I've heard a lot of good things about the SuperSports vs the PS2s and I did love the PS2s on my ZO6. TireRack shows the SS besting the PS2s in all categories and costing $446 less for a set. Is there any reason to buy PS2s??

 

Short answer, no. I've used both and the PSS is better in every way. The best pure performance tire I ran on the street was the RE-11. The PSS is the better "all-rounder".

Some will bring up the non N-spec rating (I don't think it's been given N-spec designation but I haven't been following this) issue. Not really sure what concern can be had driving on the street and what catastrophic incident is going to happen with a non N-spec tire. I run a 996 race car and not using N-spec tires. Everything is fine But, some people want only N-spec and that's fine. It's up to you to decide.

 

Aestically I don't like the larger lip on the sidewall, functionally they're supposed to be a major improvement from the predecessor.

 

I lkie the "wheel protector" it has saved me more than once while parking.

 

They are a huge improvement over the PS2 and very reasonably priced as mentioned. I have about 6 hours of track time and about 3K miles on them on my 997 turbo and the tires still look quite new. The grip is excellent and I found the breakaway characteristics to be very predictable.

The only time the non N rating comes into play is if a warranty situation comes up. The non N rating gives Porsche a way out. The N rating given by Porsche goes to the manufacturing tolerances of the tires (they have to be very precise to receive that rating) as minor changes front to back could potentially cause issues with the transfer case/PSM/ABS or etc.

I tried a set of the tires and as it turned out the fronts were about .5 inches off from the spec and it did throw off the PTM in my car. I was going for 265 fronts and 325 rears. To their credit Michelin did take the tires back and I bought 245 fronts which worked out great.

I am also willing to bet that as soon as they receive the N rating the prices will go up! Just a guess from an old, grumpy pessimist :-)

Cheers.

 

I have not personally driven on the PSS but, as others have mentioned, they are supposed to be an improvement over the PS2s. That's saying a lot as I have loved my PS2s.

 

I don't know if they have changed anything in their construction since their release but we had a problem with the PSS one year while on the one lap of america. Used to run PS2's but tire rack sold us on the PSS's and had them mount them up and give us their tire pressure recommendations. Hhalfway through the event at Barber MP, we had one tire sidewal blow right out mid corner that almost cost us the vehicle, and later that night on the trek to the next course, we had a second sidwall give out on one of our other competing vehicles(both were HHR SS's). Luckily we only ended up with a set of destroyed CCW's and some hours spent changing one stiff 18" tire by hand in some random truck stop at 4am.

We never got a solid answer from tirerack or Michelin due to the failure, but I believe that the tire wasn't meant for the weight and excessive side loading. Lot's of chassis roll on the HHR's and we REALLY work the tires. Up until that point, they were good tires once scrubbed in good.

Seemed to me that the sidewalls were thinner/softer than the PS2's but I'm not tire manufacture.

 

I have a set with 5K miles on them and have been fine on the road so far.Keep an eye on the pressures.

 

Im running PSS on my TT and they are much better than my previous PS2 sets.

 

Just sharing my experience: I went from Michelin PS2, to Pirelli Corsa R compound tire ("cup tire"), then to PSS. The PSS is a great tire for an all around daily driver like the Turbo - quiet, sticky, comfortable, but what I also noticed is that its sidewall is very soft in comparison to the Pirelli Corsa.

The soft sidewall is NOT a weakness (that's why the tire is comfortable, it's deliberately designed that way), and neither is comparison to the Pirelli R comp a fair idea, just thought I mention it here for anyone wanting to experiment with tires. The idea is that tire sidewall is a very important factor in choosing tire, as it is part of the suspension system and actually influences body rolls, weight transfer, etc. In my case I was amazed how much more body roll the PSS induces in my car, vs. the Corsa.

As an example of how everything in suspension is a trade-off, half of me wants to switch to Bridestone RE-11 that Chris/E55AMG mentions above (by all indications a much stiffer tire), half of me wants to stay with PSS since it is so comfortable and so quiet.

 

Can, as a point of reference the RE-11 was quieter and better riding than the PS2 - and better performing. This was quite some time ago but that's how I remember it So, the RE-11 fits between the PSS and PS2 in the ride/noise dept. Downside as we both know is weight of RE-11

 

I have had both tires, I really like the SS,s , grip, price, quiet and overall feel. Go with them you won't be disappointed.

 

SS are quiet. shhhhhhhhhh

 

I had a track day on Friday and the PSS exceeded my expectations! Wow, what a tire! Much more grip than my PS2s! They warmed up quicker and also had better endurance. I was doing 5-8 lap sessions on the Summit Point Circuit and felt no perceptible loss of performance or grip.

 

I am very nervous about changing. N specification usually means stiffer sidewall for Porsche cars. When tyre is referred to as more comfortable my alarm bells start ringing as this inevitably means more body roll and more sway. And I hate sway which is especially pronounced in 911’s due to the rear biased weight! As far as the increased grip is concerned, I really need to see some factual data such as; better lap times, increased cornering g’s data, better shorter braking, and better acceleration.

There is no such thing as a free lunch; if they are softer compound this also means less mileage.

I like PS2’s why the heck they went changing them?! Now I have a problem… yes/no/maybe/need to test/more sway/less/mileage/ decisions, decisions…