Hi everyone I'm collecting a 348ts next week that needs some new rear tyres. It currently has the standard spec Bridgestone Expedias on the original wheels but my mechanic has suggested fitting Pirellis instead. Are there any recommendations as to the best sort of tyre for progressive fast road handling (assuming the geometry etc is all set up properly)? Thanks in advance for any thoughts! Obligatory picture attached... Image Unavailable, Please Login
Go to TireRack.com Pull down the 'Tires" menu Select "find->'By Performance Category'" Click on Max Performance, or click on Ultra-high performance Choose any of the top five tires that have fitments to your wheels.
Just a word of warning - I replaced the rear tires only on my 348ts many years ago (there's a thread in the archives somewhere), and the car instantly became almost totally undriveable, weaving all over the road. It was fine before I replaced the two worn tires, and it was fine after I replaced all four (Bridgestones), but very bad on just two new ones. Pressures were carefully set to specifications. I understand this is a common finding, not an isolated incident. Very nice looking car, by the way. Congratulations!
Pretty car. Congrats! Always nice to see a 348 in a unique rare combo. While I don't keep up with every new street compound released, I do have some knowledge of various compounds due to the fact that I own a small shop that specializes in track prep and I spend a certain amount of time on the track myself. Before selecting any particular tire I'd recommend considering a couple of questions. First, how many miles do you expect the tires to last? If you're a typical Ferrari owner, you'll need to replace your car's sneakers well before the tread is done, just due to age. If you don't expect to cover a lot of miles, or if tire wear is not an issue for you, going with a softer compound is likely a good choice. But another factor may be a more important consideration in your case. I see that you're posting from lovely Switzerland. Do you intend/expect to drive your car in sub-freezing temps, or will you be storing it in sub-freezing temps? If so, that changes everything. The manufacturers of many, if not all, ultra-high-performance tires recommend against using those tires in sub-freezing temps. So definitely consider that as you shop for tires. If you do want to run the car in the winter, but you also want the best grip, you may need two sets of wheels/tires. As to specific recommendations, I'll throw a couple out there, even though they may not be suitable for your purposes. First is the Bridgestone RE-71R, which I think is an absolutely awesome tire for the 348 as long as you stay within its temp limits. I don't think that it is available in the exact factory sizes for the 348, but you can get close enough-- 255/40s and 225/45s would be a great combo. Another recommendation would be the Nitto NT05. They're a good bit cheaper than the 'Stones, but they're nice and sticky and hold up well to light track use (meaning they'd be fine for pushing the car in the Alps as long as you're not outside the tires' temp envelope). FWIW, I just bought two sets of NT05s for my 348—I’m a cheapskate, but I like good grip and the NT05 fits the bill nicely since low temps are not much of a concern for me. As Miltonian said, I'd recommend against replacing just the rear tires. Go for the full meal deal, regardless of which sneaker you choose. HTH, ///Mike
In my experience of searching for a matched set of four tyres for the 348 there aren't many options out there period, let alone being fussy about what type of driving they may suit! I've been given advice but when I've then tried to walk what they talked, invariably the options weren't actually out there on the various manufacturer or supplier websites.
Very nice 348, congrats Continental Sportcontact 5 they did not have the 255/45/17 Y in Conti SC3 but it is available in the SC5 I am very happy with the fronts too Conti Sportcontact 5 215/50/17 Y They performed well on the Francorchamps track although they are not track tyres I don't think semi-slicks are available at least not in R888 or Michelin Cup2 Also Dunlop Sportmaxx is available in the standard size I used to run Michelin Pilot Sport 2 in size 265/40/17 Y with the Conti CS5 in front, without problems upto the redline in 5th My 348GTB is originally Swiss
I was at my tyre dealer only this morning getting some boots for the DD. I enquired about the 348, after much searching it appears that the Continental sportcontact 5 mentioned above is one of the very few options in the combination of front and rear sizes for the 348. As I understand it the problem child for the 348 is the rears being 255/45/17. If you go non standard such as 265 or 245 there are plenty of options. All I can say is thanks to Continental for covering the size range they have in their recent sportcontact 5 range.
I went to Tirerack.com and found a Firestone was available called Indy Oval. I talked to some people and they had good reviews on them. I ordered a set of four and had them shipped to my mechanic to install during my major. I have heard that manufacturers only make lower demand tires every 3 to 5 years. So when they run out or run low on them, they have to pull out the molds and make some more. Sometimes that will leave a particular tire brand/model unavailable for awhile.
Thank you all for your thoughts - very much appreciated! This car is going to operate between my quite focused series 1 Lotus Elise and the special occasion long legs of an F512M, so the plan is fairly regular use with my wife, therefore taking in all types of weather, some longer journeys (e.g. Zurich to the Goodwood Revival in September!) and also dealing with warm days but chilly evenings up in the mountains. So, I'm going to need some fairly all round tyres that are probably more progressive in feel than maybe outright grip, in the interests of both fun and ensuring we don't go off an edge... I'm all for a bit of playfulness in place of a track time approach, though they will need to hold up to being pushed hard over long sessions when light traffic allows the good times to role! I'm also considering getting some GTC-like wheels for summer tyres and putting winter tyres on the original wheels, as otherwise the car will only be used on above-freezing days in the winter, which can be occasional at best. I'll have to see if I can find some in the next couple of weeks, aside from the $8,200 craziness on ebay! It could be quite fun to turn up at a resort with a snowboard strapped to the passenger seat... So, thanks to you all for your thoughts. I'll do some research on your suggestions and take it from there... And as requested, some more photos. The car is in really good mechanical condition but needs a little bit of cosmetic love as the paint at the base of the buttresses needs respraying, the seats need a really good clean, some scuffs to the interior sill area needing some tidying up, and the usual interior pieces are sticky, so I won't get too close on the interior shot for now so as to spoil the dream! I think she was a good deal though and the work is all easily done. I'm really looking forward to the blue, blue, white combo when she's been tidied up - very of the period in my view and handsomely different. Stage 2 will be to find a suitably fruity but not too offensive to the neighbours sports exhaust, perhaps a stage 2 Capristo. Best wishes and happy motoring! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
