n2cars

I noticed Tire Rack has the Michelin Pilot Super Sport available for the Spyder. Has anyone tried them?

No HTwo O

I plan to put these on my Boxster someday. Still love my PS2's. Need the 19" sizes.

Alan Smithee

Hmmm...a lot cheaper than PS2s, but they are not N spec.

Marine Blue

Interesting, the weights for the Spyder sizes are very good. Actually the only lighter option are the Pirelli's.

Looking forward to getting impressions from owners who do give them a try.

ClintonM3

Have only heard positive reviews for PSS. Lots of bold claims. It is claimed to have performance level close to that of the Cup tires. 50% better tread wear than PS2. Quieter, better in wet, etc. And I want to get them next spring.



Here is another review
http://www.motormorph.com/?p=3523

Marine Blue

Curious, how many Spyder owners are going to need new tires soon?

Polarporsche

I have them on my GT3 for street use and a rain tire on the track. I will put them on my Spyder when the PS2's are done.

Z356

There was a report a few months back that PAG was going to be installing the Michelin Super Sports on some of the last Spyders produced in July, so I expected the N spec was ready on those tires. However, I haven't heard of a single MY2012 Spyder owner that got Michelin Super Sports when their car finally arrived at their US dealers. Mine had Goodyears. Can some of the other recent Spyder owners post the tires they received? Thanks.

I have heard good things too about the Michelin Super Sports. Some of the gt3 boys have already used them in track events and have reported back. I think many think it's not equal to the Cups on the dry, but superior on the wet. Most are not bothered by the fact that PAG has not gotten around to stamping their N approval rating on them yet - they feel it's just a question of time!

Regarding tires and aggressive, sticky compounds, I found interesting the following thread over at the Teamspeed 987 website. A new Spyder owner from Sweden posted the following on a thread he started:
"Now its time for new tires, the original tires has been okay, even on track, but they had been on hard work some times. We dont use the car in rain anyway, unless we are taken by surprise. That makes R compound tires like Michelin Pilot sport Cup among other in my mind the obvious choice. I went and asked Porsche: Porsche DONT recommend R compound tires on any Boxster or Cayman even Cayman R! Then there Master mechanic whispers me in the ear, that he run R compound on his Cayman R, you just need to make sure that oil level are at Max. So i really didn´t get much out of that question."

Well, here is what I got out of the response the Porsche mechanic (who owns a Cayman R) gave him. I think the mechanic was alluding to the fact that R compound tires generate too much lateral force grip that might interfere with the standard oil pump on the Spyder's engine. We don't have a dry sump system like the Mezger unit. His concern was oil starvation in turns and thus the reference to keeping oil levels at a Maximum on his Cayman. So I DO NOT expect that Porsche WILL EVER approve a sticky R compound tire for the Spyder due to the internal constraints or limitations of our type of engine. But the Michelin Super Sports, to my knowledge, is not R compound. So I think we will get those approved for our cars. Let me know what you guys think!


At the rate Mile2424 is going putting on miles, I would say at least one of us will be putting new tires soon! Saludos, z356

stevecolletti

I thought the same basic engine architecture (9A1) was used for all the direct-inject engines. It's hard to imagine Porsche purposely limiting the oiling capabilities of the 987s versus the 997s. If that is correct, it wouldn't bode well for a 9A1 GT3.

I wonder what the Interseries Cayman guys do to the oiling system?

n2cars

What do you think the tread life is on the original Michelin tire? I have 5500 miles on my Spyder. I just got back from a 3 day 1000 mile road trip. I ran into torrential rain then into a snow storm at 10,000 ft and 29 degrees. Tires and car were great. As an aside, the bucket seats are the best seats I've ever experienced in a car.

Alan Smithee

I think it sounds like 1997 all over again...if this is still an issue with their new engine family, I will have lost another level of respect for the Porsche brand.

Z356

Steve: I hereby designate you as our beta test for R compound tires on the Cayman R. Let us know how it works out. Like you, I put competition tires our old Toyota MR2's in the early 90's and thought it was terrific. I am hoping you will lead the way here and keep us posted on the results.

As an aside, I don't think PAG is limiting the oiling capabilities of the 987's vs the .2 997's per se. I just don't think they are optimal in either. But this is only IN RELATIONSHIP to what they have done with the Mezger engine in their gt3's. I am no expert, but from what I hear from experienced gt3 & Cayman competition guys like Rad (NJ-GT), the weakness of the 987 platform transcends the DFI engine & any remaining oil starvation issues (if in fact they still exist at all). It involves the parts used in the suspension, their strength, their architecture, their lack of adjustment points, etc. So Porsche has not yet shown a willingness to make their mid-engine platform truly competitive in relationship with what they have been willing to do with their gt3 platform. And they are upfront about it. If you want to compete in a Porsche, they will tell you that their gt cars are the way to go and that is what they will support via their Motorsport division.

Regardless, I think that the Spyder and Cayman R are exceptional vehicles that give us a higher grins per dollar invested than any other model in the Porsche range today - including a gt3 RS! But they are handicapping it, on purpose, to preserve the supremacy of the gt cars, and the gt3/RS's in particular. For example, to make a Spyder more competitive at the track, we have seen guys like Savyboy spent upwards to $30K/$35K in better brakes, suspension pieces, etc. I will never do that and neither will most of you. But that is what some of these folks do in order to have some of the performance advantages, reliability and longevity that comes mostly standard in the extremely well engineered & time-tested gt3's, RS's & Cup cars! And even those folks with the latter keep trying to improve them. Me, I am leaving my Spyder stock and learn to love it 'as is'. I will, however, consider a better tire in the future if the beta testing reveals a real improvement in performance within a safe (wet driving) margin...and if oil starvation issues don't crop up!


Much better than in a 997, that is for sure. The original rears on those were done at 15,000 miles without any track events. For those Spyders used mainly for the street, I suspect we will be changing tires because of age - the rubber will get brittle or hard in say two/three years - than because they are truly worn out! It will be interesting to see how the lower inflation pressures on the Spyder and Cayman R affect tire wear!

I don't really know if that is an issue still with the newer DFI engines. I am assuming only that the reason the Porsche mechanic with the Cayman R with the R compound told the OP to keep oil levels at max was because of potential oil starvation issues. See my comments to Steve Colletti regarding how Porsche treats its lesser models vs the gt cars. I would be surprised if you don't agree.

Saludos, z356

Frank Courts

5200 miles on the OEM Perelli tires before replacement. No track miles but hard driving....(they were fun miles!) Get about 10K on my 07 Targa 4S rears.

Alan Smithee

Eh, I don't really agree. Competitive with what? With which organization? At what experience level? At what budget level? At which track or autocross course?

These are all street cars. Sure, the GT3 models have some Cup parts, especially the 4.0 RS. However, while the 987s have some inferior parts and less sophisticated suspension geometry compared to the GT cars, the PASM suspension in those cars is purely a compromise for street use. And once you start modifying a street car, it quickly becomes noncompetitive against the dedicated track cars they would be classed with by any organization. To build a dedicated track car from either starting point, you would rip out the suspension. And brakes. And just about everything else.

Z356

No, you are right, it shouldn't surprise me. We never agree on anything. I am fine with that. z356