What's the best tire for noise reduction and ride? Are N spec tires really necessary? I've been happy with the Michelin PS2s, but Tire Rack no longer has them and there is very limited choices. Has this tire been discontinued?

 

ur right down the hill from me... had M N rated, got MPSS and couldn't be happier, cheaper and better ride comfort.

 

I've just ordered some Sumitomo HTR Z III's for the 18" Carrera IIIs I'm about to install... common feedback is 90% of s MPSS for half the price

 

My experience over the years is any new tire is quiet. Nothing like replacing a worn set of tires with new tires. This transforms the car.

As for the ride it is unchanged. All the suitable (and N-rated) tires deliver the same ride.

I have not experimented with non N-rated tires. Some other owners have. Most report "no problems". A few report "problems".

I have no desire to use my cars to test non N-rated tires so I stick with N-rated tires.

My experience with my Boxster is Michelin tires are a bit better than say Pirelli tires but only if the Michelin tires can be had for nearly the same price. In the past I have managed to get Michelin tires for just $100 (for a set of 4) over the price of a comparable set of Pirelli tires. No brainer.

However, a few tires sets ago Michelin tires were not available. There was some kind of switch over and the old tires were not available and the new tires were in very short supply (read not available). I went back to Pirelli tires and the last 2 sets have been just fine.

For the Turbo I have gone back and forth between Continental and Bridgestone. Both brands of tires are as near as I can tell identical in service life, grip, tire noise, etc.

The new Michelin tire comes in for some high praise but if you can't find any in stock you can't find any in stock.

My advice would be then to go with any other N-rated tire, be it Pirelli or Bridgestone or Continental. I seriously doubt the car would be in any way affected by any of these tires based on my experience.

If you want to go the non N-rated tire route I can't help you.

 

Second this, these will be my next ones. Riding on Kumho Ecsta now and like them alot.

 

I'm running Michelin PS2 on mine and couldn't be happier. Toyed with the idea of a cheaper tired by couldn't bring myself to run something outside the recommendation. If I'm going at Porsche speed I want their suggested brand and N grade of tires keeping me firmly on the road going forwards and not sideways

 

Just received a set of HTR II for $150/each from tirerack. (285/35R18 - added a pinch of sidewall height)

They have the HTR III in 30 series for slightly more.

Need to finish off my current ones and will report back how the II's work out.

 

I will second this. I was a religious Pilot Sport user on my old M3. I had to change the tires on my 03 C4S after both of the rear tires shredded (Pirelli P Zeros) and Tire Rack was out of the Michelins. I wasn't interested in trying the Bridgestones (don't know why I ruled them out exactly) and went with the Sumis. I figured I would pick up a cheap set until the Michelins were back in stock. I have about 1,500 miles on them so far and they've been great so far. It will be interesting to see (and hear) how they change as they wear.

I did have a set of Yokohama AVS ES100s on an older M3 (E36) and got almost 20K miles out of the rears - I don't think they make them anymore, but those were awesome.

 

I have Michelin PS2's on my 996.2 4S and ride is pretty quiet and good grip.

I have the Bridgestone RE-11's on my 997 4S and ride is a little louder but the grip is awesome.

 

I just put PS2's on my car and couldn't be happier. My C4 came with Continentals that were old and hard as a rock. I swapped them for Bridgestones because I really liked the way they drove on my BMW but they were a dissapoinment on the 911 which sent me back to PS2's which are great.

I don't believe anyone NEEDS to run Porsche "N" tires but the "N" rated PS2's are much better that what I was running for ride, grip, noise etc.

PS2's are available for my 2000 C4 but the rear size is different on the later years cars. I would call tirerack, maybe its a special order or go up or down one size to get PS2's

 

I want to go with the PS2's again, I do like the tires and I want to stay with an N rated tire. The problem is, will Michelin discontinue the tire by the time I need to replace the front tires. This has happen to me once before with the Pilot Sports. Another consideration, I may be putting the car up for sale soon.

 

I'm not a big fan of Bridgestone tires. I've used them on other cars and have never liked them. I do like the Michelin brand. The problem is they're hard to fine and will they be discontinued by the time I need to replace the fronts. I've read good reviews on the Michelin PSS, but they are next to impossible to fine. Makes me wonder if their driving up the price by the lack of supply. I'm not even sure if they make the size tire for my car.

 

I purchased Continental DW from Tire rack for rear. The front still have a lot of tread, they are Continental DWS.

I don't think they are the best tire out there. I don't see how they got such good reviews for wet road conditions, it is like ice skating.

I live in upstate NY, so are highways are terrible, you feel every expansion joint, so the ride is not that great either.

I had Pirelli P6000 on my wife's Jaguar VDP, they were by far the best tires I ever owned for grip. comfort, etc., however @ $300+ each and only getting 15k miles from them we don't use them anymore.

I will probably go with Pirelli P zero next time for my 996.

Just MO

 

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Michelin PSS are the best dry/wet street tires. Great ride, sticky, and have good longevity. They are the newer generation replacements for PS2, and have outperformed them in all tests. They are solid on canyon runs and some even track them.


For ultimate DRY traction and decent wet grip, I love the Yokohama AD08 which are a bit pricier and a bit harsher ride (stiff sidewalls have sharper turn-in and handling than PSS). I've tracked these before, and they were within a second of my R-comps at Big Willow!


So if you don't routinely push your 996 too hard, any of the tires mentioned above are fine. If you like to take it near the limits, then PSS or ADO8 are your weapons of choice, IMO.