Need new shoes on my CTTS. Anyone recently purchased new treads? Anything better than tire rack? Thanks!

 

04 CTT, Michelin Pilot Sport 2 lasted 9mo/17k miles (of a 45k warranty). VERY quiet and smooth ride, excellent dry and wet traction. Snow traction left something to be desired. Worn out mostly due to over-inflation, so Michelin wouldn't honor the warranty. Discount Tire came up with the difference since they were the ones who recommended the pressure I used.

Now have Continental ExtremeContact DWS. Cost about 2/3 of the Michelins. They had to add a LOT of wheel weights to balance them out, and I'm still not 100% satisfied. They are noisier, and less confidence-inspiring in wet conditions. I can (unfortunately) spin the tires now, even on dry roads, where I couldn't with the worn out Michelins.

Both sets on OEM 20" wheels.

While I liked the ride of the Michelins, I wanted to try something different due to the poor wear. In any case, I highly recommend discount tire for their customer service.

 

AGA, just a followup on your tire pressures; did the shop recommended something different than Porsche's numbers on the driver's door sill tag? I've been told to go by those pressures (provided the sizes are the same, of course), but perhaps Pig owners do something different...the wife and I just purchased our '11 V6 just over a week ago, so pardon the noobness!

TXCOMT

 

The TPMS called for 36 front & 39 rear. Tire shop said to go with 37 & 40. AFTER the serious center wear-down, they 'looked it up again' and said those tires should have been at 32 at 36. Even if that were the case, I have no idea how to make the TMPS system be okay with those numbers. TPMS reads fairly accurate numbers and annoyingly warns you when they are over or under-inflated, opposed to most other psi monitoring systems that simply have a set point and warn you when it's +- a few pounds.

As for the continentals, they call for 38 and 42, which TPMS finds acceptable.

I've actually never looked at the door, but apparently different tires require different inflation to maintain even tread wear, and TPMS dictates what should be used based on rim size, season and vehicle load. Not a one-PSI-fits-all application.

 

OK, thanks for the info, AGA! I appreciate it.

 

I got 40k out of a set of Pirelli Scorpion Verde. I just put a set of the new Scorpion Verde Plus which is supposed to have 40% improved tread wear. Got them from Tire Rack.

 

Weight distribution is 52f/ 48r. I run mine at 38psi all the way around.

The higher pressure recommended for the rear tires is due to Porsche assume that you run with a load in the rear. So when I load the car for a longer trip, I increase the pressure in the rear by 2-4psi. (ie if trip is longer than the 3 miles to Home Depot)

 

From your avatar, it looks like you have 21s on your CTTS. If you're willing to go non "N-spec" tires, there are two tires in size 295/35/21 worthy of consideration. The first is the Nokian Z SUV, which performed extremely well in some German magazine tire tests. These are also reasonably priced at $229 each delivered. The second option is the Vredestein Vorti tire. I haven't seen any test feedback on them yet, but it is a new model replacing the Sessanta with the funky tread pattern. I think you can find these priced in the low $300 range, which is still below the entry price point for N-spec tires. I personally wouldn't stray beyond these two options from well-known and respected tire manufacturers. If you go N-spec, the Michelins and Pirelli PZeroes are on backorder for the most part (or you may pay top dollar for them through a dealer). The Yokohama tire is extraordinarily expensive, the the Pirelli Rosso tire is a dated design that I believe is slowly being phased out by Pirelli. The Continental tires are rated worst under the European Union tire labeling ratings for rolling resistance (read: worst fuel economy), if that matters to you. Let us know what you end up with.

 

Thanks everyone for your input. Just ordered the pzero rossos from tire rack. My local installer could not find the oem conti or Pirelli. Approx 1600 incl shipping. Should be right under 2k once I pay to have them installed!

 

Ummm, if you're paying close to 400 to have tires installed, I'd say you're overpaying...

 

21" BBS wheels with Michelin Latitude Sports. Very good handling tire for the Pig, and good in the Wet (live in the N.West). They don't last as long, and are very expensive. My fault for going with the 21" tires but I found a great buy on the BBS wheels. My advice is to go with 20" or if it isn't to gangsta then the 22" as both have better and cheaper tire options. I'm also not a stuck on "N" spec guy but do make sure they are "XL" rated and a load description of at least a 107. Not all XL rated tires carry the same load, some XL tires are XL rated for regular automobiles and are under-rated for SUV's.

 

I think 21's are the optimal size tire for the 955/957 chassis from an aesthetic standpoint. My Pirelli Rosso tires were worn out and after some deliberation, I decided to jump out of the "N-spec" sandbox and try a newer design tire - non N-spec.

I opted for the highly rated Nokian Z SUV tire, shown below next to my worn out Pirelli Rosso tire. The set of four was $916 delivered. How far wrong can I go when my CTTS is a daily driver?

 

Looks like you may have a winner there with the Nokian. Please post some feedback after you get some miles on them. I like this Nokian link I found, it even shows the tires on a Cayenne.
http://www.nokiantyres.com/summer-ty...ds-and-reviews

 

I think they're going to be very good. They have a treadwear rating of 400, too. I'm hoping to mount and balance them this weekend if I can find the time. The picture doesn't really do the tire justice, if it's possible, in person it actually looks wider than the Pirelli.

 

400!!!!! Whoa! Nice! I have been running the vreds because I cant get enough mileage out of the others to justify the cost. Ive put the vreds to the test and they are a SOLID tire. I just wish there was a tire offered in the 21's with a bit less rubber cut out for rain grooves and a higher treadwear rating. May be what we have here. Let us know how they work out for you, and great find!