Help: want to replace my tires

I have Pirelli's...I've seen other members here liking Michelin's as well

 

I'm going to go with "Michelin Pilot Super Sports" on mine, highly recommended tire.

You can find less expensive tires but I don't want to sacrifice any performance.

 

Hankook EVO. Great bang for the buck!!!!The threads are also very cool looking when looking at the rear of the car.

 

Fab, I was looking at getting those I just worry that they won't handle like the Michelins... You need to go out and push yours hard in the name of science and get back to us with the results. No more putting around town...

 

Lol!!!

 

If you mean the Ventus V12s, I agree, they're probably the best deal in high performance tires right now. I learned about them from Car and Driver's recommendation, tried a set on my Porsche 928 and loved them, and now have a set on my 355 as well. The grip seems at least as good as the Bridgestone Pole Positions I had before and they're quiet too.

I also agree about the cool tread pattern, for those who care about such things...
(Pardon the dirty car - I had to try out the new tires in the rain!)
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Continental Extreme Contact DW tires have worked well for me.

 

Michelin PS2 235 40 front, 295 35 rears. Great look and awesome handling.

 

I went from Pirelli to Toyo to Michelin PSC, same as on my M3. Michellin's by far the best tire, wear and handle.

 

I just googled some. And they are WAY less expensive then the P's I have on. Is this, are those going to fall under the "you get what you pay for" rule?

 

Continental Extreme Contact DW's based on your criteria. They're comfortable and quiet yet offer good grip in both wet and dry. They're also predictable, which is more important than outright grip on the street (imo).

If you wanted to go more agressive (ie a track day or autox here and there), Michelin Super Sports would be the next step. Still comfortable and good in wet but a little more grip. Further still would be the Dunlop Direzza Z2, but they start to sacrifice comfort and road noise for more grip so you'd have to be a regular autox or track day guy. Beyond that you get into the more track oriented tires like the Michelin Sport Cup, Pirelli Corsa System, Hankook z214 etc. but they are strictly warm, dry weather tires. They would be a spare set of rims only used to drive to and from the track type of deal.

 

Plus 2. Although Hankooks are no slouches and I praise them because they are the only mfr that makes tires that fit the front of our countach!

 

Got Continental Sport Contacts on my 348. My previous tyres had a tendency to tram line a tad, not hugely just a little on poor roads. The continentals have a slightly more rounded cross section, not sure if that's why or just due to new rubber but the tram lining went away over night.

 

I have found the Continental Extreme Contact DW to be a fantastic value giving awesome performance at a price that is significantly less than the Michelin Super Sport or the P Zero.

 

+1 I run the Continental Extreme Contact DW on my 1990 348 TS and really like them. I previously had Pirelli P-Zero.

 

Its funny how so many want to save money on their tires. Sort of similar to the header thing. If its cheaper we make excuses for why they are good. I guess its just human nature. If you take a poll...Michelin makes the best tires for the 355 or any car for that matter. Yes some of the tires mentioned above may be great for a single application but for all around...Michelin is the choice. If I had to save a couple of bucks and still have a great tire then I would go with Bridgestone. But as Ive said in other threads..these cars are not about looking to save money on second class parts. We have the best sports cars ever made so why not put the money into the parts as well?

 

I really don't care about the cost of my tires. I buy what works the best for the application.

Just because it costs more doesn't mean it is better

 

BTW For the last 5 years or so, the Tire Rack had the best prices on Michelins but they have lately lost ground to Discount tire direct. Make sure it has the direct at the end.

 

Yep. I agree. Never trip over the dollars to pick up the pennies.

 

This is a very important distinction to make! I have the Pilot Super Sports on my 355 and I have had them and other on my other cars. I think the Michelins have a very high grip level and they are the hands down winner in the wet, but out there at the very limit the "breakaway" is not very user friendly. The feedback is just sort of "nervous" all over the envelope..except in the wet, where they are very smooth and easy to read. This is true on both cars I have them on (355 and C6 Z06 Corvette). Now on the other hand, for way less money, the Han-kooks have about the same dry grip but are really friendly to toss around, even on the limit the breakaway is well telegraphed and easy to manage. Great tires, not quite as nice in the wet, but nobody gets these cars wet anyway right?

 

Are they quiet?

 

I don't think the Michelins are very quiet, but I also think most of the low profile tires are rather loud. I have a set of Ventus on my 740iL BMW and they are really quiet.

 

Little bit of a sweeping assumption there, wasn't it Gerry? I've found the Continentals for instance (all Sport Contacts now I thought?) to be a really good tyre. Having spent upwards of $20k on my car in the last year or so, none of which includes the maintenance, and a new windscreen is going in in a couple of weeks, do you really think the price of the tyres was in any way a factor to my particular choice? Oh and I bought two new cars last weekend. And a $15k golf launch monitor a couple of weeks back. The point is, don't always think it's about the $$s Gerry, some people shop taking account of other criterior as well.

 

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