911Joel

I need new tires. Id like to limit it to $1000 though I could go higher if there was compelling reasons.

I have used expensive tires in the past that sucked and dirt cheap tires that rocked. So price does not always mean performance.

I was curious to hear what others would reccomend for this price range.

Barn996

Go on tirerack.com or other sites so you can plug in tire size and type...you'll find lots of choices(winter, summer etc) and brands.

ElTorrente

+1 on Tirerack.com. They have lots of user feedback/reviews and all the info you could want on tires. Great prices, too.

juankimalo

I'm very happy with my Bridgestone Potenza R050A non N rated Porsche

TMAC

I agree with 911Joel. Tirerack is great guys but there has to be on here with opinions. That is the point of a forum.
I have the Michelin pilot sports on my turbo twists and Conti Sport 2s on my Carrera S wheels. I am going to have to replace my 315/25/19s soon so this a question I am looking to answer as well.

blinkwatt

Meh. Buy a set of Falken Azeni Rt615s.

http://www.vulcantire.com/azenis_rt615_t.htm

Thank me later.

UCrazyKid

The Sumitomo HTR Z III has been getting good reviews (note this is different than the HTR II's). They are very reasonably priced and I think you can get out the door with a set of four from the Tire Rack for under $1K. Do a search.

Andy

Patrick E

This is probably an unpopular position, but here it goes:

We've all bought expensive, highly engineered, high performance automobiles. And yet people are always trying to cheap out on their tire selections? If the tires suck, what's the point of everything else? Rubber is the only thing connecting all that fancy German engineering to the ground. I say suck it up and buy some n-spec PS2s. They're pricey, but pricey for a reason.

Just my $.02.

IrocMan

Patrick: +1

Oil, service and tires are item I don't feel comfortable to deal with.
I would try to save money on tires for a regular car (I have some Avon's on my BMW - great grip but noisy and bumpy) but would never try to save $500 every few years on the tires for my Porsche, especially since it's a pretty modern one.
$500 saving on an old 912 that is driven gently on week-ends, why not, but on a 996 I don't think it makes sense.

That's a very personal point of view of course, and maybe some don't want to live their dream at any cost.

chsu74

I went from Conti2s to Sumitomo HTR Z IIIs. Could not be happier. If you are not going to track the car these are good enough.

Sumitomo is owned by Dunlop and have the same tread design. The set cost me less than $700 shipped.

Do a search for these tires on the 993 board and you will find plenty of happy owners there. It is proven.

You also have to realize that European tires are much more expensive due to euro vs dollar exchange rate. As for the suck it up and buy PS2 comment; I agree only if you don't have a budget limit. This thread is not about that. I believe OP is trying to get the best value out of his money.

I would ask if you take your car to a dealer or an indy for service. Its the same logic.

himself

I have been running the Sumitom HRTZ III (or whatever they're called) for about 9 months. They are perfect as street tires. Long life, low noise, good all around and CHEAP. I have over 2 degrees of camber all the way around (closer to 3) for the track, and there is no premature wear on these yet. [For the track I use a separate set of wheels/tires]

Alternately, I used Yokohama AVS ES100 for a year before that - but got rid of them when I moved 18" rims. They were also good for the price.

-td

j-no

Sumitomo HTR Z IIIs, I just put a set on my car, and I couldn't be happier. I had them installed tax and everything for @750-800$.
They are perfect as street tires, they are not n-spec, so it seems the sidewall is softer (among probably lots of other things). The ride quality improved substantially, and the noise is very low as well. It's like I have a new car, I love it.
I had a set of older Michelin Pilot Sports on the car, and they rode pretty rough and were loud (but old probably)
If you track the car you may want something a bit sportier. The steering does seem a liitle less precise than before with the Michelin's.

Steven C.

I would pay any amount for lower noise than the Michelins I have now I hear that the 997 is more insulated from tire noise and I may end up trading up just for that reason even though I like the look of the 996 better.

MechanicalEng

I have the Sumitomos HTR Z III and for the street they are GREAT, but for the track the completely suck...as soon as they reach 110 deg+ they squeal like pigs and have 0 grip...

Wellardmac

All these opinions and not one person has asked what the OP is looking for in a tire. Seek first to understand, then be understood.

The answer will depend up on whether you're looking for high performance track tire, or only use your car on the street.

If you're looking to go on the track, then it's hard to beat PS2s, but if your car is a garage queen street car, then personally IMHO the Bridgestones take a lot of beating (I'm currently running RE750s, the 760s just replaced them in the market).

Your choice all depends on what you're going to demand from your tire. The answer will vary depending upon what you need.