Michelin tires for 550 (in Europe)

Continentals would be my next choice. PS4 and PS5 are not really suitable for Ferraris. Here in the US, we can still get MPSS tires in Maranello 18" sizes. Unfortunately, Michelin does not make PS4S tires in 18" Maranello sizes. Keep your fingers crossed for the new PS S5 Michelins. Right now, only available in huge sizes for new supercars.

 

Ha ha ha OK Terry you beat me to it but you know I love Continental. That’s all I’ve ever used on my 550.

 

Unlucky. Maybe have MPSS shipped from the US?

 

Here in the UK there seems to be even less choice.

You could get Potenza's front and rear but they seem to have dried up, only rears I can typically find are Pirelli P0s, though did find some Michelin PS2s recently. I was naïvely thinking it would be easier on the Continent and was thinking I may need to go a trip and get some tyres while there!

If others are facing the same issue any ideas on how to resolve it? Lobbying the manufacturers, organising a group buy??? Or indeed a shipment from US...

 

How about finding a place in Europe close to the Chunnel exit and driving and getting new tires?

 

Same problem for me in the UK earlier this year. Michelin and Continental not available in the required sizes, so had to go with P Zeros.

 

I am very pleased with the Yokohamas currently available (V103 and V105) in our tyre sizes. I chose these as there was no Michelin available at the time, and have no regrets. They work very well with the traction control too. I will try the Michelins when the Yokos wear out but I can vouch for the Yokos if sourcing Michelins proves too difficult.

 

OEM fronts were either 255/40 18 or 235/45 18 for the 550, but only 255/40 18 for the 575M, so you did well.

 

There are three different versions of PSS 255/40-18.
255/40 ZR18 (95Y)
255/40 ZR18 (99Y) XL
255/40 ZR18 (99Y) XL MO1

95Y seems to be more commonly available in Europe than other two. 95 = 1521 pounds/690 kilos and 99 = 1709/775 load bearing limit. XL for 550 so its not much help.

Continental Extreme Contact S02 available in US don't seem to be sold in Europe at all.

Current situation isn't good but hopefully Michelin starts to do new design like PSS5 soon to replace PSS.

 

Vilhuer, what would you recommend for a 550 or 575 on 18s, of these options?

 

Stefan,

if you put Michelin 255 at the front, you will probably fail the TÜV, as according to the registration paper they should be 235 with this brand. The 255 are OK with other brands, like Pirelli.
And if the person inspecting your car misses this (which they don't in Munich), you would still be driving a car that is not road legal.
For this silly reason I ended up putting 235 PS5 at the front and 295 PSS at the back. They still perform better than the Pirellis I always had in the past.

Stefano

 

Stefano- How does he fail TUV when 255/40 18 was one of the OEM sizes for the 550?

Plus, there is no way I would mix the general purpose PS5 tires with the Ultra High Performance PSS tires. Could result in some squirrelly handling, especially in the wet.

 

The user's manual specifies 235 for Michelin and 255 for all other brands. This is the information that the germans introduced in their system. On my registration paper only the combination 235/295 is entered as the car was originally sold with Michelins, but there is also a code which the inspectors use in their system to see other possible combinations (this lookup takes them ages, while the car just stands there idling, very irritating). They will not allow 255 Michelin front tyres.
I have driven in rain with no problems, but of course I don't push the car in such conditions.
I am happier with this combination than with Pirellis, but I agree it's not nice to see so if I ever sell the car I'll switch back to Pirellis.

Stefano

 

Stefano- Those 235/45 18 Michelin tires are no longer available and the data is over 25 years old. Sounds like a really archaic system to me. Someone would have to be really silly to enforce it when 255/40 18s were an alternate size and available as modern replacements.

 

Stefano,

if the tire specification is listed in the EC type approval of your car, you can mount any tire in that specification, no matter which brand it is.

So if they tell you that you can run 255 yokos, but not 255 michelins (with sufficient speed and load indices), I'd reckon that they are breaking the law.

 

I am no fan of P Zeros but I would take them over PS5s for a Ferrari. P Zeros are at least ultra high performance stiff sidewall tyres. MPSS better of course, and what I have currently, but if they are not available, my next tyre change will see P Zeros. To confirm, are there really no other good matching tyres for all 4 corners in the UK/Europe for our cars? What about semi-slicks?

Interestingly I have driven a few supercars on the road on P Zero Corsas. Ferrari media cars come with them as standard. These are for me much better tyres than P Zeros. Not great for the cold and wet, but I tend to drive my 575 in summer only. Quite a firm ride but I am not sure how much firmer than standard P Zeros, and just in a different league.

Maybe Michelin is losing interest in ultra high performance as it's a niche, much higher volume in making PS5s for big fast SUVs and electric cars.

 

I have been to the registration office in Munich to discuss the issue and was told that changes are not "foreseen". Archaic is indeed the right term here!

 

In addition to my above post..I recently had an Audi RS4 press car, and remember feeling that it was on particularly good tyres for fast summer driving. They felt stiffer than PS4Ss (their only failing for me) and much better all round than P Zeros. On checking, they turned out to be P Zero Corsas.

An RS4 and a Maranello are v different cars but have similarities, same kind of performance, power, weight and ride/handling compromise, and I was surprised they worked so well on this fast touring car. Roundabouts were fun.

I haven't checked if they make them in Maranello size, mind, so this may be a total blind alley in which case apologies.

 

Darius- The Corsas are effectively race tires for the street. They were standard on some performance version Ferrari models. The Michelin equivalent is their Cup series. Neither is available in 18" Maranello sizes last time I checked.