Boxster Tyres - HELP

[monie22]

Hi

Can anyone give me advice on the tyre to put on to a boxster!!!

I need to change all four of mine and have a choice of four.

The michelin Pilot sports - although are the best are also too expensive for me,

The Pirellis P Zero Rosso - again although great tyre alot of people say they only last 4-5K miles, and I have these on the car currently and am not really to impressed witht the wear!!!!

The Continental Sports Contact N2 - I am considering these but do not know too much about them. How well do they wear??? whats the road handling like???? whats road noise like???

And finally The Bridgestone S-O2 N2 - Again I know nothing about these tyres. I know they are a "good" make of tyre and are used in F1, and They are also the cheapest by quite a margin. so I am now also considering these but I need the same kinda info as the conti's!!!!!

PLEASE HELP!!!!!

[mikefocke]

Look here

Link and look at the end of the web page.

If you can't afford the Michelin's...and you are OK with the limitations of no driving when road temps are below 40F..then consider the Kumhos. (That limitation is true of all Ultra High Performance Summer tires.) If your temps get below 40 and the car will be driven in such temps, then start looking at all seasons high performance tires.

[rsfeller]

Look here

Link and look at the end of the web page.

If you can't afford the Michelin's...and you are OK with the limitations of no driving when road temps are below 40F..then consider the Kumhos. (That limitation is true of all Ultra High Performance Summer tires.) If your temps get below 40 and the car will be driven in such temps, then start looking at all seasons high performance tires.

I agree complete with Mike, I enjoy my kumos, drive well and have held up well too.

It would be more helpful if you told us what kind of driving you are doing and how much. I put let then 5,000 miles a year on a car on my boxster that never sees rain nor weather below 32F and my "discount tire" are now on 3 of 4 of my vehicles because of my happiness with kumos.

[monie22]

Well i'm actually in the UK, and the temp doesn't really fall below -5 C and top out at about 28 C. (not sure what that is in F)

Are the Khumo N rated tyres????

[rsfeller]

Well i'm actually in the UK, and the temp doesn't really fall below -5 C and top out at about 28 C. (not sure what that is in F)

Are the Khumo N rated tyres????

I assume they are but don't recall, look here:

I have the All Seasons (if I recall) and get them online via that company that delivers to my door in a day but you may not have this tire available in the UK.

Shawn

[mikefocke]

-5C = 23F

And if you are going to be driving in temps like that you need either dedicated winter/snow tires or at least what we in the states call "all-seasons". Anything below about +4C is dangerous on the normal rubber Porsches are delivered with here in the states...a class of tire called Ultra High Performance Summer tire. I know I wrecked a Boxster because I wasn't paying attention to the outside temps..was only going 2 miles from home...had to stop and didn't because the rubber was too hard and just slid on top of the road surface instead of biting into it.

[dallison]

i just put on a set of sumitomo htr II and they seem to work very well.

[Yippee38]

I can't help you with those, but I can tell you that I put on the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetrics and they are fantastic tires. I am really impressed with them both on dry and on wet.

[seafeye]

I can't help you with those, but I can tell you that I put on the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetrics and they are fantastic tires. I am really impressed with them both on dry and on wet.

I like the Falken RT-615's. And perfect for temps from 0C to 30C. Well zero might be a little low but i got to use them as snow tires this past winter and I am still around to talk about it. Like them 1000 times more than my Michelin Pilot's.

[bccm17]

hi,

have had Sumitomo htr III for about 6 months and they drive better that Bridgestones, and really grip road when you step down.

tire rack ranks them very highly, and mine cost less than half the price. located in northern california, and have recommended to series of people.

enjoy them!!!

[Jay H]

I'm putting a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus on my '02 base Boxster on Friday. My experience with cheaper tires is that they are typically O.K. until you get 5000 to 7000 miles on them. Flat spotting and balance issues sometimes come into play. I've had enough Khumo tires that did this that I've learned to just pony up for the Michelin's (or your other favorite high end brand) and be done with it. Though, I'm pretty picky about my cars - some say obsessive - and my stuff has to run like new all of the time.

I've got a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season on the car right now (came on the car when I bought it). Good tire in the wet and even did O.K. in the snow in stock 17" sizes last fall. They have about 5/32nds of tread left on the rears (10/32nds is new tread depth) and 6/32nds on the front. The tires can no longer be balanced out and they are insanely noisy to the point I can't even hear the motor anymore. They still grip well and are O.K. in the wet (I drive conservatively in slippery conditions). But, the balance issue and the noise issue are making me toss these things.

The Sumitomos mentioned above are really cheap price wise and seem to be rated well on the Tire Rack's site. I have a friend who just put those exact tires on his base Boxster in the 17" sizes. They needed a lot of weight on the rears to get in balance. It'll be interesting to see how they hold up.

You can run summer only tires in cold temps and snow if you feel you'll never be in an emergency situation where you have to brake moderately to heavy or have to maneauver quickly to avoid something. If you can guarantee that you'll never have to do stuff like that, then summer only tires are O.K. for temps under 40 to 45 degrees (4 - 7 C). ;) In other words, take Mike's advice above and stick to dedicated snow tires in colder temps and snow or at least use high performance All Season tires.

However, I always feel that one should spend the money and get decent tires for your Porsche. N rated tires are at least up to Porsche's standards. I can't see skimping on tires and oil in a Porsche...

Sorry for the ranting. No offense meant to anyone.

Jay

02 986

90 911

84 911

Edited May 27, 2009 by Jay H

[bccm17]

After reading input on Michelin rubbers, have to agree with putting good rubber beneath you. Only comment on Khumo tires is that the sidewalls "racked" in semi-stiff rally driving, and I was glad it was not my car. I suppose they would be ok for to the store and back driving. Jay brought up good issue about where you live, and related weather, as determining factor.

However, if Tire Rack testing indicates the Sumitomo htr III (not II's) have superior treadwear ratings, and 300 UFQC ratings while best Michelin is 220. After 5000-plus miles, I can see why they are rated highly, and I must admit to detouring to catch a windy road home.

The primary concern placed on Sumitomo III's has to do with "wet" performance, although it still rates higher than most. It should be noted that "wet traction" testing is only done on straight-line, and with 5,000 miles under belt I can say they do nicely on often wet coast roads of Northern California.

It would be interesting to see more lateral testing - the sidewall cross-rib construction is a primary reason I selected Sumitomo III over Michelin's transverse ribbing.

Enough said, and enjoy your ride!

Bill

98 986

70 914-6

67 912 restored, then later with 914 engine

73 914

74 914

[blundgren77]

Hi

Can anyone give me advice on the tyre to put on to a boxster!!!

I just put new tires on the rear of my '01 Boxster. It's got Conti Sport Contact 2's on it (N2) all the way around (265/35 18's on the rear), and that's what I tossed back on it. The ride is nice, and the tires are quiet. Cornering is excellent, and wet traction is not bad. They are definately a summer only tire though, and on cold Wisconsin spring mornings, you can tell they aren't quite warm. :)

I haven't owned it long enough yet to comment on the tire wear, but I've been told to expect 10 to 12K out of the rear. I'll have to keep an eye on it and report back.

--Bill

[cole9900]

hi,

have had Sumitomo htr III for about 6 months and they drive better that Bridgestones, and really grip road when you step down.

tire rack ranks them very highly, and mine cost less than half the price. located in northern california, and have recommended to series of people.

enjoy them!!!

+1 on the Sumitomo HTR III's. Great price, handle well, quiet, and, so far, excellent wear.

[986JDD]

""+1 on the Sumitomo HTR III's. Great price, handle well, quiet, and, so far, excellent wear""

What mileage are you at on the tires?

[kbrandsma]

+1 on Sumitomo HTR Z III. Just replaced my rears for the second time with them. Great price at Tire Rack

$79.00 Fronts and $99.00 Rears for 17" plus shipping and installation. See them HERE

[dtownmil]

Have 18" PZero Rosso's on mine and one of the fronts got a sidewall buldge. These tires were on the car when I bought it and the buldge was already there, so it may have been caused by a pothole or curb. I've only put on about 1000 miles on these tires, so can't speak on the wear. I like the way they feel and grip, and they are quiet.

When it's time for new ones, I may choose something that wears better and opt to go away from Perrelli just because of the buldge.

2000 Boxster 2.7L

18" stock wheels

59K miles

[cole9900]

""+1 on the Sumitomo HTR III's. Great price, handle well, quiet, and, so far, excellent wear""

What mileage are you at on the tires?

About 10K with no visable wear.