Harvey Yancey

I am in the process of ordering a set of Bridgestones (I won them in a drawing earlier this year) and my choices have basically come down to the Potenza S-03 and the Potenza S-02.

I assume that the S-03 is newer than the S-02 ... but which is the better tire?

Thanks!

fluid15

Have you tried looking/searching through the 'Wheels & Tires' Forum? I think I saw a thread comparing those in the past. Could have been here, a Search should turn up something.

YellowC4S

I have used both and am currently riding on the SO-3's. It has been said that the SO-2 has better dry traction. For what it's worth, I can't tell. It has also been said that wet traction is better with the SO-3's. I can attest to this. The treadwear is also supposed to be better on the SO-3. Only time, (and miles), will tell that.
Hope this helps,

swftiii

I'll duplicate Yellow's experiences. Both tires are great and you can't go wrong. I believe the SO3s are a bit quieter and will last longer with better wet traction.

Enjoy

911

The SO2s are better w/ performance...

Hey Skip - I've been waiting for the chance to post something right after you because our avatars are so similar.

Rich

FlatSix911

Take a look at the the TireRack website for the pros and cons on both tires.
They also have Comparison tests and and independent consumer surveys.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/avs_sport.jsp
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/max_max_perf.jsp

I have no affiliation with the TireRack -- hope this helps.

swftiii

Hey Rich,

Before I even read your post I was thinking the same thing. Not only are the photos very similar, but it is almost the same car. That's great.

Later.

Skip

os993

I've had both, and I'm currently on S0-3's. Since I have Michelin Pilot Sport Cups for the track (yipee!!), S0-3's are excellent for daily driving, etc...

I've clocked at least 10k miles on them, and they still look great. Quiet, nice ride, etc.. very acceptable tire for daily driving.

If you plan on aggressively driving these (ie tracking), you might want to consider something else

stedge

I have S03s on my 993, and S02s on the S2000. Different cars, sure, but for daily or non-track use, I think the S03s are better. Far better in the wet than S02s, and close on dry surfaces.

David in LA

I currently have both tires on my cabs. The SO3s seem quieter than the SO2s but I prefer the SO2s.

If you do a search you will find quite a few posts comparing these tires.

Mark in Baltimore

Oleg,

So, do you think the SO-2's will make a good rain track tire? I'll have MPSC's for the dry but am looking for a good tire to run in the rain at the track. Suggestions, anyone? I know the new Michelin PS2's are supposed to be good...

Viken

If you have access to the S-02A, that's the tire to get for the Porsche. The other two don't even come close.

swftiii

Mark,

Remember when you were trying to sell the tire rack on your new trailer... "I don't need the tire rack, I'll never have a second set of wheels" How long has it been? A whole 3 months

I have run the SO2s in the rain at Summit and can tell you that I really liked their feel. I felt very stable and was passing everyone left and right (now if it would only rain again...). I haven't had the comparison, but the SO3s are supposed to be better in the rain than the 2s.

Enjoy

Rick

I think that the S03s are clearly better in the rain; I had both on my car at Mid-Ohio recently on a very rainy day (back to back...not at the same time). I was able to take certain corners much more agressively with the S03s. I managed to spin twice in the wet - both times on the S02s.

The S03s clearly outperformed the S02s in my case in the wet; in the dry, I think they're roughly comparable.

993Widebody

I recently put on S03 pole positions, are these different than straight S03s? Will be going to barber motorsport park in about a week to test them out on the track. I will post my findings then. I have been running P-Zero Assimetricos in the past which I was very pleased with for dry grip track work. I always felt they were the best street tire for DEs, so I am looking forward to finding out how the SO3 PPs compare.