jglaze

I'm looking for new tires to use on my 997 S for mixed track/weekend back road use.

I've run a number of track days and autocross events with some of my previous cars and have had decent experience with Hankooks, Bridgestones, and Falkens. Given the fact that most of my previous experience was in larger Audi/BMW sedans, I'm curious to know what folks recommend for the Porsche.

I'm planning to run at least 4 DE/track events this year (a couple multi-day), but mostly the car is my weekend toy. Until I spring for dedicated track wheels/tires I'll be running the stock 19" lobster forks. Any opinions or personal experience are welcome!

I'm looking forward to getting out to some New England PCA DEs in a few months.

M3 Defector

I really like the Michelin Pilot Super Sports. They were a huge improvement over my Bridgestones on the track and have lasted a long time with road and track use.

LexVan

Look into Yoko AD08R. If they have your sizes.

dgm8138

If you're willing to put up with a bit of road noise, hankook rs3s are the best bang for the buck.

Spinout

You'll see lots of opinion regarding what is the preferred tire.

I'm a fan of the Bridgestone RE-11 and also the Advans AD08R.

alexaqui

I and a few pca friends run the re11. Really hard to beat. They seem to last forever too. They take a bit to wear in before they turn fantastic.

Olemiss540

Fastest tire on the market is the RE71R....

JayG

Dunlop Direzza Star Spec

Just ran them this weekend on my Boxster at Chuckwalla and they stuck like glue
Set a club track record for my car class with them.

The RE-71 is a great tire, but from talking with people that have them, they wear pretty fast.
Word on the street on the Dunlops is they last and you can cord them and still have grip

golfnutintib

don't believe star specs come in 997 stock sizes

second mpss (probably the best dual mode tire overall) and hkk rs3 (tho do not run them in even slightly wet conditions)

heard good things about re71 and re11 - have not tried them personally

dgm8138

The hankook rs3 is fine in the wet. I had a great time at the three pouring rain events I went to last season with rs3s. It's kinda funny how a little rain happens and suddenly nobody wants to have any fun. Short of getting some water on your helmet visor...wet track days are the best!

To contribute a little further...
Street tires for the track (or track tires for the street) in order of grip would be:
1. Re-71r
2. Rival S
3. Ecsta v720
4. Hankook rs3
5. Z2 SS
6. Rival
7. Z2
8. Ad08r
9. MPSS

In order of durability
1. Z2 (I managed 20k street miles and 2 track seasons in an E30 on a set...and they still have life remaining!)
2. MPSS
3. Rival
4. Z2 SS
5. Rs3
6. Ecsta v720 (?) I'm not really sure where this one falls...not enough experience
7. Rival s
8. Ad086
9. Re-71r

No experience with the re-11

The Ad08r is magical in the rain thanks to the embedded silica in the compound. But there is little reason to pay the premium for them unless you're concerned about setting fast lap times in the wet.

MPSS is more appropriately labeled a street tire for the track. I have ridden in several cars with MPSS at tracks and they do fine with an intermediate driver. But I feel you pay a premium to have only a decent performing track tire that is also good for road noise.

Difool

Re-11 would be about comparable to the AD08r. The advantage both have over MPSS are stiffer side walls, which give better durability for cars with stock camber, or camber on stock parts. Both are very good for daily use, but not quite as wonderful as MPSS. MPSS is my favorite summer street tire ever (grip, comfort, noise, wet performance), that works well on the track too. If you track more than a few events a year through, you might find the outside edge wearing quickly.

To the chart above, Ad08r lasted a lot longer than MPSS for me on the track.

Bill N

Has anyone had experience with the Pirelli P Zero Trofeo?

Thanks
Bill

CosmosMpower

RE-71R are stupid sticky but may not last long with a lot of street driving. I had a set of RE-11 and they were ok, decent street tire but not as sticky as the modern crop of the fastest street tires available today.

jglaze

Thanks for all the thoughts.

Given that this is a new car for me, I'm pretty sure I'll end up back on Bridgestone based on previous experience and due to the fact that it had a predictable release point. Fast laps aren't a priority for me vs. consistency and comfort with the car, so a highly sticky tire isn't really necessary for me at this point.

Despite doing fast laps in performance vehicles before, they were all heavy and AWD, so the handling characteristics are WAY different. It probably makes sense to stick to a known quantity when it comes to the tire, though I know it will certainly behave differently on a lighter, more powerful, RWD car...just keep it shiny side up and out of the walls.

third_pedal

I'd recommend the RE71R's. It is just a great tire that is fantastic in dry conditions but also usable in the wet!