fhp911

HI,

I'm visiting -- I have a 996 GT3, and I want to see how the 'other half' live.

I think that 997 GT3 are delivered with some type of MPSC, which is why they get such great cornering numbers. [996 GT3 were typically shod with Pilot Sports 2.]

Questions:
1) Are 997 GT3 delivered with MPSC; if so, which type?
2) Do they wear out very quickly?
3) Are they Ok in the rain [street/track]?
4) Advice solicited: Should I get them as street tires for my 996 GT3?

If this is territory which has been explored a lot already, I'm sorry for the intrusion --- I had read that 997 GT3 can corner at 1.4 G !!!! if so, I should get those magic tires.

BobbyC

The 997GT3 and RS come with 19" N-spec 6/32" tread depth MPSCs. Not sure if these are available in 18". I have ~ 2000 miles (both street/track) and still have 4.5 - 5/32" tread left. Of course, I'm not the fastest or overly hard on the tires. Grip is good in dry and light wet conditions. However, if it's raining be careful. Consider these N-spec to be a hybrid between the "old" MPSCs and the PS2s. Hope this helps...

mooty

1) Are 997 GT3 delivered with MPSC; if so, which type?
_________
yes, mpsc (some were delivered with pirellis though)
the mpsc are N-rated by porsche, they dont have the same tread pattern and depth as the "normal" mpsc and is not as grippy either.


2) Do they wear out very quickly?
_________
3-4k miles.


3) Are they Ok in the rain [street/track]?
___________
it's much better than "normal" mpsc in the wet.
but not as good as PS2.


4) Advice solicited: Should I get them as street tires for my 996 GT3?
___________
personally i see no reason to run mpsc on street. you SHOULDN'T need all that grip, unless you simply drive reckless all over the streets. now if you drive on mpsc to have fun on track, then that's a different story. but mpsc for pure street use is wasted in my opinion (assuming you live in metropolitan USA).



I had read that 997 GT3 can corner at 1.4 G !!!!
___________
i have a 997RS and i am somewhat skeptical of 1.4G, but i could be wrong.

NoSubEDU

Mine was delivered with Pirelli's. I have the MPSC's on my 993 (not the Porsche spec) and the Pirelli Corsa's on the GT3. The Pirelli's do a much better job of evacuating water than my MPSC's. I drove the GT3 yesterday at Lowe's and the car was on FIRE! I'm going to stick with Pirelli's even after I'm done melting them off.

n2cars

I have Pirellis and I'm very pleased.

Snowboarder54

To answer question #2, this is a photo of a set of rears I tried to get 4400 miles out of. I do not recommend running them more them 3600-4000 miles.

I got 3600 out of the first set and the alignment was good.

95spiderman

i have mpsc's and just got my first flat at 200 miles. had it repaired but will replace set with 'regular street' tires when these wear out. extra performance not worth lack of practicality to me.

Snowboarder54

I love these MPSC tires! I would never switch to MPS2's!!! Not having MPSC's on my 3 would be like bonk'n the local **** with out a condom!

BobbyC

I agree that the grip and feel of the MPSCs is just great...even on the street...but here in the NE this only works between Memorial and Labor Days and only when it don't rain.

Holger B

I drove on MPSC's full time (both track & street) last year on my 6-3. It's a mistake for a number of reasons. Grip sucks when cold (and it doesn't get that cold where I live). They have a limited number of heat cycles and it's unlikely you'll get them hot enough on the street. The sidewall is much stiffer than PS2, which turns a stiff ride into a REALLY stiff ride (too much for most city streets). Traction in the wet is suboptimal.

That said, they rock on track!

mooty

i thought i told you that before ;-)
i prefer ps2 on street,
RA1, mpsc, khumo's on track.

RonCT

There's a thread here at RL done by a guy at Tire Rack about the "new" 19" PSC hybrid tire. The tread pattern is similar but different from true PSCs -- most notably much wider rain channels. The compound is also quite different in that it's optimized for cold and wet use. So it really isn't a PSC at all, but rather some sort of hybrid. I've run PS2s, real PSCs, and Toyo RA1s and to be honest with you the PS2 was so close in overall track performance to the real PSC that I'd have to imagine it's comparable to the 19" hybrid. In other words, you'd do well to have a set of PS2s on your car for the street and then a proper set of 18" wheels with true PSCs or RA1s for the track (or better yet, Hoosiers if you trailer, which I do not thus the RA1s).

Here are some numbers from my TraqMate on my car bone stock at Watkins Glen -- meaning on PS2s: Max Braking 1.40 G, Max Load Left, 1.34 G, Max Load Right, 1.62 G. I just ran the RA1s but couldn't use the TM as I was sharing my car with my son who is in Green (just promoted to Yellow), but I don't believe the numbers were much better than the PS2s. The PS2 is that good a tire...

Nordschleife

For me the PS2 is like a dog that barks too much. I far prefer the Conti Sport Contact3 - as do most tuners in Germany, going by what they run their cars on for tests.

Seriously, if you can't tell much difference between the MPSC and PS2, might I suggest you are being too kind to your car, or your set up is sub optimal - have you checked your temperatures?

R+C

RonCT

I think you are missing my point. Many new GT3 buyers might think "I have race tires", when in fact they have a reformulated and designed tire. Many non-trackers buy R-comps for street use thinking they need "higher performance" than the oem PS2s provide. Yes, there is a big difference between PS2, real PSC, and RA1, but not for street use -- and the "new formula" street version of the PSC is even closer to the PS2.

Farnbacher Loles set up my car, so I have confidence I'm optimized for what I asked them for.

Snowboarder54

I guess it all depends where you live/drive & your driving style. I like my MPSC's for my street.