430 TIRES! Great price on NEW Michelin pilot sports 285/35/19 $387 SHIPPED

There is a Ferrari version of the PS2 and a Cadillac version. The Ferrari version costs more of course.

 

Why get PS2 when pilot super sport is now available?


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Here's some info on the difference between the 'Ferrari' version and others. This is for a different tire, but just the same, you probably don't want to mix non-Ferrari and Ferrari versions of Michelins.

1) The Ferrari "K1" spec tires ARE different compared to the normal non Ferrari tires

2) The "K1" spec starts out with less tread wear. For the 245/35/20 size it starts out with 9/32 tread where as the normal tire is 10/32. Barely any difference but.....the 285/30/20 K1 Ferrari tire starts out at just 7/32 tread where as the normal tire is 10/32. You are basically losing 30% of tread right off the bat to save weight (more on that later).

3) The tread design pattern is the same but the grooves in between the tread columns on the K1 tire is wider. You have to see the tire side by side to see the difference.

4) The K1 Ferrari tire tends to be lighter weight than the normal tire. For the 285/30/20 size the K1 tire is approx 2.6lbs lighter. This doesn't mean its only from shaving down the tread of the tire because the overall diameter of both tires is exactly the same according to Michelin's specs.

5) Now here's the kicker. Since i originally ordered the K1 spec tires for both the front and rear just to find out now that Tirerack also sells the Normal version non K1 tire in the 285/30/20 size, I called to exchange the tires since i haven't mounted them yet. Now that i have both sets of the tires in front of me the K1 tire has a different profile sidewall and is also much stiffer than the normal non K1 tire. The K1 tire's sidewall is more rounded and has more of a stretched look while the normal version is a more traditional blockier sidewall (less stretch look). You can tell just by looking at the tire without them being installed on a wheel. The part that worries me is that the K1 tire will probably have stiffer ride comfort (better handling) compared to the non K1 version. I believe this is due to the K1 tire having a higher speed rating than the normal tire. Not sure.

6) The "K1" tire also cost more. TR has the rear tires for $406 each while the normal version is $359 each for the 285/30/20 size.

 

It's really nice of you to share your keen observations. I've often wondered what the differences were between regular and car manufacturer-approved versions of the same tire.

You wouldn't happen to have photos showing the tires, would you? I think seeing and understanding the design details really helps people get the most from their cars. Tires contribute such a huge part of a car's performance.

 

Thanks for the info!!!

 

Thanks! This is great information.

From reading the thread, I believe the K1 tires were made to provide a lighter, stiffer and faster tire, almost as if they have been prepped for racing. And I notice the photos posted by nwills show the K1 tire profile has no rim protection whereas the non-K1 does offer some protection against curb damage. I always buy tires with rim protectors and "ultra performance" tires do come with them.

TireRack writeup on rim protectors - they really work. My ultra performance tires had raised protectors shown in #2.
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=149

TireRack also has a good writeup on sidewall bubbles, says the ones caused by defects will appear in 6 months of service.
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=159

The K1 tires will likely provide better performance but shorter life and less protection. If you're just replacing one K1 it's a good idea to keep all the tires identical and get a K1 replacement. I plan to buy an extra set of Summer wheels, probably Michelin Super Sports and just keep the OEM wheels as a spare set after I break them in.

I always have my wheels balanced on road-force balancers (Hunter GSP9700). You'll find these in the best shops and garages. Believe me, you do not want to balance Ferrari wheels without road-force machines. The other balancers are only good for family cars and trucks. All dealers that sell sports cars balance their cars with road-force balancers because their reputation depends on it.