Recommend tyres?

[WazzerM]

Will need some Boxster tyres soon enough. Any recommendations? Looking for comfort & grip largely (and not too pricey).

Nokian zLine - anybody know anything about these?

Cheers

[AML911]

at my next tyre change I'm fitting Michelin Pilot Supersports, even if they are not N-rated. My Pirelli P zeros have lasted well and are very good in the dry, but their wet grip is not great. They also have very stiff sidewalls which doesn't help with ride comfort

[JW590]

This might help

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/

[WazzerM]

Cheers - will check it aaaaarrrt!

[RichardKS]

What diameter wheels?

If you are keeping prices sensible on a car outside of a Porsche used car warranty the default choice, in my opinion, has to be Falken FK453. The 453 supercedes the 452 which I used on a BMW 330ci and our old Boxster S. Brilliant tyres on road and track at friendly prices from Camskills in Cumbria. Do you remember the quick blue GT3 at Blyton Park? That was running on FK452's...

Upping the buget, I'd be looking at Michelin Pilot Sport or Supersport or the Bridgestone Potenza RE050A. Currently using Potenza on the 911 and the wife's new MX5 has them too. Try Oponeo for competitive prices.

Personally, having used them on 3 different cars, I don't fall for the 'Pilot Sport above all else ' hype. Maybe I'm not a driving god.

[Mike968]

+1 for FK452s. Miles better than the N-rated Continentals I had on my 968!

Not experienced it for myself, but some lads on the 968 forum have been dissappointed with the, 453s though...

[WazzerM]

Whoa - so many numbers - I'll do my research. Thanks for all the tips!!!!!!!

[tr7v8]

Not a great lover of Contis. Surprised how good the N Rated Michellin PS3 are on the Boxster. Light & Dark difference to the PZeros that were on it.

[Paul Mabley]

at my next tyre change I'm fitting Michelin Pilot Supersports, even if they are not N-rated. My Pirelli P zeros have lasted well and are very good in the dry, but their wet grip is not great. They also have very stiff sidewalls which doesn't help with ride comfort

Me too, pretty sure they come N rated in my size (XXL ).

Jim, I never managed to get on with Conti's in the wet somehow, maybe my driving style perhaps as I do like to go well in the wet.

[Martin & Kim 6853]

This a bit like "how do ya like your eggs fried or boiled

I love the Conti's no road noise and work well for me wet or dry

[RichardKS]

So difficult to be scientific about tyres on an internet forum. 'No road noise' to some may be a screaming banshee to someone else. Poor wet grip to some could be 'what's the big deal' to someone else. I know plenty of drivers who can't 'feel' any difference between tyres on their cars and I also know plenty of 'experts' and 'driving gods' who are happy to spout whatever is fashionable at the time. You may also find that Northern drivers find some tyres more harsh than Southern drivers - our roads are generally in far worse condition and we do get bounced about a bit - a recent trip to Cornwall highlighted this to me very clearly: the roads were almost billiard table smooth!

Wayne - you've got a few suggestions and opinions now (and a few suppliers that you may not have been aware of) - I would be interested to know what tyres you choose and how you find them compared to the old ones.

Just one extra point - I did find that my old 986s always felt a bit odd for a couple of hundred miles with new tyres. I've never owned a car before or since which was as 'fussy' about having new tyres and having to run them in.

[Paul Mabley]

So difficult to be scientific about tyres on an internet forum. 'No road noise' to some may be a screaming banshee to someone else. Poor wet grip to some could be 'what's the big deal' to someone else. I know plenty of drivers who can't 'feel' any difference between tyres on their cars and I also know plenty of 'experts' and 'driving gods' who are happy to spout whatever is fashionable at the time. You may also find that Northern drivers find some tyres more harsh than Southern drivers - our roads are generally in far worse condition and we do get bounced about a bit - a recent trip to Cornwall highlighted this to me very clearly: the roads were almost billiard table smooth!

Wayne - you've got a few suggestions and opinions now (and a few suppliers that you may not have been aware of) - I would be interested to know what tyres you choose and how you find them compared to the old ones.

Just one extra point - I did find that my old 986s always felt a bit odd for a couple of hundred miles with new tyres. I've never owned a car before or since which was as 'fussy' about having new tyres and having to run them in.

That post is very good, especially the bedding in at the bottom, essential in these cars.

I think my problem with the Conti in the wet was not the fact that they didn't perform well, I believe they are as good as any other in the wet (lots of people say they are the best in the wet) but the feedback from the front was a little lacking and therefore I didn't have as much confidence to push on as quickly as say the Michelin or Pirelli.

As you say it's horses for courses, if you're not as silly as me then you probably won't even notice the difference between all the brands mentioned.

[WazzerM]

Oooh, it's getting hot in here! My Contis aren't in the very best of shape but I did have an unexpected 'wiggle' before Crimbo on a wet B road - it seemed to happen a bit too easily, but I'm not much of a judge (yet).

This was all thinking ahead anyway - trying to figure it out well in advance, Ray Northway said 'they'll be good 'til spring' - am lovin' all the tips and ideas and will continue to suss it all out but my attention's turning more urgently to winter tyres presently (re. the above wiggle). Seems to be another minefield but I do want to run her thru winter - safely.

Thanks guys!!!

[RichardKS]

Wayne - you've said it yourself: tyres not in the best of shape and wiggling before Christmas. So, your tyres are a little 'used' and it's the middle of winter (cooler ambient temps) in a sports car and it's moving around a bit. Not surprising really is it? Same corner, same tyres on a baking hot day in August and I'd wager there might be a bit more grip available...

Winter tyres are another debate altogether. Worth their weight in gold in my opinion and they are on the front of my Focus, on the front of my Step-son's Focus and there's a set of four in the garage about to be fitted to a spare set of MX5 wheels for her indoors' car as I type.

Would I bother with them on the 997? No, because it isn't an everyday car and if I know there's a chance of snow I'm reluctant to use it and risk getting stuck. Northern winters see?

[Paul Mabley]

I have a set of Pirelli Sottozero winters on the Panamera at the moment. Not an awful lot of difference so far other than feeling more comfortable (19" rather than 20" and narrower) due to temps not falling that low yet.

I'll report back next week after we've been in the Alps though.