To sumi or not...
 

I was browsing tirerack for some new tires. Noticed the Sumitomo HTR Z III are half the price of my p-zero rosso tires and get slightly better reviews?!? Browsing the web, I can't really find anything wrong with them?? Has anyone tried them on their turbo? I just use the car for occasional canyon runs and a few longer trips here and there.

I haven't tried them personally. So far I've tried Michelin PS2's, Sport Cups, P Zeroes (on the car now), and Hankook Ventus.

The Hankooks were the only ones that actually made the car dangerous to drive. Since I've had them (several years ago now) I've noticed that the Hankooks are probably the most common tire seen for sale in the classified section. My guess is people buy them, have the same horrible experience as me, and then try and dump them. I don't see too many ads for the Sumitomos, so they may work just fine.

Not exactly scientific, but hopefully someone will chime in with firsthand experience. :)

N rated tires all the way! Had the same experience as TXT but with Toyo T1R's.

Sumi's- yes!
 

I went from Michelins, to Brigstones, to Sumi's. I've got +- 6000 miles on them and love them. Mind you I do not track my 996tt, but I do spend a lot of time in canyon twisties. Sumi's are quiet, grip well, predictable, and affordable. Hard combo to beat unless you track your car.

I had them. They last a long time and are fairly quiet. I wouldn't recommend them for anything over 575-600whp. I had major traction issues in anything below 70 degrees.

As far as the Hankooks go, I had them before and they were fine on a normal daily driver but I found the sidewall to be too soft for hard cornering. They also seemed to get a bit oily when driven hard. I wouldn't put them on the TT. That may be why a lot of them are for sale.

Unless there is a major drawback, I may give them a try. I just put a a set of HTR Z II on our GTI since I wanted something longer lasting for that car. They seem good so far, so I assume the III should be similar, just more grip.

Sumi's are great! Had a couple sets and much quieter and have good traction!

Had the Sumi's too. Prefer the BF Goodrich g-Force Rival for a street tire. May use them at the track sometime in the future.

Good price from Tire Rack last August for $1100.

I do love the g-force tires as well but I thought they maxed out at 285's?

I have 245/40/18 and 315/30/18

I only know one thing for sure... do not drive the OEM Potenzas when you get above 550 whp, just bloody scary

I have the g-force on mine now - no sumi's in my size. Pretty decent tire as well, but haven't put many miles on them yet!

Where did you buy the g-force tires? Tirerack doesn't list any BF Goodrich tires in 295/30/18.

EDIT: Never mind. Looks like they have them in larger size but not 295/30/18.

I've had Sumis for the last 5k miles. They have been great, especially at their price point. Very, very predictable. I'd run them again if they made a larger rear. Picked up some new wheels and they are too stretched on a 11.5" rim. Look great on the stock twist though.

very good tire! Great handling in the canyons (the HTR-Z ll, haven't tried the lll) I've worn out 3 sets on Porsches. I did notice they did get a bit greasy on an over 100 degree day in the canyons when pushed really hard. As a former motorcycle Super Bike road racer I learned to find the limits of tire adhesion (slicks) on 2 wheels. It's simple on 4 wheels. I also learned to be smooth to increase lap times. Looks can be deceiving, but the lls look better than the lll. The negative is the ll only come in a max 285 width. This is great for controlling understeer and making the car handle more neutral. I will go them again. I have also used Dunlop, Pirelli, Michelin on the 3 Porsches I've owned in the last 14 years.