Absolutely on all fronts. I was hoping someone would chime in with a setup that is not season specific, but I also knew the truth. I have had the car 4 years, and it is about time I bought a second setup. My summers on the replicas and A/S or winters on the others. I have another car for the office days etc in the winter, so it is not crucial. Just those odd days when it is dry and warm enough. I do drive the 911 often. I run 235/40R18 and 295/30R18 for summer, would consider something a bit skinnier for winter specific.

In the end, I know tyre post' have all been talked about, but hopefully this one more direct with 996 feel on the A/S in the summer.

Thanks peeps.

 

I am running Yokohama Advan Sport A/S year round (18's on stock turbo twists). I live in Illinois about two hours South of St. Louis, and weather wise, we see it all! I drive my 99' year round, and the biggest problem I had with the Michelin Super Sports was below 40F. I am on my second set and have zero complaints. The feel is lighter than the Michelins, but very predictable. In the rain, these are fantastic! And the price is good too. I do agree with everyone else, yes, having dedicated seasonal tires would be great, but.... that is not what I wanted to do. I decided on the Yokohamas over the rest because of past use and I have had no issues, and the specs edged out the other all seasons.

 

@RSQ911 Excellent info. Yeah, I am not sure I want that floaty feeling, I do get the thing in triple in the middle of nowhere mountains. I'll need to buck up and get the second set wrapped. Thanks for the info. Much appreciated.

 

Welcome! Maybe not a "floaty" feel, but as a comparison, the Michelins felt heavier, these Yokohamas actually feel more precise, and the tread mileage was double. Hope that helps.

 

I recently replaced the front tires, yes 225/40/18. Now I have 5-6 left on my 285/30/18 rears and the tires look good. The question is does the 285/35 fit well on the rear, I was also maybe considering going wider with a 295/30. It’s a C2 coupe. Thanks

 

Glenn, you remember my lap times at Blackhawk Farms Raceway with my stock 99 996 cab on Michelin AS/3’s. I was hitting averages of 1:32 for the better laps without traffic and such. Is that fast? No! However, it was still a blast. How much time do you think just a tire change would make? I know you’ve spent time with a stopwatch there and have a good feel for this.

Let’s say, your sticky track tires versus a max performance street tire, versus my all seasons?

 

Mike, yeah tires make a huge difference in lap times. To put things in perspective, Blackhawk is a 2 mile 8 turn track.

You were pretty much at the limit at 1.32 on soft AS/3s.

If you went to PS4s you could comfortably shave 3-4 seconds off a lap with a little bit of track time with your car and without a coilover set-up.

Adding a coliover set-up and stickier tires could give you the potential to hit following lap times.

Michellin PS4s 1:26
Michellin Sport Cups 1.24
Toyo Proxies 1.22
Hoosiers. 1.20

​​​Faster times will require a more elaborate suspension set-up than just a street and track coilover, further enhanced driving skills and guts. Things that we all are looking for.

 

Wow, so tires really do make a huge difference. Thanks for the info!

 

Hah! All the difference in the world! But you knew that one already!

 

Well, I also wanted folks to see exactly how tire decision affects performance. So for example, if someone really wants to get the most out of their 911, they will always go for the very best tire, but they also have a lot of other choices to make as well: driving skill and education, suspension, brake pads, weight reduction, etc. Shaving 3-4 seconds from a 92-second lap time with just tires is part of the equation. I’ve opted to live with 92 seconds instead of 88 seconds so that I can prevent getting stuck in the snow, driving in winter, and not having to change my wheels or tires. Plus, I live in Chicago where average yearly temps are 50F, and they plow and salt the streets, which is where all seasons thrive. However, I’ve been more focused on driver education. In this regard, I was able to shave more than 4 seconds. I was running 1:50s and 1:40s before getting an instructor to help drive the track more efficiently.

I could arguably also replace my mufflers and battery and probably shave another 80lbs and maybe another 5 tenths. I bet alignment by itself, could save me 5 tenths at the expense of tire life. I’ve gotten now 20,000 miles on the AS/3s and still have plenty to go.

 

This is all great info. I always, always, choose as best a tyre as I can for the money. Conti's typically my choice. For a direct comparison I chose Sumi's last time out to see how they compared to the previous Conti and Hankook Ventus tyres. They are as good, if not slightly better dry. Regardless, it is amazing how much time can be saved with the right rubber. You do get what you pay for. I cannot speak for Michelins or Pirellis on this car, have not run them. Your ideology behind tyre choice considering lap times is interesting. I am glad I do not currently track my car, thus, a good street tyre for the summer is primary, once again. Thanks for chiming in on this thread. Great info.