Pirelli P Zeros on 328? Anyone?

I don't really think there is a Pirelli PZero that is great for the 328, unless you are looking for something all season (PZero Nero M+S) which you probably don't need in CA. Not sure if you checked Tirerack but the majority of the newest PZeros do not seem to come in sizes that will fit the stock 16" wheels of a 328.

In the past I've seen a number of people running 328s on Michelins. I have never had great luck with Michelins, so when I decided to put modern tires on my 328 (which has stock wheels) I went with Goodyear Eagle F1 GS D3. So far I'm very happy with them, but so far I've only put 1200 miles on them. They seemed to be very highly rated compared to the few other performance tires that come in sizes to fit 16" wheels. I've also noticed a good number of 328s that have come into the local Ferrari service shop I use are riding on F1 GS D3s. Even a few 328s I've seen using 17 " afterrmarket wheels were on F1 GS D3s. I think in one of the tire tests done by either Car & Driver or Road & Track back in 2006 the F1 GS D3 came out the overall winner in a comparison with tires from Yokohama,BF Goodrich, Michelin, Pirelli and Conti.

Best regards,
Dino

 

Jon,

I agree with Dino. I just bought the GS-D3s for my car (OEM sizes on Superformance 16" wheels). I think you'll like them. It was 37 degrees the night I pulled out of Classic Coach's driveway onto Elmora Avenue. Fishtailed three times! But I don't think you'll be driving in those temperatures. You've still got leaves on the trees down there!

Barry

 

I also have Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3's in stock sizes on my 328. I am well pleased with them. Bought them from TireRack.com on sale for about $500 for the set.

 

I put on a set of Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R's recently. They were about $500 for the set.

 

As usual, I'll make a plug for the Kumho Ecsta series of tires.

 

Hi Jon,

If you are going with max performance tires whether they are Goodyear, Bridgestone, Michelin etc. they are not going to do well in cold temperatures. The tire compound for performance all season vs. max performance summer tires are completely different, hence even with Pirelli's PZero Nero or Pilot Sports, you can't directly compare their max performance tires to their M+S versions. In cold weather max performance tires get too hard in cold weather and do not have as much grip. I think it merely will come down to how you want to use the car. For me here in New England its strictly used spring through fall, in nice weather, so I made the decision early on just to go with max performance summer tires that will do well in dry and wet (in the event I unexpectedly get caught in a downpour). Buy the tires based on where you are and the type of driving you do so you can enjoy the car. If need be, you can always get a set of Blizzaks if you move to Alaska.

All kidding aside my Wife has Pirelli PZero Nero M+S (all season performance tires) on her MB C320 Sport with 4matic and they are pretty good balance of performance and all season useability (and I'm almost positive they make them in 328 friendly sizes... just remember there is a trade off when it comes to dry weather grip.

Best regards,
Dino

 

My money says his car is tucked away for the winter....and driving season just started for me down in South FL!

 

I have a 308 QV which I bought in 1999 when I lived in Southern New Jersey. It had P-Zeros on it and I loved them. I never had issues in the heat or cold of the Northeast. Then I moved to South Florida...never had any problems with the tires. THEN, about 2 years ago, I moved to South Carolina. It gets CRAZY hot here. When it came time to replace my tires, I read the threads on F-Chat...BUT, I decided to stay with P-Zeros. I always liked the way they performed and they were on my 308 for at least 7 years (don't know when they were put on the car before I bought it), so given how much, or little, I drive...I figured that's a good length of time.

I don't race, but I really like the P-Zeros performance A LOT...NEVER had any issues. Seems I am in the minority when it comes to tire opinions...but, that's all it is - an opinion.

 

Heat Wave!

 

Hi Gil,

Nothing wrong with PZeros, just that tire technology has improved drastically since the late 90s. Unfortuntely, most of Pirelli's latest performance improvements have not been incorporated into sizes that will fit a stock 16" 328 wheel. I think the ones that do fit a 328 (the PZero System) are not really competitive with the Eagle F1 GS D3 or the new Bridgestone RE-01R. Granted how we drive and what we like in a tire may be subjective but take a look at the comparison performance charts on at www.tirerack.com , the newer tires have better performance numbers. In addition, from the perspectives of some engineers that I heard on an auto show (where they were test driving a 911 Turbo, an F50 and a Callaway Corvette and chatting with the designers) ...tires are one of, if not THE most important component of a high performance car,... so based on that I'd go with the most modern tire technology available...but thats just my 2 cents.

Best regards,
Dino

 

Are the Ecsta series ok for winter/all-season?

In colorado, we can get snow even when not predicted, usually is gone by the next afternoon, but I'm thinking of getting something that I wont be panicing using if I get caught in snow.

James in Denver

 

You have chosen.....wisely

hmmm....... California

 

I have these and have been very pleased with them. I have driven in the rain, snow, sleet and temps below freezing. Yes, I DO live in Alaska. They handle very well in the wet, but of course will slip on ice, because there is no siping. Trust me on that one. Mine are 225/45R17 and 255/45R17.

And they look cool.
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One nice tire, Jon
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Jon,

It sounds like you bought some already but I'll let you know what I'm running here in Temecula. When I got home from Denver I had a very hard time finding tires. I bought Falken, and staggered them. Fronts are GR/3 FK451 225 50ZR 16 and the rears are 245 45ZR 16. Nice stance, nice ride and no rubbing at all.

Regards,

Josh Ferguson

 

Hi James,

If you are looking for a pretty good high performance all season tire, take a look at the PZero Nero M+S (its the all season version of the PZero Nero, same tread pattern but very different compound), or Micheline Pilot Sport A/S, Bridgestone RE960AS, or maybe even the Eagle F1 All Season. They do cost more than the all season Kumhos, but they seem to have better numbers on comparison surveys. We've had PZero Nero M+S on my wife's C320 Sport 4matic for 2 years and they have done a great job (they now have 24,000 miles and still plenty of tread). Obviously, they do not give as much dry grip as a true summer performance tire but for the weather you described, having all season high performance tires may give you real peace of mind if you do unexpectedly get caught in a storm.

Best regards,
Dino

 

I put the car away the weekend after Thanksgiving. Is it spring yet?

The GS-D3's seem to work really well until the temperatures drop into the 30's, at which point they start to drive a little greasy. Once it gets below freezing they probably lose 60-70% of their traction capabilities. Their snow and ice capabilities are nil.

I seriously considered the Kumho Ecsta SPT summer tire since it gets pretty good reviews and is dirt cheap. I really wanted the Goodyears after good experiences on my BMW but the cost saving with the Kumhos was very attractive. But besides having top-notch performance the darn Goodyears look so cool I just had to go with them.

 

Jon,

I would have liked to have had the F1's as a first choice but settled for Bridgestone Potenza's due to Goodyears' limitation on upsized tires that would fit my car. In so far as the feeling you will get with a new set of rubber, I know they will immediately feel much better regardless of size. Nine year old rubber has its limitations and in this regard, a new set of fresh (stickier) rubber will go along way.

When I first started looking for new tires, I spent a considerable amount of time doing the research and found much of the discussion surrounding tire consensus in tire chat forums focused on premature wear as a trade-off to good handling. Yet 90 percent of F drivers replace their tires due to age rather than tread wear. In this regard, it's best to get the stickiest tire IMO for your geographical area rather than tire longevity. Essentially, you'll always replace your tires before they wear out anyway.

 

They do look good, Jon, and they perform as good as they look. They've really transformed my car. The fishtailing I mentioned was, in part, due to the low temperature but more due to the new tire surface (Classic Coach's driveway is about 100 feet in length). I've had these tires mounted for the past two weeks and have driven in temperatures ranging from 40 to 60 degrees without further incident.

Now, as far as sidewall scuffing.....these tires have a nice sidewall marking pattern and any scuffing you pick up along the way will be barely noticeable. The tread pattern will actually look nicer with use.