paolotvl

Hello everybody,

I need to replace the tires on my 2005 Carreras S. I do not take it to the race track (unfortunately I don't fit in the car wearing a helmet) so my tires are for normal road use only. I usually go for Michelin or Continental. But I always wonder whether I am wasting money or not. Don't get me wrong, Michelin and similar brands are market leaders for many reasons, but they also have to face the higher costs of advertising and marketing, which is probably a big slice of their cost. I have read several threads regarding alternative choice for tires on the 997 so, I don't want to start a discussion on whether or not they are N certified, whether or not they are unsafe because they're not recommended by Porsche, or about The cost of owning a Porsche. I just want to hear mostly from other Porsche owners who decided to go for cheaper alternatives for road use (Kumho or Hankook) and get their feedback. I know many in this forum have experience with these brands for comp/track tires. I'd like to get feedback on this tires for everyday use. I very much appreciate everybody who will share his/her experience.

Thanks,

Paolo

PS: these are the tires I'm talking about: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....e&autoModClar=

paolotvl

BTW: my Avatar is a pics of my previous car, a 1993 Carrera 2 Convertible, on which I always had Continentals.

DHC

Have had my '07 for a year, and will be replacing the Pirellis probably with Kumhos. Like you, I don't hit the track and not interested in paying extra for the marginal improvement from Michelins, etc.

utkinpol

I would recommend potenzas RE11 tires instead.

mjsporsche

Look at the Continental ExtremeContact DWS. A little more expensive but excellent feedback by many.

gonz911

Another less expensive from PS2 and a few others is the Hankook Ventus V12 EVO K110.

Marlon Targa 86

Love my Kumho's.

No HTwo O

I love my Kumho SPT's
235/40/18 and 295/30/18.

Are the Michelin Super Sports available in your 19" sizes?

GSIRM3

Never had them on a 911, but we had them on my wife's Acura MDX. We went through two sets trying to get them to balance. Finally, dealer just put on Michelin (we paid the price difference). They were the worst tires I have ever experienced. Never again.

Spokane5150

Michelin Super Sport. It's not worth trying to save a few hundred dollars on anything else. These tires are very predictable and perform fantastic.

paolotvl

Thank you all. My intent is not to save money, it is to understand if the price difference indicates a difference in quality/performance, or, if only part of it, how much. From all the feedback and reviews I found I believe it is worth it to give it a shot. If I don't like them, I'll find a way to melt them, as one of my friends suggested ;-)
I saw the Continental DWS, My wife actually has them on her Mercedes E430 (18"). I like them, but they are all seasons/winter and not the best choice if you live in Houston.

Yes, in my size the super pilot are available ($1450 for a set on tirerack.com) and that would probably be my choice if I don't try a set of cheaper tires.

I'll keep you guys posted. Thank you for sharing!!!

Alan C.

I put a set of Khumos on one of my cars and they worked ok for daily driving. If you do not intend to push your car I'd think you would be ok. Several people have reported satisfactory results with them. You can read the reviews by owners on the Tire Rack site.

If you go with Michelins I'd use the Super Sports. I had great luck with them on my last car and I have a set ordered for my new wheels for the GTS.

TireVan

I'd recommend that you give Yokohama Tires (http://www.tirevan.com/tires/Yokohama-tires) a whirl. I'm a fan of the Yoko S.4. It's a great tire that offers wonderful handling and cornering and gives you a decent tread life too.