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As garfunkel states both the Michelin and the Continental are very good tires. I have the PS4S on the Spyder and the ExtremeContact Sport on a 96 C4S. I would agree that the PS4S is the better tire but not by much. The current Conti Extreme Contact Sport is much better than the previous model it replaced.
This is just bad advice and is definitely not OK. Especially the part about driving hard to "tear up the rears" after creating a mismatch.
You have to consider tread depths, tread pattern design and relative traction, sidewall strength etc...
You're setting the car up to handle differently/unpredictably. Just don't do it.
In cases like this you have to sacrifice front tires that are in reasonably good condition.
Oh well ..have to take the leap and be prepared to burn two sets of rears before making a complete switch.
That's what I did recently jumping to the Conti's (had two reasonably good PZero's on the front).
Only mix tires this way in a pinch as a temporary fix. If you ever have to do this, just cruise in light driving mode ..avoid any panic situations and unpredictable traction behavior.
OR get a complete set of some other cheaper tire ..there are plenty of options.
The saving grace is the fantastic weight distribution and inherent balance of the Cayman/Boxster.
The Conti's are an excellent tire that provide great communication with the road. More of a Drivers Tire. This is the first I've heard they get hard after 50% wear (which I've experienced with Toyo R888's)
The PS4S's are a bit softer and sacrifice some degree of comms with the road. I've never heard anyone say PS4S's get harder with age and wear, but I also don't hear hardcore Drivers praising them either.
Assuming the usage is spirited street driving (not track), mixed tires F/R are not nearly as dangerous as you imply, but we all get to choose our own level of safety, I guess. Given the variation that's possible within even a matched set of tires over time (pressure, temperature, tread depth) and in the conditions you drive in, you can't control these variables and your driving style and capabilities should accommodate them - ie feel the tires. Your alternative is to buy new tires every few months to ensure they are all "the same" and ditch perfectly good tires. Street use just isn't that critical. I was facing a similar issue to OP but "luckily" got a non-fixable flat in one of the rears so ended up replacing all 4. I have the Goodyears, which I won't get again but it's what I could get at short notice. As they wear they get very noisy. Also, the grip level diminished dramatically, notably at the rear.
I haven't read this whole thread. My brother and I have been tracking a 987.2 CS for the last 5 years.
The first 3.5 years or so we ran on Conti Extreme Contact Sports.
I would venture to say we have 50 - 75 track days worth of experience on this tire and have gone through about 6 sets in that time.
Great tires that perform well. Good value for money.
We stopped using them in the dry because we've moved up to R compound dot slicks but still use them as our wet track tire.
Never had a problem finding them.
They get my vote.
This and the other similar comments will make me consider the Contis. I've had them on previous cars and been underwhelmed (BMWs) but the cost of the Michelins stings a bit.
Still got life in my Goodyears but trying to wear them out quickly. Shoulders look slightly beat up.
Got the tires installed Monday and alignment on Wednesday. Set pressures to 32/33 and I am amazed at how the car has been transformed. I believe its equal part tires and alignment. Same day I got the alignment I put 350km just driving around....no where to go but loving every minute of it. $100 mail in rebate plus selling my old rears helped take the sting out of the price.
Again, very happy. Just need some better weather to enjoy top down driving.
Got the tires installed Monday and alignment on Wednesday. Set pressures to 32/33 and I am amazed at how the car has been transformed. I believe its equal part tires and alignment. Same day I got the alignment I put 350km just driving around....no where to go but loving every minute of it. $100 mail in rebate plus selling my old rears helped take the sting out of the price.
Again, very happy. Just need some better weather to enjoy top down driving.
That sounds great! Even more excited to get my set now. You got PS4S M01 rears and standard fronts, right? Where did you buy the tires from?
Finally put in an order for Michelin PS4S 235/40R19 and 265/40R19 at Costco. They had a $150 discount on a set of 4 Michelin tires. Plus, they include free road hazard warranty. Discount tire had the tires in stock as well but they charge ~$120 for road hazard warranty, and slightly more than costco for installation. All in all, paid $1330 for tires + installation.
I got M01 rears and standard fronts (non NA0). Should be here in a week or so.
The Michelin PS4S are fantastic all around tires. I have run these as summers on my current Audi S6, my previous Audi A8L, and of course on my 981 CS. They grip amazingly, are progressive over longer track sessions (done 25 minutes+), and as I confirmed again great in the wet when my first session at the track last month was rain soaked and yet incredibly predictable on these. I should not have been surprised, as I ran these in a monsoon at Pocono a few years ago in my S6 (yes I did 135mph in the family sedan at pocono in a rain storm- was so bad we got the ok to run with windows down). On top of all that, they stood up really well to be tracked on a 4400 pound sports sedan and gave me way more life than you would expect. I push my Cayman harder than I ever pushed the Audi, but they always amaze me.
I see you already got tires, but a bit of info for possible differences of N vs non N
Years ago I had a friend order tires for his Audi The shop installed N rated tires, which were the right size for his car, but the wrong load rating. (Michelin PS2’s) His car needed a higher load rating, so they replaced the tires with the proper ones. The new ones were the exact same tire, PS2’s as well, just a higher load rating, but had no rim protecter vs the N rated ones that had a rim protector. While this won’t always be the case, it’s possible the picture of the tire shown on tire rack or wherever won’t be what the tire you get actually looks like, also make sure the load rating is correct for the non “N” tires being purchased. Pics below of new PS4’s on my new to me Cayman S with rim protectors vs the tires on my X5 without rim protectors for reference. (Not saying non N rated tires won’t have a rim protector, but this may sometimes be the case. Certainly possible some N rated tires don’t have rim protectors too)
I see you already got tires, but a bit of info for possible differences of N vs non N
Years ago I had a friend order tires for his Audi The shop installed N rated tires, which were the right size for his car, but the wrong load rating. (Michelin PS2’s) His car needed a higher load rating, so they replaced the tires with the proper ones. The new ones were the exact same tire, PS2’s as well, just a higher load rating, but had no rim protecter vs the N rated ones that had a rim protector. While this won’t always be the case, it’s possible the picture of the tire shown on tire rack or wherever won’t be what the tire you get actually looks like, also make sure the load rating is correct for the non “N” tires being purchased. Pics below of new PS4’s on my new to me Cayman S with rim protectors vs the tires on my X5 without rim protectors for reference. (Not saying non N rated tires won’t have a rim protector, but this may sometimes be the case. Certainly possible some N rated tires don’t have rim protectors too)
Thanks for your input! Load rating specs for summer tires on the 19" rims on the 981 are 92Y front, 98Y rear. Both the regular and N01 235/40R19 PS4S fronts are 96Y. M01 265/40R19 PS4S rears are 102Y. So should be good on the load rating.
Regarding rim protector, I guess I won't know till I get the tires. I do have an option to cancel the purchase at any time before installation but the rim protector is not a deal breaker for me.
If Michelin made N-rated 265/40R19 PS4S, I would have shelled out for a full N-rated set.
04-09-2021, 10:06 AM
