Here's an interesting thing. I've just bought a 2007 DB9 (pics in a few days, it's in for a service now) and it has Pirellis with new tread on the front, and Bridgestones with 50% wear on the rears. The PO was unable to find the correct tires at the time and was forced to commit this heinous mismatch felony.

My OCD tells me I have to change them, and here's my problem.

I know that Bridgestones are the OEM recommended for this car, but reading back it looks like many owners go for Pilot Super Sports and claim a far better ride experience than the Bridgestones.

So who do I follow? The manufacturer who match/tune these tires with the DB9 and has the test authority and expertise to prove it? Or owners who are the vocal majority and prefer the Michelins?

I don't have the time to experiment seeing as I only do 3-4k a year with my second cars, so the first choice has to be right first time. Adding to the problem that new DB9's are coming out with Pirelli's, and I'm completely lost for choice.

 

I have a 2012 Virage which came stock with Pirelli's. When I first needed tires I asked my SA (Lucien in Marin) about whether to stay with Pirelli's or go with the PSS (which is all I used on my BMW). His recommendation was to stick with the Pirelli's based on direct customer feedback. He stated that Vantage owners were happy with the switch to PSS, but most of the DB9 owners were not happy when they switched to PSS, and as a result most use the Pirelli's (if that was their stock tire).

I put about 12k miles a year on the car and have been happy with the Pirelli's. For wear, I was able to get almost 15k miles on the rears and 25k miles on the fronts.

 

Cant go wrong with pss!

 

Absolutely 100% yes we do know better. The reason Aston Martin uses the RE050A is they are bound by contract to use those tires, and that decision was made a lifetime ago back in 2006 when the vantage first came out. It is NOT because those tires are best for the car, it's all bc they are required to.

With that said, they did put the Pirelli Corsas on the V12V which is a fantastic tire too but is astronomically expensive, and don't last that long with only a 60 treadwear. They do have by far the best looking sidewalls if aesthetics are important to you.

PSS is the best balance of all tires and they do ride the best & softest because of both their softer compound & sidewall, but also bc they are one of the lightest tires on the market as well (less rotating unsprung mass = softer ride as well).

Switch to PSS, you will not be disappointed

 

Manufacturer authority on tires? Pure unadulterated BS. All the car manufacturers care about is getting a decent tire at a cheap price. I wouldn't believe a car manufacturer about the 'best' tire for their car as far as I could throw them. A bazillion positive PSS reviews on Tirerack can't be wrong. EOS.

PS: Bridgestones fitted to Astons are POS.

 

OEM RE050's are an awful tire, end of story. PSS are an excellent tire. Although P Zero Corsas are not an awful tire, PS Cup 2's are better. There's a pattern here...

 

Congrats on the 2007 DB9. My 07 DB9 will never wear Bridgestone's again. The handling and ride was tremendously improved with PSS. Less road noise as well. Although in my case, the road noise was somewhat affected by a quicksilver supersport exhaust.

 

The Pirelli Corsas do not really shine until you take the, on track and really heat them up. Once fully hot and at the limit the Corsas will surprise you immensely, but on the street they never achieve even half of their max grip with the tires cold.

When I tracked my Lambos on Corsas, I could not believe how much massive abuse they could take without chunking or degrading. Even at 52psi, they never got greasy or felt slippery at all. I still couldn't believe the psi when I came off track after the first session of the day and saw they were 52psi, I would have guessed 40-42 based on how much grip they had. Needless to say I quickly lowered pressures to 36 hot and lap times fell even further.

Nothing beats a Trofeo R, but the Corsas are a good tire. Cup 2s are also a great choice as well but still not as good as the Trofeo Rs (which are unfortunately horrible when cold or in the wet, hence why they are truly only a track only tire). Corsa strikes a good balance with the exception of tire wear. You can still get 4-5k out of Corsas, but not much more than that. PSS on the same level of abuse would probably net 10-12k

 

Also remember this; tire technology is constantly evolving. What was recommended and used in 2007 when your car was made has certainly been superseded by better product. Even within the Bridgestone line, there are better tires.

I have had, and raced S2000's for a while. The Bridgestone re050 was the oem tire on that car back in the early 2000's. It's old technology.

As soon as I got my Vantage, I replaced the tires with the PSS, love them and haven't looked back. However, when it's time to replace the PSS, it's likely something newer and better will be available. Just like computers/iPads/phones. Technology marches forward.

 

Good thread!!

 

Yes, my backside, hands, feet and ears recognized a harshness requiring a remedy.

So I called an expert, Tire Rack, and asked for guidance. The clerk/car fan who answered used one sentence which really helped my decision. He said, "all the guys here outfit their cars with Michelin Pilot Super Sport".

Remedy found.

 

All car manufacturers build to a price, and pricing is affected by literally every component on the car. Tires are selected to a compromise. Price, dry performance, wet performance, road noise, ride comfort, and wear ratings all have to be balanced.

The Michelin PSS tires are hands-down the best around for that category of tire, and even perform better in the rain than some all-seasons I've used.

Funny this came up... I just got back from the tire shop. 285/35R19 MPSS tires are on backorder

 

My 09 DB9 had the stock bridgestones on it when I got it. Granted they were 5 years old. Researched it and got the PSS's. Great ride. Have tracked it and no problems with grip there (even in the dirt :0).

 

Interesting comments and valuable advice. However should this discussion include Vantage experiences though? No offense - I was an V8V owner myself two days ago, but they drive differently to the DB9. Am I right here?

I'm interested in the comment from JuanP too: "Vantage owners were happy with the switch to PSS, but most of the DB9 owners were not happy when they switched to PSS, and as a result most use the Pirelli's (if that was their stock tire)."

Despite the overwhelming evidence here and on other threads that owners prefer every other tire except the factory recommended ones, then why? Surely a top rated prestige brand like AM wouldn't jeopardise their reputation by selecting sub-standard tires. I just don't get it.

In an interesting twist my tire guy told me yesterday that the Pirellis on the front were for Porsche. Everything is wrong about this setup!

 

The best street tire on the market right now actually probably is a Bridgestone... But it's the new Potenza RE-71R. It is available only up to size 285/35/19, but as far as extreme grip, it's probably the best tire out there.

I guarantee though it will not ride soft and the sidewalls will be super stiff. But for extreme grip and track performance it's probably the best trackable DOT tire on the market (the Direzza Z1 star spec probably a close second).

For a good street tire, PSS still strikes the best balance for comfort and performance and longevity. It will not have the maximum outright grip of the other two mentioned, but it will be much better to live with on a daily basis.