PS. The Tirerack ratings for the PZero (N2) is much better rated than Pzero Rosso. I would highly recommend trying the Pzero instead of Pzero Rosso (even cheaper).

 

I had PZero Rossos on my 997.1 S and RS4, PS2s on my Cayman and S4, and now the Bridgestones on my 997.2 C4S.

I think the PZeros are the best in the dry, hands-down. TONS of grip (I don't really care about the noise, so I didn't notice whether they were loud or not). They were fine in the rain, too.

The PS2s have a nice ride and grip, but the sidewall seemed MUCH softer than the PZeros. They are overpriced IMO.

The Bridgestones have been VERY good. I had them on an S2000 a few years back and they were disappointing. The N-spec for Porsche is a huge improvement. They are wearing quicker than I anticipated, but I've been very happy with them. Also, they are significantly less expensive than either the Pirellis or Michelins. I'll probably replace my current tires with another set of Bridgestones.

ADias - I need to check whether mine are N0 or N1...

 

Not all RE050A are the same... The N1 are new and superior to the N0.

 

I just put RE-11's on my RS, which I like more than the RE050's and I like a whole lot more than the PS2 Cups.

On the street I thought the PS2s were terrifying in wet, and on the track I found them to be inconsistent and not confidence-inspiring. They didn't seem to do either task very well. I think it's just unrealistic to expect a single tire to be good in both venues.

The PS2s were great at shedding and managing heat. I did like that, but otherwise I don't miss 'em a bit.

I had the PZero Rossos (not Corsas) on my C2S and liked them ok on the street. They did get very noisy at the end, as others have said. On the track they were fine but built up heat fast and didn't last long once they got hot. I wouldn't recommend them for the track at all.

 

I would say 8-10K miles on the rears is the expected norm a) I have -1.9 camber rear, and b) I am drving / cornering around town quite hard. Also, I should add that the calculation of 8-10K miles also includes 1-2 DE events. SO, all in all, I am quite satisfied. Plus, as I have stated before, I'd rather have my care handle like a "sports car" as opposed to a sedan, just to save some $ on tires.

 

For the track you need some Toyo R888 or RA1's.

 

When I got my car, it came with P Zero Rosso's. The tires were stiff and loud, and I thought that was just the price for the great handling. After about 16,000 miles, however, I had had it with the noise. I switched to PS2's, and it is night and day. You still have great handling, but at a noticeably lower noise level and a considerably softer ride. I just replaced the rears (at 27000 miles) with PS2's again. They are expensive but the difference is apparent, at least to me.

 

I decided to just drink the Kool Aid completely and got a set of Hoosier R6s on 18" wheels for the track.

 

Ahh, there ya go! If I trailered my car or tires to the track I'd be drinking the same drink.

 

I appreciate the feedback from all.

I know there are better tires out there in the market. But I'm trying to get a relative feel if it's really worth switching out the fronts, when only my rears will need replacing. I don't like mixing front and rear tire types and want all four to be uniform.

I'm at the stage where the PZRs are already loud, but that doesn't bother me, I hardly ever drive the car in the rain and don't mind a stiff ride (it's is a sports car). So grip, handling, and road feel are my main concerns.

From what I've heard so far, I may just put on another pair of PZRs on the rears and switch to something else next time.

 

I never tracked my 997 but I got 13k out of the rears and still have the fronts with alot of tread left on the PZeros.

With all that being said, if I was to spend that kind of money again on a tire I would probably switch out to the PS2s. They are literally within a few dollars of each other when it comes down to the price of these tires.

I love the little red "PZero" though..

Dave

 

In that case, Id look for a set of pirelli take-offs on Ebay a friend turned me on to that trick, and I bought 2 different sets while waiting for my fronts to bite the weenie saved a ton of money when ready, I say get the 'stones way cheaper than the PS2's, and have been an awesome tire

 

That's what I did...I bought some used take off 305's for a 1/3 of the price that only had 3k miles on them with no patches or plugs. When these wear out I will probably move on.

Dave

 

Personally, I find the PS2's to be over-rated. A good tire, but no better than the P Zero tires I have also had on my 997s. The best tire I've had so far, by a mile, is the RE-11. Way better grip than the PS2, better in the wet, just a stellar tire. The PS2 is one of the best automotive examples I've seen of a product being judged more on its price than its performance and people assuming that the more expensive the product the better it must be. The RE-11s (for me at least) are a much, much better tire.

 

I've tracked all three of the tires being mentioned here, and of them, I preferred the Pzero for grip. However, if the use is almost entirely for the street. I would (and did) go with the Bridgestones. Quite honestly, if you are pushing any of these tires to their limit on the street, you are doing things with the car that really should only be done on the track where you are much less likely to endanger people other than yourself.