RonCT

https://rennlist.com/forums/general-...ml#post6256653

gota911

I haven't read the Excellence article yet, but here is a link to the Tire Rack web site that covers Porsche N-spec tires. This page is not easy to find but is listed under:

- click on SHOPPING TOOLS tab at the top
- select TECH CENTER

There are over 150 tire tech subjects listed.

Tire Rack Porsche N-spec

bjereb

Hey Ron,

Is this in the April 2009 edition of Excellence?

thanks,

bob

RonCT

The Tire Rack doesn't give any details whatsoever - just says tires change... The Excellence goes into how and why including specific tread compound information. I don't have the issue in front of me - it's the new on that just arrived last week - I guess April 2009 - has something like 1400 HP 3 Porsches on the front (Cayman, Turbo, and 997S).

mdrums

Ron, my 2009 C2S came with PS2's with N1 spec rating. I've never seen any of these tires with N2/3/4 ratings.

RonCT

Here's the Tire Rack area for PS2. I was looking at the Cayman / Boxster sizes as that's what the article keyed in on. You can see the various N ratings and when you pick the N4 it shows they are made for the 2009 Porsches, including the 997 (18" for the base car).
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Sizes....ilot+Sport+PS2

I see your point - they don't show a N4 for the 2009 C2S in 19"... I wonder if that's something coming down the pipe-line. An updated N tire for the 2009 C2S...

p-cardriver

I must be really clueless - I've gone through the April Excellence several times and I can't find anything about N-spec anywhere. Got a page number for me?

RonCT

It's within the article about the 2009 Cayman S.

p-cardriver

Thanks Ron, but if you're referring to this paragraph:
""The increased power of the new flat sixes, combined with a new generation of Michelin Pilot Sport tires featuring seven percent lower rolling resistance along with reduced tire pressures, required a major rethink," says Volker Munz, team manager for chassis and suspension engineering. Porsche is an early adopter of the latest Pilot Sports; the tires are constructed from eco-friendly, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-free rubber compounds, a technology not required by law for another twelve months." (p 61, 62)
...then I'm disappointed. Doesn't really explain much about N-ratings although it is clear the suspension is tuned to this tire.

RonCT

There was more to it than that and when I have a chance to read the magazine again, I'll post.

mdrums

Ron, Excellence may talk about N4 spec PS2's but the 09 Carrera S cars are coming with N1 spec. Mine are N1 spec and so are a couple on my dealers lot I stopped at on the way home tonight.

I also do not know what the Excellence article is talking about with "reduced tire pressures" wither because the manual has raised the pressure 1 psi to 34/40.

JW911

I've read the April issue from cover to cover and I can't find anything explaining N spec tires. There was a small blurb in the Cayman article that talked about the new Michelin Pilot Sport. That was it. Nothing explaining N Spec.

zellamsee

There was an article re Porsche's tire testing in a recent issue of Christophorus -- RonCT, perhaps that is what you recall?

welbo

My C2S in 19" also comes with PS2 N1 spec. Never seen a N4 Spec PS2 before till date.

RonCT

As was quoted from the article above, and also as highlighted within Porsche brochures, their website, etc.

"The increased power of the new flat sixes, combined with a new generation of Michelin Pilot Sport tires featuring seven percent lower rolling resistance along with reduced tire pressures, required a major rethink," says Volker Munz, team manager for chassis and suspension engineering. Porsche is an early adopter of the latest Pilot Sports; the tires are constructed from eco-friendly, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-free rubber compounds, a technology not required by law for another twelve months. (Excellence, April 2009, pages 61- 62)

The tires on the new 2009 Cayman are the newest N-4 specification in 235/265 x 18". This latest N-specification tire was designed to have 7% lower rolling resistance, is designed to operate at lower tire pressures, and is made of an entirely new compound. Thus, I would say it is "considerably" different than previous N-specification tires. Per Tire Rack - you do not want to mix-and-match N-specification tires. For example, if you go through 3 sets of rears per 1 set of fronts and when you are ready to replace the rears they only have N-3 still in production yet your fronts are N-1 -- then it is recommended that you change all 4 tires to the latest N-3 tire so as to not have different design / compound front to rear.

Per the Tire Rack N-specification link posted above:

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.

It is recommended that only matching tires be used on Porsche vehicles. Since many Porsche vehicles are fitted with differently sized tires on their front and rear axles, this means matching the tire make, tire type and N-specification. If a vehicle was originally delivered with N-specification tires that have been discontinued and are no longer available, it is recommended to change all four tires to a higher numeric N-specification design appropriate for that vehicle. Mixed tire types are not permissible.

It is also important to know that while Porsche N-specification tires have been fine tuned to meet the specific performance needs of Porsche vehicles, the tire manufacturers may also build other tires featuring the same name, size and speed rating as the N-specification tires for non-Porsche applications. These tires may not be branded with the Porsche N-specification because they do not share the same internal construction and/or tread compound ingredients as the N-specification tires. Using tires that are not N-specific is not recommended and mixing them with other N-specification tires is not permissible.