halperin45

I’ve been researching this a lot but still don’t understand fully. Since the 997.2 has different size requirements of tires in front and back, smaller in front larger in back, is it okay to use different brand tires for the front and back as long as they are correct size? So I would be using the correct size and both same brands for the axle they are on.

thinkjg about doing 2 of the nanking tires on the front axle and 2 s04 poles on the back for the larger Tires.

semicycler

Normal commuter cars at no more than highway speeds are generally OK as long as the tires are matched on the axle.

A sports car where handling is important like a Porsche should match brands at a minimum to keep the tread pattern and rubber compounds the same. I've mixed PS2's in front with MPSS in rear on the street until the PS2's were worn, then switched to all MPSS's, but they are the same brand with similar tread/compounds.

High speed driving and carving require matched brands and makes otherwise it affects understeer, oversteer and straight line braking. No way I'd take a turn at 8/10 or 9/10 with mixed brand tires.

Tracking a car not only requires matching brands and makes, but tread depth and watching your pressures.

So depending upon use cases the answer to your question is yes on a Prius, maybe on a commuter, maybe not on a sports car commuter, and no way on an enthusiast driven car or tracked vehicle.

Bruce In Philly

2009 C2S 119K miles

Yes you can. However.... performance is compromised as each brand or model of tire will flex and grip differently. Your car will not explode and you may never notice a difference if you are just using the car around town to show off or get groceries. But you purchased a car that is designed for performance and to achieve the stated objectives of the car, you need to keep the suspension and tires to spec..... mixing brands or models is a no no.

Porsche even goes so far as to publish recommended tires and they work with makers to determine characteristics desired by Porsche. Recommended tires even are denoted with an "N" in the model/size. You can obtain a list of recommended tires for your car from a dealer or from the web. Some will say this "N" is BS, I don't follow it, but it all ties to the car being a performance-oriented car and Porsche is giving you the information to keep it that way.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

SoCal C2S

Spend the money and replace all four.

Mixing tire brands/sizes is not advisable as it makes the handling unstable.

okbarnett

mainstream tire brands like pirelli, michelin, good year, conti, bridgestone, firestone are among the most popular brands in the world and have hi production numbers from large factories, whereas these newcomer brands that are $20 less are made who knows where out of who knows what material. At least buy reasonable quality brands for your porsche and look like you are trying to cheapen it with different off brands of tires

Linnm

Porsche says no. Why tempt fate?

halperin45

yes thank you, not worth it for the slight difference in cost. i will just be replacing all 4. ill prob replace all 4 with the potenza s04 poles. im seeing a 900 cost for all 4. vs a 750 cost for the kumho/hankooks. reviews say they are just fine for street but for only 150 prob better to just get the better brand/rated tire.

any 1 have insight on the difference from the potenzas to the hankook/kunhos. my biggest

DC911S

I’ve got Hankook Ventus V12 on my 2009 C4S as it came that way. For the price they are pretty good and just fine for spirited backroad fun. Not sure I would track them but for DD and some fun, they would be ok. Really good grip but the sidewall does flex some on sharp or hard turns. Good in the rain too. If your not wanting to pop for the Michelins they are not a bad alternative

ilikeyourmom

+1, great tires. Had them on my e46 M3. I will be getting PS2s but these are a great value.

mpath

Timely thread. I just put on my winters. My summer PZero rears are due for replacement next spring, while the fronts looks fine for another year. But I'd like to try a different brand. So the consensus is change all four at the same time?

Fined

I would absolutely not run a different tread pattern front to back in a RWD car.


A FWD non performance car... I might consider it if need required.

Kuhl997.2!

I have S04 and Pilots with different wheel sets. I like to switch them when ever I feel the whim, almost like having two Porsches. For fun I switched back and forth with them running one manufacturer on the front and the other manufacture on the rear then visa-versa. Honestly I couldn't feel any thing that I felt was dangerous, out of balance or scary except for the differences in the manufacture's tire them selfs. The S04 are nice tires especially for the price. They are a little softer riding, a smidgen quiter, and feel a little less confident with more aggressive driving but they actually feel more confident in the rain. I can not imagine driving with anything less than the SO4s. You mileage may very. Cheers

z3mcoupe

Agree 100%. Why take the risk on a car with over 60% of the weight over the rear axle? Even if you don't plan on driving it hard, an emergency avoidance maneuver at high speed might put you in risk with different levels of adhesion from the front and rear tires.

The only time I spun a car, on the street, (in the wet at 30mph) was when I had mis-matched front and rear tires. I learned my lesson that day.

Petza914

We run the Hankooks on my wife's 997 DD and they're perfect for that purpose. I use Nitto Invos on mine which are grippier and a softer compound for more spirited driving, but don't last as long.

wjk_glynn

I agree, they're in a nice sweet spot when it comes to price/performance.

Now I have tracked them and while they don't offer the outright grip (and hence laptime) of other tires, they don't fall apart either and are fine if you're just out having some fun.

36-38 PSI hot (both front and rear) works for me with them.

Karl.