550 tyres - limited choice

I am going to need a new set of tyres for my 550 later this year. Currently on fairly old Michelin Pilot Sports. I don't use my car on track and don't drive like a complete maniac on the road and pretty much any decent make of tyre should give me as much dry grip as I need, so wet weather performance is the highest priority. Everything I read seems to suggest that Michelins are what I want.

Pilot Super Sports are presently available in the right sizes (255/40x18 and 295/35x18), but Michelin appear to have dropped these from their range, so for how long will they be available? If I had a puncture a couple of years down the line, I would not want to have to replace two tyres.

PS4s, which I believe are the replacement for Super Sports, are available in the right size for the front, but not for the rear - the widest size is 275/35x18.

Should I go for SSs, and hope for the best?

How would the car feel if I were to have PS4s on the front and SSs on the rear (which would partially solve the issue of non-availability of SSs in the future, at least at the front end)?

What effect would it have if I were to fit 275/35s at the rear?

Any other ideas?

All suggestions / advice welcome.

 

Not, apparently, in the UK! Continental's UK website has nothing to offer in 295/35 - widest they go is 265/35.

 

I think I shall go with the MPSSs and, as it appears they are no longer in production, I may as well get them sooner than later.

 

A bit more research (always a dangerous thing!) and I'm now unsure!!!

Bridgestone Potenza RE 050 A and Pirelli P Zero Rosso Asimmetrico come in the right sizes and appear to be still in production unlike the MPSS. Pirelli and Michelin are about the same price, Bridgestone about 15% cheaper. Reviews suggest MPSS is best, closely followed by Pirelli, with Bridgestone bringing up the rear, so I am veering towards Pirellis, on the basis of their still being in production, unlike the Michelins. However, one UK 550 owner on Club Scuderia site says he was uncomfortable in the wet on Pirellis and now much happier on Michelins (positively damning about the Bridgestones).

Any thoughts?

 

It is no longer to be on their website, and on entering the car's details it correctly identifies the tyres and says "We're sorry – currently, no tyres match your search". If I search by tyre sizes, it offers me MPSS for the rear and MPS4 for the front and I am not convinced that is a good idea.

However, I have emailed them to inquire. I hope I am wrong: nobody seems to have anything good to say about the Bridgestones and the Pirellis ddo not seem to have many admirers either, while everyone rates the Michelins. I may go for the MPSS all round anyway as there still seem to be stocks available.

 

You are right, Terry. They still make MPSS in the right size for the rears, but not the fronts, which are only made as PS4s. And they don't make PS4s in the right size for the rears. So in theory I cannot get a matched set of MPSSs or PS4s. In fact, according to Michelin, whom I emailed, I cannot get a set of their tyres for my car, full stop.

Some tyre suppliers do appear, however, still to have MPSSs in the right sizes for both front and rear, so it looks as though I have two choices:

1. MPSS all round, and hope I shall never need to replace one of them (e.g. if I get a puncture)., because that could involve replacing at least two, possibly all 4.
2. Go for the Pirellis.

 

This is what I found on Continental's UK website:

4. By size
295/35 R18
Sorry there are no tyres available.​

For better or worse, I am going to go with MPSS if I can get them.

 

It is precisely because it could happen to any tyre, at any time. I had to replace a tyre on my Dino only a couple of months back due to a puncture, but that was no problem because they are all the same and likely to be available for a long time to come, now that they have gained "classic" status, whereas if I go with MPSS on my 550, I shall be buying a tyre which Michelin have already stopped making, which is indicative of supply problems in the future.

However, notwithstanding that, I have decided to go with MPSS, for better or worse.

 

Michelin:

Thank you for contacting MICHELIN Consumer Care.
Unfortunately in these tyre dimension sizes we do not have any matching sets, therefore we are unable to recommend you a tyre.
For additional information please contact us by email: [email protected], on our website http://www.michelin.co.uk/, our contact form http://www.michelin.co.uk/contact or by phone to 0845 366 1590 or 0845 366 1535.
MICHELIN is happy to accompany you on every journey and would like to thank you for the confidence.

Mathew, your advisor​

 

The email I quoted came from the contact you have quoted, so I guess they don't know their arse from their elbow!

Whatever, I have found a supplier (My Tyres) who apparently has them and a set of four should be winging its way to my local Ferrari agent right now (for £830, including 2 years' insurance, which seems pretty fair to me).

 

Thankyou. I am sure I shall.