Haha, +1

 

a few hundred bucks x a few thousand cars = a lot of money.

Tires are but one component, and every component has associated costs that add up to the overall cost of the car. A couple bucks here and there for each part adds significantly over the course of building a car.

Tire contracts are long-term things. Those savings add up beyond the course of the originally-installed set of tires. Us forum members are different than most owners in that we take an active interest in areas of the car that many owners don't care about (or don't want to touch). For many, the car needs to be entirely OEM - especially the tires.

And the problem is that people *aren't* paying for them simply because they lag in every objective area (HP/TQ ratings, fuel economy, performance figures, amenities, etc). They only lead in subjective qualities (driving experience, looks, sound, passion). The problem is that everyone loves an Aston, but not many of us actually buy them. That changed dramatically with the introduction of the current range (DB9 and V8V, specifically), but they still aren't financially sound and those cars are now further behind in objective measures than every other competitor.

 

So, if going with Michelin PSS, do you go with standard size or wider?

People have mentioned the sidewall shape of the Michelin are different/rounder. I just want to ensure the new tires don't end up looking like beach *****. Does the extra width/grip offset with more sidewall play in handling, or is none of this even noticeable?

245/40R19 for the front & 285/35R19 for the rears?

 

You can run the OEM size or go up one, you won't have any issues either way. They won't look bloated or ballooned, just a little meatier (not a bad thing).

These are the sizes run on the V8VS and one size up from the standard V8V. They'll work perfectly fine.

 

On a given wheel, the wider tire will look more "balloony," although the difference may be slight.

 

[OT] I thought the Michelins were balloony too - but they don't look that way on the Vulcan. 345/30/19 rears, nice!

 

Here's a bunch of pics showing one-size-up tires (V8VS sizes) on OEM-sized wheels. The wheels are the same width and diameter as the standard 7-spoke wheels that came on the early V8V, only the offset is different. The tires don't looked ballooned at all. They just don't look stretched anymore.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/vasupe...7649746160817/

 

What's your take on the Conti ExtremeContact DW instead of the Mich PSS?

 

I've got the Conti ExtremeContact DW on my DB9 (245/285). They replaced 5 year old OEM Bridgestones(235/275) so they were softer & quieter as expected.

They're very good in the rain, which is important where I live. Very good dry grip too. But there is a bit of a hard cornering "set" that takes place and takes a bit of getting used to -- I guess the sidewalls flex a before firming up. Nothing scary, no slipping, but noticeable. I also get a bit of a "floating" sensation on one particular section of deeply grooved highway near here. Doesn't happen anywhere else, and never any tramlining.

All in all a pretty good tire at a good price. I need new rears now after 25K miles (fronts are still good) so I'm waffling between new Contis on the rear or PSS all around.

 

Telum01 - thanks! I see what you mean.

 

YVR, thanks so much for your thoughts, much appreciated! I just got a '07 DB9 with Sport Pack and now thinking of replacing the OEM Bridgestones with Conti ExtremeContact DW, moving from the OEM 235/275 to 245/285 in order to raise ground clearance a bit (given the low front splitter) and hopefully to soften the ride a bit (given the firmer SP suspension), and to lower the unsprung weight, since the Contis are several lbs lighter than the more sturdy OEM BS. Does the larger 245/285 compromise handling in any way?

Any thoughts are appreciated!

 

Thinking of moving to the larger 245/285 setup from the OEM 235/275, since TireRack recommends it. Any thoughts or experiences with the larger set?

 

The Michelin PSS run one size bigger. The don't look baloony, but they actually do wrap around the edge of the wheel and extend out a bit further than most tires.

245 PSS = 255 RE050A, same is true for the rears, 285= 295 but will still seat properly without bulging.

 

The Continental Extreme Contact DW is the closest tire to a Michelin PSS. They are an absolute fantastic tire for a daily driver. They are actually even faster in the wet than the PSS (continentals dominate wet weather grip more than any other manufacturer), but in the dry you do lose about 5% maximum grip.

I actually think the DW has superior sidewalls to the PSS and has better steering feedback. I have DW on my daily driver and they are an absolute fantastic driver.

The deciding factor really comes down to price. On some sizes DW is cheaper than PSS by put to 40%, on other sizes the difference is minimal. If the difference is minimal (less than $20) go with PSS (if they aren't on back order, which they have been for a while on many size). If it's a few hundred dollars less, go with the DW.

They are a very comparable tire. The ContiDW will definitely last longer too and are the softest most quiet tire I have ever owned,

Hope that helps

 

That should be fine, DW tend to run slightly narrower so 245/285 will be no problem at all. Just keep the profile the same.

You will absolutely love them compared to the BStones, also, the lighter weight per tire you mentioned is definitely noticeable too. Handling will improve significantly