fast_freddy

I have run the following tires in the past five years:

Pilot Sport Ribs: Pure garbage in temps under 70F, not bad between 70 and 80F, pretty sticky over 80. Good overall in the wet. I have them on my "regular" wheels now and can't wait until I wear them out. It doesnt take much throttle to light them up. Overall an enormous rip off. Oh yeah there pretty good in the wet which lately hasn't been a bad thing.

PS/2's: Terrific stick and turn in and comes up to temp pretty quickly if the ambient temp is over 65F. Ultimate grip is a bit lacking. Very good in the wet. Not as quick as some "lesser" tires (Dunlop Star Spec for example) in auto-x applications but not bad. I went through these like Kleenex. Grossly overpriced.

Bridgestone RE-01R: Reasonable stick when hot, takes forever to get heat into them. Not bad for DE's pure **** in auto-x, they just slide around. Pure crap in the wet.

Bridgestone RE-11: Fairly compliant ride, turn in is so-so, but once the turn is set it hold like nobodies business, terrific ultimate grip and very communicative at the limit. Pretty good in the wet. Not as fast as some reviews purport them to be but overall a good value relative to the Michelins.

Michelin Pilot Sport Cups: Takes me forever to get heat into them on the track but once there they are nothing short of terrific.

With all that being said my driving style doesnt put much heat into tires so consider that if you actually give a crap about what I wrote.

V

Not at all, your point is very valid and applies to lots of conversations here on RL.

Kika

Yes, I beleive they were the 712s, and YES they were AWFUL, hated them. I never took the car out in the rain mostly because of them, and secondly, the Targa top leaked...right on my left thigh.

Tour18

Great Rennlist thread.

e9stibi

Any experience with the Hankook Ventus V12 Evos? They performed very decent in the test. Their big advantage is that they come in the sizes I need for my wide-body car (285 or 295 / 30 / 18). Prices are very competitive and they currently come with a 50 USD mail-in rebate which is not unimportant for a car mainly driven at DEs.

DougM

I am having the Hankook V12 put on my car this morning. The price is good and I have had other Hankooks before.

e9stibi

@Doug - I would be interested into your expereince. Do you plan to go to DEs? The problem with my 'preferred tires' (Dunlop Direzza, falken 615 RT, Kumho Ecxta XS, Hankook RS2) is that they do not come in the required size (285 / 295 /18). Currently there are great close-out deals out there on tirerack for the hankook RS2: 225/40ZR18 for 84 USD and 265/35ZR18 for 99 USD. BUT NO 285s ...

autobonrun

N merely means that particular model or iteration of a particular tire has been tested by Porsche and according to what I've read, Porsche has had input in the development of the tire.

That does not necessarily mean another tire that hasn't been tested by Porsche will not perform well on the car. The tire manufacturer tests the tire themselves but has not paid to have it tested specifically on the Porsche. Owners frequently change suspension components, springs, shocks, ride height, etc. I would be more concerned with those changes on handling characteristics than a non tested tire. I wouldn't say it's marketing hype or BS, just not as critical to the cars performance as other items. IMO.

Wilder

Based on your options:

1) Star Specs. I've done extensive research recently and these are by far the best UHP tires I could find, especially for the money. Super sticky in the dry, perform very well in the wet, relatively light, great turn-in and perform especially well on heavier cars (stiffer sidewall). I just can't believe they are so cheap for what you get.

2) Summi's. I've never owned them but they are "RL certified". Also the cheapest option.

3) Stones. The RE-11s are probably a better match to your other choices than the RE050As. The RE-11s are better than the Strar Specs on lighter cars but not on heavier cars like the 993. They are also more $$$

4) PS2s. Great tires but poor tread life and too much $$$. I'll never buy them again.

Azenis RT-615 were suggested by a few. I was one of the first to have them on a 993 here on RL. They were a great tire a few years ago but there are better options for the same money now...like the Star Specs.

Dudley

I hate that they are over priced but I will not never put anything but Michelin PS2s on my car again.
Great tire in the dry with a lot of feedback - these tires are best I have ever driven. I have driven them in both light and heavy rain - solid performers. There is a reason that these tires are so popular despite the cost.