I have a new Cayenne Turbo ordered for my wife with 21" wheels. I want to put on 19" winter tires. Knowing from past experience that snow tires for Porsches can sometimes be an adventure to get, I started looking early. According to Tire Rack the 19" that fit the 2011s are 265/50s while previous years called for 255/50s. The new size with a Porsche rating (N0) seems to only be available in one tire - Pirelli Scorpion Mud & Snow. I tried to confirm these size requirements on the Porsche web site but could not. I ordered them from the Tire Rack and they were back ordered but just came in. Just a heads up for new Cayenne owners that want 19" snow tires to start looking early. Now I have to find some wheels. Tire Rack does not list any aftermarket rims for the 2011 in 19s.

 

Will 18" fit the Turbo? 255-55 is a very common size tire with plenty to choose from.

 

The tire sizes for the 2011 Turbo are 265/50-19, 275/45-20, & 295/35-21. The 255-55 is not one of the recommended sizes. The other factor is there may be one of the recommended sizes available other than the Scorpions but do they have an "N" rating. If not, they should not be used on a Porsche. Why, I don't know. That is an entire other discussion.

 

The 2011 Turbo may have bigger calipers then, possibly from the old Turbo S. The old Turbo can run 18" but not the Turbo S. Anyways, how about 20" then, the 275-45-20 seems to be a more common size than the 265-50-19. At least you have 4 winter tires to choose from for now. And if you ever decide to put all season on, you have plenty to choose from on the 20". Anywhere from a $100+ non-N0 rated to a handful of $200-$400 N0 rated to choose from!

I have a 06 S, which came with another not so common 275-45-19. So I know it sucks that I won't have much choices. Personally, I am not going to worry about the N0/Porsche approved or not. If you look at the Pirelli Ice & Snow, how can it be approved for the 19" but not the 20"

 

Here is what the Cayenne Product Guide says about tires, although the 2011 Tequipment isn't out yet. 19" is minimum for Turbo due to brake size, but 265/50-19 so far is a rare beast.

4.7.2 Tires
A new generation of tires will also be
introduced with the new Cayenne models.
These tires offer improved performance,
handling, rolling resistance, tire
wear and weight. Tires generally offer a
high potential for reducing fuel consumption.
The 3 basic components of all tires
were optimized: the rubber mixture,
tread design and casing architecture.
For a tire to obtain Porsche series
approval, it must meet all the demanding
specifications down to the very last
detail. For the market launch of the new
Cayenne models, the new tire generation
from all manufacturers was optimized in
the area of rolling resistance in particular,
while still guaranteeing the performance
typical for Porsche with respect to
handling and braking distance. Porsche
works closely with the tire industry for
this purpose and above all also with its
partner Michelin. A new generation of
tires with especially low rolling resistance
was developed together with
Michelin. These tires are now used for
the first time in the Cayenne.
Summer tires
All summer tires have been newly developed
and contribute to improved fuel
economy thanks to lower rolling resistance.
The new tire generation can be
recognized by the N code on the sidewall.
The following table provides an
overview of all available tires.
Basic characteristics of all tires available
for the Cayenne models:
• High performance on wet and dry
roads
• Lightweight design
• Very good traction and vehicle stability
• High driving comfort, low vibrations
• Low rolling resistance
• Improved wear pattern and longer tire
life
The 21-inch tires are designed especially
for performance and sporty driving.
Thanks to their special rubber mixture
and low tire cross-section, they are particularly
advantageous for fast cornering.
All-season tires
In addition to the familiar 18- and 19-
inch tire sizes, 20-inch all-season tires
are now available for the first time for
the Cayenne models. All-season tires
enable year round use under all weather
conditions (note: all-season tires do not
deliver the same driving characteristics
as pure summer or winter tires under
the respective operating conditions and
represent a compromise).
The new generation of all-season tires
for the Cayenne models was also completely
revamped. Alongside the addition
of the 20-inch tire size to the range, all
tires offer improved rolling resistance
without any losses in comfort or performance.
All all-season tires for the new Cayenne
models are approved up to a speed of
149 mph.
Winter tires
Complete wheel-and-tire sets with 18-,
19- and 20-inch winter tires are also
available through the Tequipment program.
All winter wheel sets are designed
for operation with snow chains (note:
Porsche snow chains can be fitted on all
4 wheels on vehicles with 18-inch tires;
on vehicles with 19- and 20-inch wheels,
snow chains can be fitted only on the
rear wheels).

 

I take it you are referring to the Michelin Latitude Alpin tires?

I'm looking at these in a 20", the 18" is N rated, the 20" is not.

Debating on whether to try a non-N rated tire (I have another post about this very topic).

Trying to decide what/if any downside is to running non N-rated tire. People do it right?

 

I have used both N rated and non-N rated Michelins of the same size in the past and I never felt a difference...I am pretty convinced that it doesnt matter and even if it does the difference is so little that its not felt during normal driving conditions, now they have started this new drama with the N2 tires...so, what now? N1 tires are no good for the 911s?

 

Almost $400 cheaper for the Michelins. I might try them for the winter and see how it goes. I'll post an update

 

Munch - did you end up getting these? If so, what are your driving impressions?

 

I ended up getting a great deal on a set of Pirelli Scorpion Ice and Snow tires that I couldn't pass up. $250 for a set

And with the warm temps thusfar, I haven't even had them on yet! With yesterdays snow, I need to get them mounted up

 

Wow, you got one heck of a deal! I ended up ordering a new set of the Alpins. Will be a week before they arrive, though. I'm in Colorado Springs - the past few years, we've only been getting 5-10 days of decent snow fall, so I think the Alpins should suffice. Thanks for the quick reply. Just out of curiosity, what part of Colo are you from?

 

Funny seeing this post, because just last week, I bought a 011' Panamera 4 from Jack Daniel's Porsche in N.J and they sold me a AWD car with summer tires , i didn't notice until this snow storm hit last week sunday. I couldn't believe that a dealership would even do such a thing, its seemed to me so strange, so I did my research and yes this is what Porsche is doing with all of their Panamera's that are sold with 18 inch wheels. But the dealership took one for the team and swap out a brand new set of M & S (Mud & Snow) tires for me, so i cant complain, they did the right thing. So now I have a summer set and a winter set...
So just giving you guys a heads up to anyone who purchases a Panamera with 18 inch wheels, they are not all season tires.....I hope this helps

Heres the link:
https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...rsche-n-j.html

 

I hear it all the time unfortunately. There are several reasons for why they do, and none of them benefit the customer.

Please give me a call if I can help.

 

I had ordered a set of wheel/snow tire package from Damon at TireRack at the beginning of the winter season, for my 2011 Cayenne V6. The 19" tires were readily available at the time I ordered, but this likely depended upon Tire Rack's current inventory on hand.

I obtained a set of Pirelli 255/50/19" Scorpion Snow and Ice Porsche N0 spec tires mounted on a set of aftermarket German manufactured Borbet Design XA Anthracite wheels with TPMS sensors. Had a chance to test the tires in the snow and ice of CT and upstate NY. These tires really track very well, with no significant slippage noted on the icy roads. Damon was very helpful in guiding me through the purchase.

However, based upon the VIN number of my Cayenne, Damon notified me that TireRack sent me the incorrect TPMS system. So, Tire Rack covered the cost of swapping out the TPMS, rebalance and mounting of the winter tires onto my Cayenne at my local Porsche dealer. Tire Rack really stood behind their product with reliable customer service.

 

thanks....