NEW TIRES

I wanted to start a new fresh thread after reviewing multiple old threads to make it easier and to help others for future reference.
Basically I have narrowed my tire options to 4 different sizes to avoid ABS problems (OEM ratio between both axles is 0.96 so I will keep it between 0.96 and 0.97)
One important thing to consider is that my speedometer is always very optimistic (+5 mph at 70mph so I'd rather go with a smaller circumference rear tire to compensate the speedometer error)
I am including prices at tirerack as of today for all tires available in such sizes (excluding Porsche N rated tires)
And I chose only Max performance and Extreme Performance Tires, the latter are kind of street/track use.

215/45r18 and 274/40r18 (oem size and 0.96 ratio)
Bridgestone Potenza S02A 140 A A $248 $324 total $1,144 (max)
Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2 320 AA A $130 $178 total $616 (max)
Bridgestone Potenza RE11 200 A A $194 $274 total $936 (extreme)

225/45r18 and 285/40r18 (0.96 ratio and 1.2% faster)
Continental Extreme Contact DW 340 AA A $146 $251 total $794 (max)


225/40r18 and 285/35r18 (0.97 ratio, more aggressive and 3% slower)
Bridgestone Potenza S04 Pole Position 280 AA A $149 $217 Total $732 (max)
Continental Extreme contact DW 340 AA A $134 $231 total $730 (max)
Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2 320 AA A $120 $188 total $616 (max)
Kumho Ecsta LE Sport 280 AA A $118 $208 total $652 (max)
Michelin Pilot Super Sport 300 AA A $186 $300 total $972 (max)
Pirelli Pzero 220 AA A $138 $231 total $738 (max)
Pirelli Pzero Rosso 220 AA A $111 $256 $734 (max)
Sumitomo HTRZ III 300 AA A $104 $163 total $534 (max)
Hankook RS3 V2 200 AA A $174 $271 total $890 (extreme)

235/40r18 and 295/35r18 (0.97 most aggressive setup and 2% slower)
Continental Extreme contact DW 340 AA A $150 $236 total $772 (max)
Michelin Pilot Super Sport 300 AA A $186 $323 total $1,018 (max)
Toyo Proxes 1 240 AA A $158 $210 total $736 (max)

I am not a huge fan of Korean/Japanese tires nor Pirelli (the treadwear could be 220 but they always go really fast)
I narrowed my options to Michelin PSS ($972-$1,018), Continental EC DW ($730-$794), Potenza S04 PP ($732) and Potenza RE11 $936 (the 200 treadwear isn't terrible for an extreme performance tire and it is an OEM size so least prone to ABS problems, but still an optimistic speedometer)

Opinions???

 

My own experience with the Michelin PSS is they are an excellent tire. Both in handling and wear. The Continental DW were okay, but wore very quickly, in spite of their tread wear rating (confirmed in Consumer Reports testing...fast wear), and the softer sidewalls, which give them great ride, seemed to offer less steering precision as well.

I have not used the Potenza RE11, but have also heard very positive reviews from several people whose opinions I respect greatly.

 

I love my RE-11s. Lots of traction and good grip in the rain too. They lasted me 12,000 miles including 5 track days. Not too shabby. Since I'm leaving the country in a few months I decided to replace them with the hankook given how cheap they are. They're going on the car tomorrow so I can give you a comparo in a few days.

 

BTW tread wear ratings are useless to compare between manufacturers since there is no standard formula so each manufacturer has their own method yielding vastly different results.

 

I have used pilot super sports on several cars including my F430. Very happy with them.

 

Which Hankook? Ventus V12 Evo 2 or RS3 V2 ??

 

V12 Evo2 I want to keep OEM sizes.

 

You will need a taller tyre with a larger circumference to reign in your speedo error.

 

You are absolutely correct, I got it the other way around, well anyways from the 4 options the tallest tire is 285/40R18 and that is actually the tire I have right now (along with a front 235/40R18 and I have ABS issues because my ratio is 0.94 now) and I still get 5mph difference at freeway speeds, so I guess there is no way to compensate that with tire size, just try not to get it worse.



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I replaced the OEM P-Zeros with MPSS in stock sizes, and the Michelins were better in every way. ABS calibration is only part of the story. Ferrari takes great pains to calibrate their stability controls so they allow maximum grip while being minimally intrusive. Upset that with tire sizes that depart from stock and while they might "work," they may no longer give you that balance. You may not find out until a track day or find yourself in an emergency situation on the highway.

 

I thought BF Goodrich had tires that fit? They were used for on the skip barber cars and I really liked them.

 

I'm in great need of a new set of tires and have always picked Michelins for my cars. But it seems as though Michelin does not make the fronts for the 360 anymore and if I purchase the next size up they may rub on the inside edge of the fender. I have had the fender lip rolled so I don't have a problem coming out of driveway anymore but I don't know if this size would be a problem. My next thought would be the Conti's.

 

Sorry, this was for a California. RE-11s are still on 360 in OEM sizes. I didn't want fender rub issues as I track my car occasionally.

Dry grip is very good, wet grip more than adequate. I've had Conti DW summer tires on a daily driver and they were pretty good, though that's not really a good comparison as my recollection is old at this point.

 

MPSS

RE11

Have them both on some of my cars, very happy.

 

So I guess there is a tie between MPSS (235/40 and 295/35 to not increase the speedometer error too much) and RE11 (stock size)

And Contis (225/45 and 285/40 to compensate a little bit the speedometer error) come down in a second place??


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Another question, what do you guys think about "aging tires", supposedly the norm is to replace tires after 6 years but Michelin, Bridgestone and Continental advise 10 years (but keeping an eye after 5 years)

http://www.continental-tires.com/car/technology/tire-knowledge/lex-1-2

http://www.bridgestonetire.com/content/dam/bst/PDF/Replacement_Warranty_EN_2015.pdf (page 13)

http://m.michelinman.com/US/en/help/do-I-need-new-tires.tip_list_tab_0.html

Why am I asking this? Because my fronts still have 6/32nds tread left but they were made in mid 2009
I can purchase a couple of 295/35 Contis for the rear and I am sure they will wear pretty evenly with the fronts.




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Of all the options available only the 225/45 would be bigger than OEM, 225/40 and 235/40 are smaller
I have 235/40 (which is the widest) and it doesn't rub while turning


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What brand and model? I would not mix them up...nor mix ages....older with newer...as the older will be harder and have less stick.

 

Rubbing while turning is not the only concern, it also has to do with turning while also having the suspension under compression...the combination is where fender damage can occur. I have seen it on 360s that are tracked...

 

Continental extreme contact DW
I was aware about not mixing different kind of tires, I didn't know about different ages of same model of tire.



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first impressions ok the hankooks. They definitely have a much softer sidewall than the re11s. The car feels lighter and less planted, grip is pretty good but the car feels less confident around bends and more understeer is prevalent.

 

Do you regret it? Or the $300+ savings are worth it???

 

Same issue I had with Continental DW...soft side walls, comfortable ride, but steering response was slow and lacked precision.

 

I don't regret the choice, but I think the next time I'll get the RE-11s instead. For street driving I think the Hankooks are actually pretty good, the car feels a bit more exciting. However since I go to the track regularly, I think the RE-11s are just better suited for how I use my car.

Hankook is doing a $100 rebate on the Evo2s, so price differential is close to $400. Are the RE-11s worth $400 more? On the track, hell yes. On the street, probably not.

Bear in mind this is my impression after <100 miles on the Hankooks.

 

Thanks to spikes360 for giving me another option
235/40R18 and 275/40R18 will have a ratio of 0.9527 even closer to OEM than the 0.97 ratios I posted at the beginning of the thread.
And the tires available in that size are
Hankook Ventus V12 Evo 2 320 AA A $126 $178 total $608
Michelin Pilot Super Sport 300 AA A $186 $282 total $936
Bridgestone Potenza RE11 220 200 A A $211 $274 total $970

I was told to stay as close to OEM ratio of 0.96 as possible and 0.97 would work just fine with no ABS problems, I do not know if going below 0.96 (to 0.95) has the same effect, what I know is I have 0.9414 right now and it does affect.