355 New Tires

I have cars with the Michelin Sport and the Continentals. I think either of them is good for road. Barry would be my expert for feel as I think he has tremendous experience with many options and compounds. But again, street use, I am going Michelin or Continentals

 

I'd hardly say I'm an expert, Eric. There's an old Southern saying: "An ex is a has been and a spurt is a drip under pressure."

But, yes, I have a bit of experience with several tire compounds. When I tracked my 550, I used BF Goodrich G-Force T/A KDW 2s...


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Hell, I figured if they were good enough for Ken Block, they were good enough for me...








They were great on the track and I remember them being good street tires but a bit noisy.

About the time I used them up, I bought my Challenge car and put the 550 on Continentals. They were smooth and quiet on the street.

The 550 is now on Michelin Pilot Super Sports. PS4s aren't available in stock sizes for the 550. They're very good street tires and, as my 550 is always standing by, should be good on the track should my F355 Challenge be sidelined at a track event.

 

Michelin pilot super sport in standard size

great from cold, nice consistent feel in all driving conditions . more than adequate for fast road and occasional track use.

 

cant get the 4s in the uk in standard size.

to be honest i dont know the difference. i did look a one of the other michelins, can’t recollect which, but figured i was just overthinking it. i had the super sports before and was happy with them on road and track.

 

The PS4S is an update on the Super Sports. They are better, but it's not a night and day difference. You really can't go wrong with either one.

 

Good morning Rob,

My apologies for calling you Eric in my post. I had just helped another FChat member with a similar tire question for his 550.

Michelins are great tires. Two years ago we switched from Pirelli to Michelin slicks...


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Barry

 

GT4 racer here with lots of experience on different tires on track and street.

Looking through the current OEM size offerings:
Street use only: Michelin AS4 or PS4, depends if your temps get below 40F and you have rain. I run the AS4's so I do not have to care about the weather and they're quiet and will last for years.
Street and some track: PS4 or the Yoko AD09's
Actually care about track: Yoko 052's

Personally, I've never liked conti's. They never survive track temps and wear faster than expected, but maybe the new partnership with Hoosier will change that. The Michelin's are always solid and reliable and consistent. Yoko's usually have a slightly more compliant sidewall and are a bit more comfortable, grip is high, but they do wear down quick.

If you're really concerned with feel, there is so much you can do with alignment, corner balancing, and suspension that has a huge effect on handling. I used to be frustrated with the F355 handling, then set it to book values with a few tweaks (balanced with only driver, removed a degree of camber front and rear) and it's night and day a different car.

 

They didn’t make the new yoks in this correct size for my P car so soon as I got the F car I had to have a set
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I've just fitted PS5 (although had to go 275 on the rear). If I'd read about Continental Sport Contact 7 before getting the Michelins, I'd have tried them. Better reviews, cheaper and available in standard 355 sizes.

 

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 - the next iteration of the Pilot Sport series. Reviews are good and generally they seem to place it above the PS4 behind the PS4S. If it comes in more sizes it’s great for older cars like ours to give us options - I put them on a Mazda when no other Pilot Sport version was available in the right size.

 

How about Pirelli's? To keep it as Italian as possible

 

Marmite in my view. Personally I do not like any of them. Had them on my 348 as only size available. sqirmy until you put some heat in them and start to properly lean on them; then they are decent, but before that not great in my opinion.

 

If you put comparable michelins and pirelli's into a spider chart, the pirelli's are 10-20% worse in every aspect every time.

 

I run 275 35 18s, so slightly wider with no issues

 

Sorry, wrong car! 355 runs 275 40 18s. Again with no issues.
E46 runs the 275 35 18s!