I would like to have opinions on tires for a 996. Mine are the ContiSport Contacts that I assume are the stock tires for my car. The car is a 2000 and the mileage is about 8200. My main complaint is that they are noisy. I assume this comes from the rear tires since the front ones still look ok compared to the rears.

I am trying to decide whether to buy new ContiSports for the rear to match the fronts, or to buy a new set all the way around and if I do that ......what are the best tires?

Any comments or suggestions are appreciated.

 

EddieC,

I would recommend SO3s. I had the SportContacts too, didn't like them. Not the best dry traction (IMO) and NOISY once worn. The SO3s are much better, both quieter and traction wise. I autocross my car as often as I have time and they've been great. Not sure how much they're running for now and I don't remember how much I paid for them. I believe most people will agree the SO3s are a good choice.

 

Charles - Thanks for the reply. I am looking for quieter tires. Thanks for the input.

 

I went from Conti's Sport Contacts to Pirelli P Zero Rossos. They are way way better. I have driven 6000 miles on tham (including a few track days) and the wear is far better than the Conti's. Much quieter. I would look at the Michelin Pilot Sports but they can be quite pricey. I went to www.wheelenhancement.com and they had some great prices & top notch service. I have the Pirellis on the back, and The original Conti's up front. No problems.

 

i like the conti sport 2's much better than the p zeros because they are much better in the rain

the pzeros are also much noisier after only 4-5k mi and will wear out sooner also.

pirelli customer service also sucks! they failed to honor their warranty on a wintersport 210 that developed a bleb on the sidewall! this forced me to buy a whole new set of winter tires after only 3k miles! pirelli had discontinued the wintersport 210 one month earlier and refused to help me find another in their rotten little dealer network. it will be a cold day in hell when i purchase another damn pirelli! i hope they rot!

 

I have always used Pzeros. But I recently fitted Goodyear Eagle F1s. They are incredible.

 

From a financial point of view, if you can live with the current tires then I would suggest replacing the back only. This is because by the time the fronts wear out you will need to change the rears again anyway. At that time you will need to change 4 tires and can shop for different brands etc.

I personally use the Pilot Sport, are very happy with them and just recently got a fresh set. They are not the longest lasting tire but I found them quiter than the p zero's. Just make sure that when you finally decide to get a tire it is Porsche approved.