I was told of an internet dealer here in Switzerland/Germany which sells tires about 50% cheaper than the offical tire dealers and car dealers. I saw that they have 285/30/18 Bridgestone S02's. Now since I only average about 3500 miles on a pair, I am really interested. My Porsche dealer said he'd mount them if I bought them, but to check that they conform to Porsche specs, and he mentioned the code N3. Can anyone confirm/clarify? Thanks

 

I have Bridgestone SO2 N2 currently, and I believe as Viken has previously stated, Porsche just ups the N number each time the mfr brings out a new tire and Porsche test it. I even ran N2 rears with N1 fronts for a while with no ill effects.

 

Interesting, looks like our Tire Rack is quoting SO-3 N3 fronts and SO-2 N2 rears.

<a href="http://www.tirerack.com./tires/CompareTireResults.jsp?startIndex=0&width=null&frontRatio=40&minLoad=nul l&frontDiameter=18&frontRatio=40&rearWidth=285%2F&frontSortCode=53650&re arDia" target="_blank">http://www.tirerack.com./tires/CompareTireResults.jsp?startIndex=0&width=null&frontRatio=40&minLoad=nul l&frontDiameter=18&frontRatio=40&rearWidth=285%2F&frontSortCode=53650&re arDia</a> meter=18&frontWidth=225%2F&rearSortCode=54500&rearRatio=30&minSpeedRatin g=V&search=true&pagelen=20&pagenum=1&pagemark=1&manufacturer=Bridgestone &speed_rating=VR&speed_rating=WR&spe ed_rating=YR&speed_rating=ZR

 

Sorry, I misread Tire Rack's offering. Looks like you can match either N2 or N3 front and rear.

 

Phil,

One thing of potential interest to you. The newer generation tires do not work very well on our older 993's. At least not in terms of ultimate dry performance. If you are at all concerned about this, try to find tires from the same generation as your car. The following are the 18" tires I would choose from for the 993:

225/265 combo:
Pirelli P-Zero Asimmetrico N2
Pirelli P-Zero Asimmetrico N3
Michelin Pilot Sport N0

225/285 combo:
Pirelli P-Zero Asimmetrico N2
Bridgestone S-02 N2

Soon, all of the above will be discontinued and we'll have to resort to R-compound tires.

 

Viken
Do you have any evidence to back up your aasertion that the newer tyres don't work as well as the original fitment items. I am running SO3's in 225/285 and I can't say I can tell the difference from the SO2's (I've been through about 10 sets of rears over the years) The only thing I have noticed is the SO3's seem quieter.

 

Thanks Viken. Hmmmm.... Funny that my mechanic at the Porsche dealer specified N3... Maybe they hope I can't get them at the discount price...

 

[quote]Originally posted by TB993tt:
<strong>Do you have any evidence to back up your aasertion that the newer tyres don't work as well as the original fitment items. I am running SO3's in 225/285 and I can't say I can tell the difference from the SO2's (I've been through about 10 sets of rears over the years) The only thing I have noticed is the SO3's seem quieter.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Yes, the newer generation tires are made with certain criteria's in mind including worldwide government mandates regarding noise and fuel economy. Add to these, customers who readily complain about noisy tires that don't last worth a damn and you get rubber that is full of compromises.

When the 993 was designed, the chassis tuning was based on "maximum performance" tire technology available in the early 90's. Today's tires are completely different and are more suitable for more modern chassis such as the 9x6. If you feel that the S03PP is just as good or better than the S02, you may not be driving your car hard enough to explore the tires' capabilities.

The bottom line is that for the most part, any one of these modern "maximum performance" tires is fine for 90% of the people. But, as far as I am concerned, they fall short on providing maximum dry performance on the 993.

 

[quote]Originally posted by 993RS:
<strong>Thanks Viken. Hmmmm.... Funny that my mechanic at the Porsche dealer specified N3... Maybe they hope I can't get them at the discount price...</strong><hr></blockquote>

Aparently, your mechanic isn't aware that the 18" S-02 was never made with an N3 designation. Only the 17's were.

 

Thanks Viken!

 

The Porsche dealer (and I guess all other official car vendors here as well...) here in Switzerland is selling tires at DOUBLE the price that a German internet vendor is! Does the same situation exist in the States? I am pretty irked. Could understand maybe 20%, but 100%?!

 

While the US Porsche dealers may charge more than a tire dealer, I seriously doubt it would be anything close to double. My only experience has been with a BMW dealer who once charged me 10% more than the local tire dealer.

 

In the 225/285 combo, I went all 4 corners with PZero Asimmetrico N3 and found it to be quite similar to my earlier PZero Asimmetrico N0. I dont claim to be that tyre savvy and I might have missed subtle nuances.

Two factors I consider are reasonable single tyre replaceability in the event of a flat AND dry performance (my existing tyres were bald and one had a nail too)

Factors I DON'T consider since they seem to hinder or bring in too many confusing variables into the equation are wear, wet handling and noise. The wear issue is not because I have an unlimited budget but because there is always the possibility of nails. Besides, how much better is a tyre with a slightly higher wear rating anyway in this performance category. My belief has always been that when we spend so much on these cars, best to do justice to the tyre issue since it is a significant factor and is often compromised since it is a high wear item unlike suspensions etc. The Rosso N4 was even cheaper than the Asim. N3 but I did not go for it. The Rosso was probably more easy to replace going forward too. Several people report success with a few other less expensive tyres too though I have not tried it for fear of not liking them. Dont want to spend twice but thats just me not taking a chance.

I considered N2 but went with N3 since I figured that it might be easier to replace while being close enough.

Also the dealer price ended up being lower than any price I was quoted from any source here. A special break for being patient over an extra day's delay is what I was told. Of course I went with dealer because of a nail even though their initial quote was slightly higher (10%) and I needed replacement soon.

FYI: I dont drive aggressively so take my input as such. I have a modified suspension with your RS bars front and back but I'm driving an AWD vehicle.

Let us know what you end up with and how it works out for you.

 

I confronted the Porsche dealer with the fact that I just bought the tire at 440. CHF instead of their 980 CHF. I told them there was no justification for such an exorbitant difference. They told me, not to forget that they have the expense to dispose of the old tires and that they store my summer wheels in winter and my winter wheels in summer for free...! Oh yes, they mount the tires for free! Sheessh... for 540 CHF per tire, man what a bargain. They admitted informally that they "tend to agree" but can not do anything about it. I asked them who the responsible person was. They did not know! BS!
I am informing all of my Porsche friends here of the internet site selling the tires and telling them to pass on the word...