LexVan

Buy good tires.

What model 991?
How do you use the car?

If you need tires now, buy the Michelin Super Sports.
If you can wait till spring buy the new Michelin Sport 4S.

Order tires 2-4 months BEFORE you need them, our tire sizes are hard to get at certain times of the year (especially spring/summer) and especially the rear 305s.

Need4S

Generic option is a Michelin tire model that they sell according to their own specs for a given size, such as 305/30-20. "N" spec is a particular variant of the same tire model tweaked according to specs provided by Porsche. "N0" is the first Porsche spec variant. Sometimes Porsche will update the spec for the same tire model for whatever reasons, so the next would be "N1, N2," etc.

Porsche to my knowledge does not publish their specs though sometimes they are obvious, such as if they spec a shallower initial tread depth. Most often, you can't tell by casual visual inspection, i.e. they may spec a slightly different compound, or sidewall thickness or flexibility. The differences are intended by Porsche to optimize the tire to the car.

If your car came with "N" spec tires, many suggest staying with N spec replacements to maintain OEM performance, but often the differences are subtle.

Other manufacturers do the same thing. Ferrari has "K" spec tires, for example.

Most important is to get the right sizes and usually best to get all four tires the same make and model. If you get the new 4S at the rear and older SS on the front, and if as expected, the 4S's grip better, for example, your mostly neutral handling car may now understeer.

bittrl1000

You know how you can buy different size versions of a tire (width, aspect ratio, rim diameter)? Well, you can also buy different versions of a tire based on whether a car manufacturer (Porsche, Ferrari, etc) has approved that version of the tire. So you can buy a Michelin (Tire manufacturer) Pilot Super Sport (model of tire) 245/35-20 (size) K0 (Ferrari approved).

Lastly, K0 is the first version of that tire model that Ferrari has approved. K1 would be the second verions, etc. Porsche's approvals are N0, N1, etc.

Vise

Agreed 100%, I pay my shop around $100 for mount/balance and my car has center locks so there is additional labour + skills/tools required. $350 for mount/balance sounds like Porsche tax to the extreme.

9914s

Did they order the tires? How long it took them to get them? Thanks

dgoldenz

I ordered them through Costco website, free delivery to the Costco tire center. Took about 5 days to get them in stock. $1160 w/ 8.1% tax and install plus I get 2% back as Executive member.

jkfuel

Solid advice.

Bemo

Discount Tire or Costco? I'm weird in that I don't let non-dealer shops do any wheel/tire work.

Tire gorillas abound everywhere, who will pay if the rims get messed up or the mounting/balancing isn't right? Cheap is good until you realize that, sometimes, you get what you pay for.

Mistakes can happen at the dealer, too, the difference being you can b!tch and moan and get yours at the end.

To each their own.

The Fat Kid

+1.

I use a VW/Audi/Porsche indie shop. They Hunter Road Force balance and the same tech always works on my car. Definitely worth $125 vs $60 at a discount chain.

dgoldenz

Costco will make any problem right, they are built on customer service. They'll take something back that you bought 10 years ago. Seriously.

Mounting tires isn't rocket science and Costco only uses Michelin-certified tire techs. Seems fine to me. I'm not paying $500 more at a dealer or indy shop, we're not talking about engine work here.

Rambler_13

I think the idea of going to Costco for auto service (let alone a Porsche) is an unfamiliar, very foreign concept around here, at least to me it is. To me and perhaps others in the NE, it sounds like the equivalent of taking your car to Walmart for service. I thought the first post about it here was a joke, in fact. I'm not trying to sound snobbish as I'm all for inexpensive, satisfaction guaranteed service. But taking my car to Costco for any service would be an entirely new experience for me.

LexVan

I let Tire Rack mount and balance my new shoes. $15 per wheel. Excellent quality work. I load up my SUV and make the 180 mile road trip.

ipse dixit

Tire Rack does not service wheels/tires. They outsource to local tire shops.

stealthpilot

I think he lives near Tire Rack. If you live close I'm sure they would serve you. Not an option for most people

ipse dixit

If by "soon" you mean within the next 2-3 months, then just order the MPSS.

3-4 months out (or longer), then just get the MPS4, which according to my friend who was invited to test them out, are essentially the same as the MPSS, especially for daily use. Might be marginally better if you take them to AutoX or an HPDE.