsters on various, here's some subjective, biased and emotive opinion.

I'd say that Pirelli were seriously shee-ite, on the limit they just let go. They ruin the car.

Michelin are the best by far - brilliant in fact. Phenominal grip, progressive on the limit, convey feel and in the wet defy physics. The new one is on Bridgestones, which feel almost as good as the Michelins. I say almost because they dont convey as much "feel".

Never had conti's so cant comment on those.

[TOENHEEL]

Dont try Avon they frightened the shite out of me!!

(not my choice came on my car after the previous owner decided to put them on)

[Don]

Vr6-er said:

After 5 Boxsters on various, here's some subjective, biased and emotive opinion.

I'd say that Pirelli were seriously shee-ite, on the limit they just let go. They ruin the car.

Michelin are the best by far - brilliant in fact. Phenominal grip, progressive on the limit, convey feel and in the wet defy physics. The new one is on Bridgestones, which feel almost as good as the Michelins. I say almost because they dont convey as much "feel".

Never had conti's so cant comment on those.

Agree completely. Although I've had the Pirellis and they weren't "shee-ite" - they just weren't as good as the Michelins.

For an "all-round" tyre the Michelins, pricey though they are, just cannot be beaten. Of course - if you don't mind compromising one thing for another other tyres might suit you better. For example - I am considering a set of Toyo R888s for next summer and the track day season...

[GregE240]

Another vote for Pilot Sport - my ex had them on a 986S. A great tyre.

[cableguy]

Michelin Pilot Sport gets my vote too.

Also remember that the "N Rating" on the Michelin's are Porsche specific and would differ slightly from the Pilot Sports in the group test.

I've tried many tyres on various performance cars over the years and Michelin's always seem to have the edge on allround performance IMO.

C.

[gttastic]

Yet another vote for the Michelin Pilot Sport tyre. My 986S had Dunlops on when I bought the car which were OK but the replacement Michelins offer better grip in both dry and wet conditions as well as reduced road noise.

[robmug]

My vote is for Conti; nice to see them high in the list - probably the most under-rated tyre around. I've tried most and Conti remains my favourite (got them on my 911 & Golf GT1 Mk5). Best for progressive grip, noise, wear and cost.

[K Man S]

robmug said:

My vote is for Conti; nice to see them high in the list - probably the most under-rated tyre around. I've tried most and Conti remains my favourite (got them on my 911 & Golf GT1 Mk5). Best for progressive grip, noise, wear and cost.

My experiences with the Conti2s on my Z4M were not good ones. Maybe these 3's are better.

PS2s all the way for me until i read the above review. The Eagles certainly seem to be worthy of consideration and relatively ran (or should that be drove) away from the rest of the pack.

[Pat Cash]

cableguy said:

Also remember that the "N Rating" on the Michelin's are Porsche specific and would differ slightly from the Pilot Sports in the group test.

Its ALWAYS worth remembering that in your handbook it states that you should only use tyres approved by Porsche for that particular vehicle. This means only 'N' rated tyres - remember this is not 'just a speed rating' as many tyre suppliers seem to think (N speed rating is up to about 87mph if I remember rightly). Porsche extensively develop and test particular tyres to refect the characteristics and demands of that particular vehicle. As you say Cableguy, two sets of Pilot sports, one N rated and one not might look the same, but the compounds and manufacturing tolerances can be very different.

If you had handling troubles or for example PSM issues and the car was not shod with porsche N rated tyres, you wouldn't have a leg to stand on with Porsche. I've seen it happen!
Also, a number of insurance companies are aware of this and may stipulate in small print - be careful that you're not invalidating your insurance....

[MattBCardiff]

Cheers guys, I will stick with my original idea of Michelin PSs. The local OPC is going to fite em, only about £15 more per tyre than anywhere else and atleast you would hope they would be fitted ciorrectly!

Cheers for all the tips.

[TOENHEEL]

My dads got pilot sports on his 987 and he swears by them.He got roughly 20000 after pretty spirited driving to. Really good grip in all weather conditions.

[noumenon]

I like the Pirelli PZero Rossos. Great in the wet. Superb in the dry. Personally will probably buy more rather than risk someone else's opinion.

Though 888s are very tempting! Do they grip when cold?

[Don]

noumenon said:

I like the Pirelli PZero Rossos. Great in the wet. Superb in the dry. Personally will probably buy more rather than risk someone else's opinion.

Though 888s are very tempting! Do they grip when cold?

No. And not when it is wet either. Same as any "road legal track day tyre". Their purpose is to allow you to drive to and from the track and to change them at home instead of at the track.

I've not been using them as you really should have a second set of wheels...not sure I can be arsed with all the changing about. So I might go for the mad option and have them as my only tyre - and accept that the car stays in the garage if its wet or cold.

[mankey]

I have Pilot Sports on my 987 and find they're excellent. Downside is the price, especially with 19" wheels. I found myself shopping around in a hurry a while ago (Cardiff) and didn't find too much discounting either. One of the things you have to wear eh?