Michelin AS/3 on 981 BS
#2
Banned
Not on a Porsche but I have the AS/3 on the BMW 335 and really like them. Quite, appears to have great tread wear, very good in dry/wet conditions, just ok in light snow. BTW there is a new version AS/3 + you should look at.
#3
I have them on my Lexus is350 and like them. Looking like they'll go at least 30k miles. Can't find anyone selling them for Porsche Boxster. Everyone is just selling summer tires. Wonder how long they would last, assuming one could even find them?
#5
#6
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I have the A/S 3+ on my Audi S4. Very satisfied with the choice. I prefer them to the Conti SportContact 3 OE tires. I was concerned about steering response around center maybe feeling slow or making the Audi feel even more numb. Turned out to not be the case, at all, even though I was essentially comparing a well-worn Max Performance Summer tire to a new All Season. Too soon to comment on longevity. BTW, Michelin's Promise Plan provides pretty good protection against buyer's remorse.
#7
Three Wheelin'
For the few days/nights you'll experience <40 degrees just drive conservatively. Or, take your Lexus.
Oh, BTW I have the A/S 3's on my Volvo. They're a significant performance improvement over the old all-season tire they replaced. I do not have any experience with them on my Cayman. Although, I have a friend who drives a BMW M3. He put the A/S 3's on and found that they do NOT handle as well as summer performance tires although they allow him to drive in the winter though not in more than a coating of snow.
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#8
The A/S3+ or similar (Conti DWS 6+, etc), is all the tire you need for our cars, unless you really like to push them beyond 8/10s. Keep in mind there're about 15 tire categories, with the A/S3s only being a couple of notches below max summer, which is what 981s come stock with (except the GT4). They're immensely better than our tires in cooler temperatures, and not that much worse in dry grip. Plus they're quieter, ride better, last longer, and cost less. They're the highest performing all-seasons, called 'ultra high-performance all-season'. A far cry from the all-seasons found on Civics and Corollas. Tirerack makes test videos of such tires. Check them out. Having said that, nobody makes such tires for our 981s in 20s, and I believe 19s as well. It's a shame. I like to push my car hard when I can, but at the cool mountains, I'd be better off with those than max summers even in summer (and MUCH better off the other seasons), since they can never reach their optimal temperature. When it's time to ditch the mediocre F1s, will search again for UHP-A/Ss. If unsuccessful, will buy the new PSS replacements (Pilot 4S).
#9
That's too bad that they don't make these AS/3 tires for these cars. Seems like a great value!
So, driving the PSS in cold weather is ok if driving conservatively? How conservatively? Like driving an SUV around? :-)
So, driving the PSS in cold weather is ok if driving conservatively? How conservatively? Like driving an SUV around? :-)
#10
I had PSS in cold weather and even drove in the snow in my M3 and was fine in it. Now this was a few inches of snow in Atlanta. And also it did not have much grip going uphill so you need a bit of momentum. So in no snow just cold temps they were perfectly fine.
#11
Three Wheelin'
Well, I must say that you are an expert at car control! I drove my M3 in snow once. That was it - never again. Maybe the snow in CT is slipperier than GA??
#13
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I use PSS in Austin TX. We have some weather in the 20's but winter is usually lows in the high 30's. You won't have a problem as long as you aren't going crazy right out of the garage. Once the tires have a few miles on them they will grip just fine. Sun warms the road and the tires to higher temps than ambient.
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maschinetheist (12-29-2020)
#14
I use PSS in Austin TX. We have some weather in the 20's but winter is usually lows in the high 30's. You won't have a problem as long as you aren't going crazy right out of the garage. Once the tires have a few miles on them they will grip just fine. Sun warms the road and the tires to higher temps than ambient.
#15
I'd say VERY conservatively. Problem with cold summer tires (even when dry) is they give you absolutely no warning when they let go. And THAT is the most dangerous part. In the wet, they're much worse. I had an accident on a V8 M3 with summer tires during a freak storm. Was taking it very easily, when I hit a pothole, sending the car spinning out of control like if it was on ice, and hit a guard rail. Could drive back, but even though I was aware of diminished performance, it was less than I expected. I'd have made a U-turn if I had known they were that bad. It was in the 40s on a freaking straight stretch. All it took to break the tires' traction was a pothole going straight. So please learn from me that summer tires are simply not meant for winter. And yes, I've attended several bike and car track schools (including skid control, evasive maneuvering, etc) , so I'm probably a better than average driver. Be smart folks.