MichelinPilot Sport PS2
Michelin is one of the big boys on campus, and it was no surprise that its newest performer did exceptionally well in our tests. Consequently, it's also no surprise that it's OE on cars like the Alpina Z8 and McLaren SLR, plus the Porsche GT2 and GT3. The secret of its success is the different compounds that compose the tread. A silica/carbon compound makes up the outer blocks, while a high-silica compound composes the inner ones. These materials work together with the asymmetric tire's varying tread pattern to help it transition predictably through the turns.
Driver's Comments
DRYDon: As the fifth tire driven in the dry, these were the best so far. They have really good grip and are great for braking. You could be really smooth with them because of this grip, and they felt similar to the Kumho.
Will: I had a hard time going fast on these. They had possibly the best grip, but I'm not sure if they were the fastest. They were stable, consistent and had no vices.
WET
Don: As the last tire tested in the wet, these were in the top three -- not quite as strong as Goodyear, although I can't really remember now. I'd guess they gave the second best time thanks to very high grip, although I think I pushed too hard. There was excellent lateral grip and braking. It's a very good tire.
Will: These were very similar to the Continental in every respect. They were stable and predictable and even after three laps in the wet the tread was sticky.
Tread Depth: 10/32 inch
Tread Design: Asymmetric
Tread Wear: 220
Traction: AA
Temperature: A
Load Index/Speed Rating: 91Y
Contact Info: www.michelin.com
WET
Slalom: 4.456 sec
Skidpan: 0.869 g
Lap Time: 31.750 sec
Braking from 50 mph: 92.7 ft
DRY
Slalom: 4.137 sec
Skidpan: 0.934 g
Lap Time: 29.537 sec
Braking from 50 mph: 81.9 ft
Pirelli Tires
P Zero Rosso
Pirelli's P Zero tires have an excellent reputation through motorsport and street performance. In our tests, though, they didn't fare as well as expected. The eighth-place wet and ninth-place dry finishes put the tire eleventh overall. But this is slightly misleading, as there are just three points separating the ninth- and sixth-place tires, so it's very close.
Driver's Comments
DRY
Don: As the twelfth tire tested in the dry, these were controllable and above average in overall handling but not as precise as the BFGoodrich. You could feel the tread blocks moving under you, but they were decent tires.
Will: They had a high level of grip but were wiggly and squirmy. They weren't as predictable or precise as the BFGoodrich or Falken.
WET
Don: As the tenth tire tested in the wet, these were below the top five. They didn't have much lateral grip but were nicely predictable. You could steer them with the throttle and balance the transition, but they didn't have high grip. Braking was better than average, but everything else was ordinary.
Will: I liked these and would put them in the top three. I felt they were control-lable, had good grip, and worked in the transition section. They are definitely one of the best.
(This was the first time the drivers didn't totally agree on their summary.)
Tread Depth: 10/32 inch
Tread Design: Asymmetric
Tread Wear: 140
Traction: AA
Temperature: A
Load Index/Speed Rating: 94W
Contact Info: www.pirelli.com
WET
Slalom: 4.646 sec
Skidpan: 0.820 g
Lap Time: 32.564 sec
Braking from 50 mph: 102.7 ft
DRY
Slalom: 4.196 sec
Skidpan: 0.941 g
Lap Time: 29.865 sec
Braking from 50 mph: 86.9 ft
Toyo Tires
Proxes T1-S
Everybody knows the Toyo Proxes T1-S. In recent years, it seems the entire show scene has them, and they're the spec tire in the Speed World Challenge Touring Car series. As such, we were surprised to discover its seemingly average performance. After considering the age of the tire, it became obvious: The T1-S is an excellent choice, but the new products are slightly better -- a replacement is expected soon.
Driver's Comments
DRY
Don: As the sixth tire driven in the dry, I liked these. There was a surprising amount of grip, and they were close to the Michelin. They turned-in well and felt the fastest around the skidpan. I could get them to the edge of grip easily and balance them there. Only the Michelin felt better braking, but it was still close.
Will: These had less overall grip than the top tires but were predictable. I lost grip on the front quicker than I expected because they gave up early on the skidpan.
WET
Don: This was the first tire driven in the wet after the 205/50 control tire, and there was a really big difference. Lateral g was awesome and braking was outstanding. I found I could turn in to corners so much faster.
Will: There was a lot more grip on the front end in the skidpan, and the grip didn't go away as easily. These were much better under acceleration than the control tires and didn't let go as suddenly on the limit.
Tread Depth: 10.3/32 inch
Tread Design: Directional
Tread Wear: 280
Traction: AA
Temperature: A
Load Index/Speed Rating: 94W
Contact Info: www.toyo.com
WET
Slalom: 4.546 sec
Skidpan: 0.774 g
Lap Time: 33.177 sec
Braking from 50 mph: 104.5 ft
DRY
Slalom: 4.137 sec
Skidpan: 0.936 g
Lap Time: 29.867 sec
Braking from 50 mph: 84.3 ft
Yokohama Tire Corporation
AVS Sport
Yokohama fell prey to the same thing several other companies did: it brought an old tire. How old? Roughly five years, which in this market is an eternity. By the time you read this, Yoko is hoping to have a replacement unveiled, but they bravely decided to see how its older tire would stack up against the competition. The answer was "not very well," but we can't wait to test the new one...
Driver's Comments
DRY
Don: As the eighth tire driven in the dry, these didn't have much lateral grip but were controllable, fast through the slalom, and decent on the brakes.
Will: These felt above average. They were predictable, controlled, and con-sistent. There was nothing remarkable nor terrible about them.
WET
Don: These were the fourth tires driven in the wet, but they were the worst we'd tested -- even worse than the OE tires. You could brake deep, but they spun easily on the throttle and were mediocre on the skidpan. I would expect the lap time to be slower than OE because these tires would go beyond the limit and had very little feel.
Will: These were a very low-grip rain tire. They lost grip in every situation and felt close to the OE. On the skidpan, even at constant speed, they just got worse. I had no confidence in the corners with these and hit a lot of cones.
Tread Depth: 10/32 inch
Tread Design: Directional
Tread Wear: 180
Traction: AA
Temperature: A
Load Index/Speed Rating: 90W
Contact Info: www.yokohamatire.com
WET
Slalom: 4.776 sec
Skidpan: 0.729 g
Lap Time: 34.256 sec
Braking from 50 mph: 110.2 ft
DRY
Slalom: 4.196 sec
Skidpan: 0.913 g
Lap Time: 29.829 sec
Braking from 50 mph: 87.4 ft