[sharkmok]

Dealer service told me I am 500miles from replacement the rear and 3k from the front.
My cayman base 18" is wearing PZeros and the dealer pricing is out of this world.
After reading many posts (including other forums) on N rated tires. I'm even more confused.

Here's what I think my choices are:
1) Replace the rear with non N rated PZeros now and replace front later with non N rated PZeros
2) Replace all 4 with something else - not even sure what that will be.

Any suggestions or comments? (or tell me I'm stupid)

 

[DriveInHouston]

Go and buy a $3 tread depth gauge and measure the tread yourself.

A lot of people here are partial to the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (Michelin PS4S), I wear them too.

Shortly after I bought the car, I had a nasty puncture that could not take a plug. This being an emergency, I replaced both rear tires with MPS4S but not N0 spec. That's what they had in stock and I couldn't wait to back order some with N0 spec.

Subsequently, I felt that in rain deluge conditions, the car was hydroplaning in 50-60 mph (4 times). Scared the daylights out of me... I discussed in the forum.

Next time I replaced all 4 tires with M PS4S N0 and to my amazement, the tires had a lot wider channels between treads. No hydroplaning issues anymore.

If your own tread measurements indicate that you can wait a little, go to an independent tire dealer (in my 'hood it is Discount Tire) and have them order a set with N0 spec. It may be a little more expensive than the non-N0 but in my opinion they are worth it, unless you live in Nevada/Arizona. Tire Rack sells them too, if you want to go the drop ship route.

 

[sharkmok]

I have measured the tread, I know I'll need rear very soon.
Cannot do Michelin because they don't have the 18" sizes for the base.

 

[MikePhDPE]

i went with Michelin AS3+ because of the treadwear rating. I'm not a fan of changing tires every 10k miles.

 

[k.alexander]

Not to high-jack the thread, but I'd love it if we could have a sticky thread with info for tires. For example, I have the 20" Carerra S wheels on my GTS. I've read all about the PS4S, and the AS3+, but would for example love to know what other size of tire the 8x20 and 10x2 wheels will accept other than the standard 235/35-20 - 265/35-20. Like for example, can I go to 245/30or35 - 270/30or35, etc. I know this has been talked about in various threads here and there, and I've been making notes, (I'm a big fan of searching and researching myself rather than asking a question that's been answer a hundred times) but I still don't really have all the answers.

 

[Steve48]

i went with Michelin AS3+ because of the treadwear rating. I'm not a fan of changing tires every 10k miles.

I had those on my previous car (M3) and just loved them. Great treadwear and 90%+ of the performance of the dedicated summer equivalent. I might go down that route as well...how have you found the tire noise?

 

[MikePhDPE]

@Steve48 I don't find them too noisy but I will admit that the radio is always on or the top down or both so it's not something I consciously think about.

 

[k.alexander]

Which sizes for the AS3+ are you guys putting on? Are these 20” wheels?

 

[MikePhDPE]

@k.alexander I am running 275/35/20 in the rear. When i need to replace the fronts i will run 245/35/20. In those sizes the selection of tires is severalfold what is available in 265 & 235 and the prices are slightly cheaper.

 

[k.alexander]

@k.alexander I am running 275/35/20 in the rear. When i need to replace the fronts i will run 245/35/20. In those sizes the selection of tires is severalfold what is available in 265 & 235 and the prices are slightly cheaper.

Excellent to know. That’s exactly the info Im looking for. And just to confirm, you’re running those on the 20” wheels that came with the car? Which model rims, or does it not matter? Any problem with the fitment on the rim? Any rubbing, etc?
Lastly, what kind of millage are you getting out of them?

 

[GregW]

Dealer service told me I am 500miles from replacement the rear and 3k from the front.
My cayman base 18" is wearing PZeros and the dealer pricing is out of this world.
After reading many posts (including other forums) on N rated tires. I'm even more confused.

Here's what I think my choices are:
1) Replace the rear with non N rated PZeros now and replace front later with non N rated PZeros
2) Replace all 4 with something else - not even sure what that will be.

Any suggestions or comments? (or tell me I'm stupid)

I've stuck with the N1 PZeros in the 18".

1. Porsche does test the tyres and has the manufacturer make some changes to gain the N recommendation.
2. In a german test of summer sport tyres the PZeros were the best tyre (although the difference between the top brands is nearly always less than 5%). The PZeros were not the most resistant to aquaplaning (by a very few mph) but since we have very minimal rain here that wasn't a consideration for me.
3. My dealer said "Why would you want anything else?"
4. My preferred tyres--Michelin for 40 years--are not available.
5. I figured that if I could afford the car and because I bought it for the driving fun, I could afford the tyres.

 

[Viffermike]

@k.alexander has a good suggestion for a Sticky. The problem is that reliable info on alternate tire sizes/fitments that will work without modification is still as haphazard as the info in this subforum about it all.

That said, there are a few truisms I can post (This is irrespective of wheel fitments, which is another potential Sticky entirely.):

• OEM cross-section ratios for all three diameters is 235 front, 265 rear.
• OEM side-section ratios go down 5 percentage points for each 1-inch diameter increase in OEM wheels: 40 for 18s, 35 for 19s, 30 for 20s.
• OEM sidewall profiles are generally perpendicular in the front, slightly convex (i.e., 'stretched') in the rear.
• It is common on 981s to increase cross-section ratios by 10 - to 245 front, 275 rear - because tire availability is greatly increased for those sizes, particularly for tire types other than the Ultra High-Performance Summer tires that come on all Boxsters and Caymans: All-Season tires, Snow/Winter tires, etc. There is reportedly no adverse effect to doing this on either 981s or 718/982s, other than a slight increase in understeer due to the wider front rubber.
• Porsche 'N0'-spec tires are distinguished from regular-spec tires almost exclusively by tread channel width. This was verified earlier this month in person by four 718Forum members (including myself and @DriveInHouston ), each of whom has Michelin PS4S tires on their cars -- but two had N0-Spec, and two had regular-spec. The tread channels of the regular-spec PS4Ss were about half the width of the ones on the N0-spec PS4Ss, and it's likely the channels are also relocated to align with the front-rear width stagger of the tires.

Beyond the above, YMMV -- and info is not substantiated. For instance: Since 265-section tires are somewhat stretched (at least on my OEM 19s), it very well may be possible to put a 285-section tire on the rear OEM wheels of our cars. I've not read that this is foolproof for all three diameters, however.

 

[sharkmok]

Yeah, I guess I'm going to get PZero N1 tires. I did found a local independent shop that is much more reasonable priced with a very small mark up vs non N rated.
Thanks for everyone's comments.

 

[JakiChan]

I dunno about where you're located, if you're in the US, etc. But my dealership just uses Tire Rack. Like he said "Hey, we'll match Tire Rack's prices", and then he proceeds to order from a dealer portal for Tire Rack. I'm like "Lol wut". If they won't do that then ask if you can just have Tire Rack drop ship to them.

 

[sharkmok]

Thanks for the tip. My local shop is a little less than Tire Rack, non N rated are even more cheaper but I've request them to order the N rated ones. Will find out early next week if they get the right ones.

 

[sharkmok]

BTW, I'm in US

 

[k.alexander]

Now who knows how to get tires from TireRack's dealer portal? At dealer prices? That would be nice.

 

[JakiChan]

If you have a tire you like better it doesn't matter the rating. My dealer was perfectly fine with me requesting they put on non-N rated PS4S 19" on my CS. In fact they were like "Duh, it's the best option."

 

[DriveInHouston]

If you have a tire you like better it doesn't matter the rating. My dealer was perfectly fine with me requesting they put on non-N rated PS4S 19" on my CS. In fact they were like "Duh, it's the best option."

No it isn't!

It is ok for a civilian not to know the difference between the regular MPS4S and the MPS4S N0, but not for a dealer.

I have complained here of hydroplaning issues with the regular MPS4S, in torrential rain on Interstate highways (I40 and I87) which scared the living daylights out of me. In conditions that the Pirelli PZero (OEM in my Mustang GT) didn't blink an eye (I live and drive mostly in Houston, we know a thing or two about raining here...). The water collected in the road seams between two lanes, occasionally crossing lanes and upon hitting the very shallow puddle, off we went!

In our Texas get-together last week, we had the opportunity to compare my brand new MPS4Ss N0 with the regular MPS4S some of the other 718s wore. The channels in the tread of the N0 are twice as wide as the regular ones. Viffermike attested to that in a preceding post.

I have been through some pretty torrential rains with the new N0 rated tires with complete absence of dramatics. They can push through a **** of a lot more water than the regular ones!

Please, please, don't do a disservice to our community by writing that 'they are the same, or better'. They are not!

Unless you value one's life less than $40/tire...

 

[sharkmok]

In our Texas get-together last week, we had the opportunity to compare my brand new MPS4Ss N0 with the regular MPS4S some of the other 718s wore. The channels in the tread of the N0 are twice as wide as the regular ones. Viffermike attested to that in a preceding post.

Actually, I'm interested in seeing this. May be next time get some comparison pictures.
I'm getting the N rating right now but still interested to see the differences.