chago996

Anyone tried the new PS2 N-rated tire on their 996.2 model. On the rear, they use size 285x30x18. They came out last year and perhaps some of you can give me their impression on longevity. The reason I ask is that Michelin is finally coming with a PS2 N- rated for the 996.1 (265x35x18) on my size next month and I have had and been very pleased with the PS2 non N-rated tire. I got 27k miles out of the rear tires, and not a fluke, cause I have had 3 rear sets in the last 6 years (currently 107k miles on car). All four tires are finally worn at the same time (front and back) and its time for new shoes. Im hesitant to get the N-spec PS2 and going back to replacing rear tires every 12k (or once a year in my case).

RallyJon

I have them in that size, but not for long enough to determine longevity. They're about 4k miles old. I'll put a tread depth gauge on one tonight for a data point.

Van

What's the difference between the N and non-N tire?

Orient Express

I have the N1 version, and have been getting about 20K out of each set of rears. They are great tires. The fronts have over 40K on them, and I expect at my next replacement cycle at 80K miles, I will replace all 4 tires with PS2s again.

Marc Gelefsky

Courtesy of Tire Rack..

Production tires that have passed all of the tests and received the engineering department's release can be branded with an N-specification. The N-specification brandings include: N-0 (N-zero), N-1, N-2, N-3 or N-4. These markings on a tire's sidewall clearly identify them as approved by Porsche for their vehicles. The N-0 marking is assigned to the first approved version of a tire design. As that design is refined externally or internally, the later significant evolutions will result in a new generation of the tire to be branded with N-1, N-2, N-3, etc., in succession. When a completely new tire design is approved, it receives the N-0 branding and the succession begins again.

rpm's S2

The rest of the story: According to Adrian Streather in his excellent 996 book, the Porsche-approved N-rating is specifically for tires engineered for cars with a rear-weight/rear-engine bias. Regular rated high performance tires are of course usually engineered for cars with a front engine.

chago996

I may be wrong but I think u have the michelin pilot sport rib, which came in N1 and was O.E. on your car 02-04 (285x30x18). I was referring to the michelin pilot sport PS2 which is replacing these recently and came out in your size about a year ago in N-config. They weren't even available in non-N configuration for your size, only the pilot sport rib. They were, though, available in my size in non-N, due to other cars using the same size as O.E. (merc, maserati) in recent years. But now, they are coming on my size as the PS2 N-rated (N3, don't know why, since this is the first version on this size) and they have it in your size as N3 also. So I'm looking for someone (like rallyjon) who has this new tire for about a year and can relate it's wear characteristics.

RallyJon

Sorry for the delay. Also, I have the N2 rears (295/30-18, not 285). There is now an N3 available.

From 9/32" new, I have between 5.1min and 5.8max /32" across both treads measured accurately with an Astro gauge. So in about 4k miles, about 1/2 worn. Ouch.