My tires have 1,800 miles on them. They were made 23/11. They are all cracked on the side and between the tread blocks. They are also hard. When I get off the line softly and then floor it after the clutch fully engaged - in RACE mode - my car goes entirely sideways. Absolutely no grip. My tires are shot after 1,800 miles and there is no warranty. I have had it. I will never buy a Pirelli tire again.
I've been impressed with Pirelli's before (for grip) but I didn't like how hard they went after they heat cycled out. Its not just about the number of miles, its the number of heat cycles too so the treat depth may look ok but they are hard and have little grip. Some of the more sports oriented tires use compounds which heat cycle out after a ridiculously small number of heat cycles (some as low as 30-40). I personally think for the majority of people using fast cars on the road the Michellin Pilot Super Sports (MPSS) have proven themselves to be excellent choice in both the wet and dry, however unusure if they are available these days in F430 fitment so you should do some research first. I'm sure others will chime in.
Your tires are four years old but never get used and you expect them still to perform at their best ?
+1 It also depends on how they are stored and cared for. If they sit on concrete/cement, they will dry out faster. And if they are only driven 450 miles a year and taken to high temps on each outing - yes that'll kill any tyre. If you want tyres to survive that long under those conditions, each time you store the car for more than 2 weeks perform these steps. Remove them or put the car on stands, wipe them down with a tyre care product all over, pack them in black bags and store them at room temp. Filling them with dry nitrogen is a good idea as well. When all this is said and done, depending on conditions and variables, it might not even be enough. It's a lot easier to use the car or just accept the fact that tyres under those conditions have a short lifespan.
You must be confused, and I say that because you are NorCal by name, but located in SoCal? No wonder you are cranky! Come back north Annnnyhooo my trofeo r's seem like pretty awesome tires so far! What wind of tire do you have?
As mentioned before your tires are dated and may be approaching a safety standpoint even through very limited milage. Mine currently are at the five year mark, ride remans good,do not trust them for spirited driving and will be replaced shortly with probable Michelins. Personally do not like the P-Zero's!
I'm personally of the opinion that Pirelli has been coasting on its brand name for 30 years. (I think some Formula 1 drivers might agree.) They had the original P Zero for the Ferrari F40 and they've been cashing in on that success with the P Zero line ever since. Michelin surpassed them long ago as the premium performance tire and plenty of second tier brands offer better performance at a better price.
My Pirellis got terribly hard after 1 year and 8K miles. Put on PSS and made a world of difference. Never going back to Pirellis.
I hear the Trofeos are quite good. I'm now thinking of getting them when I get to LA. Not much rain or cold temps to worry about there.
tire experts say even storing summer tires over winter for a few months will cause the rubber to break down / oxidize from interaction with air - worse if polluted -and advise putting them in air tight storage bags where the air has been sucked out . So imagine 4 yr old car-mounted tires rarely used ( normal regular usage allows the tread compounds and its component oils to circulate as well as keeping the belts from drying and separating internally in microscopic areas to maintain some semblence of suppleness and control ) simple long story short, change tires every two yrs for garage queens of any sort, especially powerful cars whose existence is to go to the limits on roads a small expense , relatively speaking
From what I understand, modern performance tires have a limited shelf life, no matter the milage. A four year old sticky tire is probably about done.
Thank you all for your input. I also have a 2011 Porsche Turbo S. Used to run Michelin Pilot Sport 2 on Turbos. Now run Super Sports. I can tell you that none of my Michelin tires has EVER gotten hard or shown any cracks. The fronts on the Turbos always last a long time. They last about five years and stay sticky. My opinion is that Pirelli is ^%&*($@ as a tire manufacturer. They never get a penny of my money again.
Not that streetable - rocks stick in them and then every one of them gets kicked up. Ok for getting to/from the track.
My experience with Pirelli is they drive great but wear out very quickly. I had them on my Porsche a few times. I use Bridgestone RE-11 now on the 430.
Last fall, I replaced the PZeros that were completely shot at about 10,000 miles with new Michelin Pilot Super Sports in stock sizes 235 and 285/35-19 on my 16M. No comparison. The Michelins have been superior in every way, especially in the rain. Yes, I have driven the 16M in the rain several times. It's hard to avoid the rain completely in the northeast in the summer. Surprise! It didn't melt and the top didn't leak a drop.
Not a fan of Pirelli's either, but you have to drive on them to keep them fresh. The tire compound affects how quickly, etc. Also, if the tires are near a source of ozone, they can get destroyed very rapidly. MPSS for the street..going to pilot sport cup 2's soon for the track.
Yes, performance tires (really, any tires) age due to use and environmental factors. But Pirelli has a horrible reputation for longevity. I think there are better choices for a street tire that can last more than a season.
Over the past some 20 years or more, I have tried many tires from many brands on my F-cars. I just not like the Pirelli tires in comparison to Michelins, Bridgestones, and or Yokohamas. My favorites are RE-11s, AD08R, and PSS... Alex
