Porsche "N" tires
03-09-2009, 12:27 PM
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Porsche "N" tires
My dealer recently told me that the "N" tires for Porsche are only available through the dealers. Yet when I check the websites for online and B&M dealers they all list them. Tire Rack's web site say that they have the size for my car in stock.
Is this yet another case of the dealer trying to overcharge me.
Paul
Is this yet another case of the dealer trying to overcharge me.
Paul
03-09-2009, 01:02 PM
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03-09-2009, 01:14 PM
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03-09-2009, 01:30 PM
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'Twas a nice event. 40mph winds on Saturday, much nicer & less humid Sunday. I had forgotten how brutal that track is on cars, though. It's a bit smoother than when I was there 16 months ago, but still brutal. It was fun playing with Keith and Bryan and Jim Buckley and Noby and John Gladwill and everybody else, though!
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03-09-2009, 01:58 PM
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Wow, sorry to hear. I guess it's better being overworked that underemployed these days, though, right?
'Twas a nice event. 40mph winds on Saturday, much nicer & less humid Sunday. I had forgotten how brutal that track is on cars, though. It's a bit smoother than when I was there 16 months ago, but still brutal. It was fun playing with Keith and Bryan and Jim Buckley and Noby and John Gladwill and everybody else, though!
Professional Racing and Driving Coach
'Twas a nice event. 40mph winds on Saturday, much nicer & less humid Sunday. I had forgotten how brutal that track is on cars, though. It's a bit smoother than when I was there 16 months ago, but still brutal. It was fun playing with Keith and Bryan and Jim Buckley and Noby and John Gladwill and everybody else, though!
Professional Racing and Driving Coach
Yup, the track is smother but that's not saying much. I was there last Saturday instructing for the EC school for Henderson. I really like those one day events. BTW, the funniest thing was watching a large man being wedged out of a Ferrari challenge car. I swear it took over five minutes....
Glad you had fun. Anything interesting happen?
G.
03-09-2009, 02:33 PM
#9
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Tire rack has N2 "compound"" in stock. They said last week it would take until april to get N1 compound, which is Porsche OEM for 997S.
Guy at tire rack didn't know the difference between n1 and n2. Just said it has to do w/ the compounds used, but doesn't know any more than that.
Guy at tire rack didn't know the difference between n1 and n2. Just said it has to do w/ the compounds used, but doesn't know any more than that.
03-09-2009, 03:26 PM
#11
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Last I checked with TireRack for some N tires I could get N3 or N4 in one tire. The larger the number, the more recently Porsche approved it, and the newer the tire.
03-09-2009, 03:39 PM
#12
03-09-2009, 04:16 PM
#13
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Oh, it's all good, fun stuff. I really can't complain, it's just the hours. I just need a couple of days of vegetation (lots of beer).
Yup, the track is smother but that's not saying much. I was there last Saturday instructing for the EC school for Henderson. I really like those one day events. BTW, the funniest thing was watching a large man being wedged out of a Ferrari challenge car. I swear it took over five minutes....
Glad you had fun. Anything interesting happen?
G.
Yup, the track is smother but that's not saying much. I was there last Saturday instructing for the EC school for Henderson. I really like those one day events. BTW, the funniest thing was watching a large man being wedged out of a Ferrari challenge car. I swear it took over five minutes....
Glad you had fun. Anything interesting happen?
G.
Interesting? Wellll....an Elise had its exhaust catch on fire (seriously) on Saturday, but he was back running on Sunday.
But, more significantly, we allowed passing anywhere with a point-by in the Instructor group, as long as neither party had a passenger. As predicted, it worked WONDERFULLY! I hope PCA does this nationally.
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03-10-2009, 01:24 AM
#14
Race Director
The N spec number can differ between manufactures. For example the Michelin Pilot Sport II (PS2) has a N1 spec and that is the current PS2 tire...but the Bridgestone RE050A has a higher numbered N spec. This N spec number has to do with the number of revisions that particlual tire company has done on the Porsche N spec tire. From my understnding a Porsche N Spec tire CAN BE a different compound, different load rating, different side wall flexibility, tread pattern and so forth than the same model of tire that is not N Spec.
Porsche deems it very necessary to replace your tires on your 997 with Porsche N Spec tires...if that really is necessary in the real world who really knows. I know I do not track my car with N Spec tires and I put a lot more stress on the car and tires at the track than I ever do on the street.
Porsche deems it very necessary to replace your tires on your 997 with Porsche N Spec tires...if that really is necessary in the real world who really knows. I know I do not track my car with N Spec tires and I put a lot more stress on the car and tires at the track than I ever do on the street.
03-10-2009, 08:09 AM
#15
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Look back a couple of weeks - we had a lengthy discussion about what I found out about N-specification from the last Excellence magazine article on the 2009 Cayman S along with what I found out from Porsche and Tire Rack.
As others have said, the higher the number, the more recent the tire. I think in some sizes like 235/265 x 18", they are up to N4, while in 235/295 x 19, they might still be on N1.
There are some differences, such as load capacities (ie: I compared PS2 N-specification with non-N other tires), and I don't think you want to change something like that. Also, the rubber compound can be different. For example, it looks like the newest N4 in 235/265 for the Cayman / Boxster is quite different - low rolling resistance compound that uses lower tire pressures. So I don't think you'd want to mix say an old N1 with a new N4 because they would have different characteristics.
To the original question, you can get N specification tires from Tire Rack - either get them from TR, or if you want to tweak your dealer, print off the N-specification tires you want in your TR shopping basket and show that to your dealer next time you are there and ask him to explain why he is 25% higher in price for the exact same tire...
As others have said, the higher the number, the more recent the tire. I think in some sizes like 235/265 x 18", they are up to N4, while in 235/295 x 19, they might still be on N1.
There are some differences, such as load capacities (ie: I compared PS2 N-specification with non-N other tires), and I don't think you want to change something like that. Also, the rubber compound can be different. For example, it looks like the newest N4 in 235/265 for the Cayman / Boxster is quite different - low rolling resistance compound that uses lower tire pressures. So I don't think you'd want to mix say an old N1 with a new N4 because they would have different characteristics.
To the original question, you can get N specification tires from Tire Rack - either get them from TR, or if you want to tweak your dealer, print off the N-specification tires you want in your TR shopping basket and show that to your dealer next time you are there and ask him to explain why he is 25% higher in price for the exact same tire...