Bill P.

After reviewing several threads here on optimal tires for street use I was unable to settle on one that may best suit my driving style. Help would be much appreciated appreciated.

I’m in So. Ca. where it is fairly warm all year. I intend to drive in dry conditions only. Where conditions are appropriate, I drive the car aggressively. Track use is not planned but possible (e.g. not part of this decision). Handling more important than comfort/tread life.

Two possibilities are BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KD and Michelin Pilot Sport Cups. Which would best match the above criteria? Alternatives?

Bill

Greg Fishman

The Cup Sports are R compounds, the G Force are not. The Cups would be faster but possibly shorter life span.

Either would be good, and if you don't like your decision you won't have them on for long anyways. Probably won't get 5K miles out of either set.

RSRRacer

I had the BFG KDs on my 996 for 2 years. Loud as hell due to huge tread blocks, but hands down the best full tread, non R tire in the dry.

They lasted a good 14K on the front and 9K on the rear on my 996, so a bit longet than just 5K miles.

Greg - sorry for not making the race. Something came up at home and could not leave until the PM.

See you

Anir

Bill,

Like Greg mentioned, the Michelin Cup Sports should be great, and I am super happy with my previous generation P-Zero C's.

Bill P.

Anir,

I recall that you were contemplating using the Sport Cups as your next summer tire (I know that you research these things carefully-I appreciate your sharing it!)

Of the Michelin Pilot Sports available on the TireRack web site, is it the shaved tires that you feel offer the best performance? I understand that the "rib" tire offers less sidewall roll but is very difficult to mount and may not perform as well as the cup.


Bill

Greg Fishman

[quote]Originally posted by Chris Brown:
<strong>
Greg - sorry for not making the race. Something came up at home and could not leave until the PM.
</strong><hr></blockquote>

Or was it the rain. No problem I understand, will see you there next time.

Kristoffer

I have the pilot sports on my 993 & I couldn't be happier both on & off the track!! Not to mention they're great in the rain (Although I try to avoid rain).

Viken

[quote]Originally posted by Bill P.:
<strong>Of the Michelin Pilot Sports available on the TireRack web site, is it the shaved tires that you feel offer the best performance? I understand that the "rib" tire offers less sidewall roll but is very difficult to mount and may not perform as well as the cup.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Bill, both the Pilot Sport and Pilot Sport Rib are street tires while the Pilot Spot Cup is an R-compound street legal tire. Neither one of the two street tires comes close in dry performance to the Cup's. Also, the Cup is offered in standard, heat-cycled and shaved form. If you are mostly going to drive it on the streets, I'd go for the standard issue or the heat-cycled one. The latter will give you a slightly longer life. Check out the Tire Rack web site for an explanation of heat cycling.

BTW, the Pilot Sport Rib, as Tire Rack calls it, is the replacement of the existing Pilot Sport. I don't know where the word Rib comes from but it is also called Pilot Sport.

Greg Fishman

Re: Pilot Cup Sports.
I have heard from someone I consider reliable that Tire Rack is going to lose the deal to be the importer/supplier for these tires and that we will see a lot more sizes next year.

I hope that is true, irregardless.

Viken do you know if more sizes are available in Europe. I think this tire is the spec rubber for some racing series.

Bill P.

Viken,

Many thanks for the detailed explanation. Just what I need to help me make a decision. Reviewing the details of “Heat Cycling” on Tire Rack’s web site I see it is a cost effective $15 per tire. The heat cycled, unshaved Cup tire is the one that appears to fit my needs the best for now.


Bill

Viken

Greg,

Tire Rack was the exclusive US distributor for the Sport Cups until recently. Michelin now allows any Michelin dealer to order this tire for their customers. I am not sure if the Tire Rack will lose the distribution, however. My guess is it won't.

Yes, there will be more sizes in the future but I am not aware as to when and I don't know if they already have them in Europe.

Greg Fishman

[quote]Originally posted by Viken:
<strong>
Tire Rack was the exclusive US distributor for the Sport Cups until recently. Michelin now allows any Michelin dealer to order this tire for their customers.
</strong><hr></blockquote>

This is probably what they meant. My local guy gets his stuff through Tire Rack but also has some close ties to Michelin since he sells a lot of them and he was going to check on if there were more sizes available in Europe.

JC in NY

Supposedly there is a Dunlop tire that the club racers use in Europe and Japan that is faster than the Pilot Sport Cup. It is an "R" street tire. I wonder if Dunlop will eventually bring it over to the USA?

Joe@Fabspeed

The Michelin Pilot sportcups are awesome......they last virtually forever and are sticky as hell. It takes several laps to get hot.....once they do they are as fast as Hoosiers. You will only need one set of Michelins for DE and street driving. Heat cyclying seems to have very little effcet on these tires.....its counterintuitive to everything we know about racetires.

"The more you wear it down the faster and better grip you get!" Its a racers money saving dream come true!!!!!!!!!
Joe Fab <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

Jim Michaels

Bill:

You might want to get a copy of the latest Grassroots Motorsports magazine and read the article testing the DOT approved track tires and the 140 or better wear index street tires. The 140 wear index category is significant because SCCA STS class autocrossers must run on 140s or higher.

The BFG KD you mentioned won the street tire competition. Unfortunately, the Cup tires weren't included among the DOT approved track tires tested, but they've been getting some rave reviews from club racers and other track junkies
tired of running through Hoosiers so quickly.

Although the Cups are more suitable for driving on the street/road than are Hoosiers, they are still a track/autox tire with the usual advantages and disadvantages those bring. If I had no plans to track or autox, I don't think I'd choose track tires for road driving. I regularly drive to and from track and autox events on Kumho track tires. Compared to my street tires (S02s), they provide a harsher ride, wear quicker, and pick up gravel and throw most of it up in the fender wells (other gravel remains stuck in the tires). Also, I've never come close to the limits of the S02s on the road. Years ago I did drive all the time on the old BFG R-1s, but that just lasted for one set of tires. After that I got separate wheels for track tires and got street tires for the street. Get what you want, of course, but make the choice fully informed.