which tyres for my 996

jaskenth · 5 Jan 2012

sorry folks, newbie to site, so my question may have been answered before but couldn't find details when searching forum

have 2001 Y reg 996 C2 cabriolet tiptronic - currently fitted with pzero rosso N4s

rear pair need changing but as N4s appear to be in short supply need to look at changing all 4 to either conti sport 2/3 or pilot 2s ? . . . note, need all round tires with balance of performance and comfort/road noise

here's where I've got confused and would appreciate some help

1. folks appear to pref the ps2s but looking at porsches recommended list they suggest conti's or bridgestones for 2001/earlier cars and only add ps2s to list for post 2001 models . . . ? anyone have ps2s fitted to older 996 model ?

2. what weight/speed rating do I need . . . 88Y or 93Y on fronts ? 93Y or 97Y on rears as a min ?

any help appreciated, thanks

Chris W · 5 Jan 2012

Hi and welcome

If they are N rated then they'll be the correct speed and weight rating but yes 88Y and 93Y are correct, you dont need to go higher.

Early 996 had 265/35/18 rears, facelift had 285/30/18 rears, but you can fit either to be honest.

Michelin PS2 are considered to be the best if budget is no issue, hard to fault really IMO. However Conti SC2 N2 are probably the most popular based on price, all year round performance esp in wet, comfort, noise and availability and I recommend them to many. Pirelli Rosso are considered to be much more a summer tyre and their wet performance is widely regarded to be poor especially after a bit of wear. There are other brands but collective user feedback is sparse.

If you want a quote/advice let me know where you are etc.

911MDN · 5 Jan 2012

Chris,

Sent pm

Thanks

tbrown · 5 Jan 2012

Re: which tires

jaskenth said:
anyone have ps2s fitted to older 996 model ?

I bought my 1998 C2 with Conti's fitted but have always preferred Michelins on my other cars.
Fitted PS2's and have had 4 set's since, slightly softer ride but higher wear rate [in my opinion] but i like the road grip.
I have 285/30/18 on the rear but availabilty was a bit of an issue last year.

disco1 · 5 Jan 2012

Feel free to call me a gyppo but I've just gone from N4 Pirellis to Falken FKs and can confirm sod all difference (apart from the extra £400 in my wallet). I'm sure some of the track day kings on here would notice but for what I need they're perfect. No flex, quieter than previosus, loads of grip and did very well in the recent bed of hail that fell on the weekend.

Highly recommended for those with short arms and deep pockets.

911RS74 · 5 Jan 2012

First time poster but long time reader of forum.

I've just put 4 new Falkens on mine, had always put Bridgestone S02's on before, and i must admit i can't tell the difference either:
Rears: Falken FK-452 255/40 R17 Y (94)
Fronts: Falken FK-452 205/50 R17 Y (93), Reinforced

Car seems to perform just as well in the wet as it did with the bridgestones. Put a set of Bridgestones on the rear dec 2010 and lasted till dec 2011, so i will see how the FKs cope re wear, the car does about 8k per year.

dodgey · 6 Jan 2012

Another fan of FK452 tyres here. £600 for all four fitted and balanced. Super quiet and smooth. Flex goes after a couple of days. The grip never ceases to amaze me ( though i have no idea of the limits on these, or the more expensive alternatives) and they seem to be wearing slowly.

Sundayjumper · 6 Jan 2012

That's good to hear re: the Falkens. The P-Zeros currently on the front of mine are ancient and well past their best, I've been pleased with Falkens on other cars in the past and was planning to try them on the 996 too.

Chris W · 6 Jan 2012

Trouble is when you put really good rubber on they do put Falkens in the shade. Most Falken buyers from my experience are new to 911's, have poor experience from aged big brand tyres, anything is better than old worn tyres and the perception is that they're great. Yes they are good value but not really like for like versus Michelin or Conti...all IMHO.

bluemoon996 · 7 Jan 2012

I couldn't find Falkens in the size I needed (285/30R18) so went for Contisportcontact2's from Camskill, full set for £680 inc VAT & delivery plus another £80 for my local garage to fit.

dodgey · 8 Jan 2012

Chris W said:
Trouble is when you put really good rubber on they do put Falkens in the shade. Most Falken buyers from my experience are new to 911's, have poor experience from aged big brand tyres, anything is better than old worn tyres and the perception is that they're great. Yes they are good value but not really like for like versus Michelin or Conti...all IMHO.

What you say all makes perfect sense ( my car came with worn rears and old fronts) - but a the end of the day, im betting most drivers will never demand that "extra" performance out of their tyres. I've driven mine at what many would call an irresponsible speed over a few roundabouts and round sweeping bends (with no other traffic in view I might add) and didn't feel i was taxing the tyres at all.

If I were to get into track days I have no doubt a top brand of tyres would trounce the Falkens, but for every day use, they seem great - and the reduction in road noise is a massive bonus (not to mention the reduction in price!)

westy666 · 8 Jan 2012

It's something I've started to think about a lot recently about a lot of 'premium' products. Tyres included.

In the past I've always gone with the best, usually most expensive option tyres, usually PS2.

And I've always had that nagging feeling that whilst they will probably be a better tyre will I ever actually get the benefit of the extra cost.

I guess for most people if their car is a daily runner then probably at least 95% of the time you don't need all that extra grip\performance. Unless you drive like a lunatic :grin:

Even if it is a weekender, like mine, when I do take it out and 'have some fun' I bet I don't\can't push the car hard enough on the roads to make a big difference.

I do plan to do a track day this year, and again, I bet I have just as much fun with a decent set of tyres rather than a premium set.

Bluebird911 · 8 Jan 2012

Hi westy,

Your Porsche is a 'premium' product and your argument seems to suggest against Porsche ownership as you will rarely exploit the full performance capability of your car.

With the speed and forces that a Porsche is ablle to generate in tyres, not to mention emergency manouvres, it doesn't make sense to compromise on the 4 contact patches on the road.

westy666 · 8 Jan 2012

Yep, Porsche is a premium product and a do get a lot of enjoyment out of ownership and I probably don't get the full benefit of performance I doubt many of us do, but that's not the only reason for owning one.

I have always loved the look and styling of Porsche's as well as driving experience.

Basically what I'm saying is there are situations where you don't always need to put the absolute best on your car. I'm not saying put the cheapest you can find on. I still think you need to put 'decent' rubber on them.

What I'm saying it's a balance of cost vs benefit. When mine needs new rubber I'll probably put some conti Sport Contact 2's on rather than PS2's. Still a very good tyre and more than up to the job and I'd probably not even notice the difference between them and a set of more expensive PS2's.

I dare say there are people on here running even cheaper tyres not on the Porsche approved list. But still have good quality tyres. Are they risking life and limb every time they get in their cars because of that. I doubt it.

If you want to pay top whack for a set of tyres then go ahead, it's your money, your choice. But it's not the only choice out there.

DivineE · 9 Jan 2012

There is no question in my mind that the Michelins are the best tyre you can buy for the 996. They are simply 10/10 in all areas (wet and dry grip, road noise, lifespan) but the Continental sport contact 2 tyres that came on my car and that I have now replaced them with have been so good that I simply could never ask for more.

I've never felt I needed more grip. On the road in the wet people are constantly surprised, in the dry you would have to be driving like a complete imbecile (or driving very badly) to need more traction .

On the track they got so sticky that I was gaining on 911s wearing toyo R888s and I can still say will full confidence that I have never yet got the most out of the available grip from my car.

Yes you can get better and more grip is rarely a bad thing but as someone who owns my 911 only for its performance, I would find it pretty hard to justify the need for any more.

which tyres for my 996

jaskenth

New member

Chris W

Sebring

911MDN

Monza

tbrown

Paul Ricard

disco1

Monza

911RS74

New member

dodgey

Monza

Sundayjumper

Spa-Francorchamps

Chris W

Sebring

bluemoon996

Trainee

dodgey

Monza

westy666

Monza

Bluebird911

Montreal

westy666

Monza

DivineE

Nurburgring

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