I plan on making the switch to non runflats in a couple of months. I am torn between two tires. Michelin Pilot Super Sports and Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Spec. I really like the tread design of the Star Specs, but when I read the test results and survey for the Pilots, I think this is a no Brainer.

I plan on running 225/45/17. I mainly street drive with maybe 1 to 2 track days a year.

My question is has anyone owned both and what are the pros and cons. The Pilots received a 9.2 rating on Tire Rack's web site. That is the highest I have ever seen! . Is this to good to be true .


Thanks for your input AXO

 

Dunlops are $145.00 each.

Michelins are $157.00 each.

 

I have the Michelin's on my Lexus and love them! Way better then the Dunlap RF that is came with, and more affordable! Discount has them as a 50K tire mileage wise.... I run them dry and snow conditions, no cons from me.... Pros, quiet, handle...

 

Just look closely at the specs on the Super Sports compared to other tires you look at. They are NOT Pilot Sport PS2's which are OEM on various Porsches, M3's, etc. instead they are a notch down in both price and spec. There's another thread over on the factory JCW forum about tires right now, my money's on the Hankook Ventus V12's. Came in a close second in last year's Car and Driver comparison test behind the Direzzas for way less money per tire.

 

Pretty sure you don't have the aforementioned Michelin Pilot Super Sports on your Lexus. They are a relatively new summer performance tire, not an all season that lasts 50K miles.

 

Well, the Michelins are Max Performance Summer tires with a 300 treadwear while the Dunlops are Extreme Performance Summer tires with 200 treadwear. IMHO that should already tell you something. The Michelins will be good both in the rain and the wet and will last longer then the Dunlops. Conversely, even though the Dunlops won't last as long, they're really great in the dry and should do well for a street tire on the track or for autocross.

I have the Dunlops right now and I'm planning on switching to the Super Sports once they are worn out mostly because I don't track on the wheels they're mounted on and I don't need tires like that for going to the store. The Dunlops have a harsher ride and are noisier, but honestly that never really bothered me. Hopefully this helps.

Edit: Just saw mtbscott's post and looked up the Hankooks. Those look nice too, and the price is right. I'll have to consider those too. Thanks for the heads up.

 

These are not the PS2's. These are the standard Pilot Super Sports. They still received rave reviews from many 911 and M series reviewers.. I am a little skeptical due to the low price. I am 99% convinced.


http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes


Funny the PS2's are $205.00 each and only received a rating of 8.7 in comparison to the Super Sports which received a rating of 9.2.

 

When you're looking at those numbers, you need to be careful to consider the total miles reported in relation to the overall score. If you look at the Super Sports, they only have 277,066 reported miles. To put in into perspective, the PS2s have 11,237,113 reported miles.

...Woo I made it to 3rd Gear :D

 

I have already ordered my Super sports and will drive directly from picking up my new car at the dealership to the tire shop to have them installed. Anyone need any 18" run flats with 16 miles on them?

 

AXO: I think your choice is the right one (a no brainer, as you say). I've been very impressed with the SS experiences reported on the Porsche and BMW tire forums. I have RE-11s on the Porsche now, but plan to get SSs for it and the M-3 next time I re-tire.

 

I have both PSS and RE11. and on the track they feel almost the same. but on the street the PSS quieter..

 

I have SuperSports on my 05 ZHP and I have Star Specs on my Mini and my GTI (sold when I got my Mini). The Michelin's ride very well and are pretty quiet so far (10,000 miles). I don't track my BMW, but they have a ton of grip for the street. It seems like they have fairly soft sidewalls because the car has lost some steering response right on-center, and the ride seems a bit bouncier than before, as if my springs were a few % softer. The Star Specs are great on track, but noisy on the street, and they ride poorly after a few thousand miles.

FWIW, I have the Conti DW's on my Mini's street/summer wheels . . . I've been pretty happy with them. They don't have the grip of the Star Specs or Super Sports, but they're pretty good all around and the price is right.

 

Also, the SS reviews are probably mostly low-mileage reviews. Wait until they get some miles, they might show some wear or noise problems or something.

 

I have Pilot Sport PS2 on my 911 and they are by far the best tires I have had on the car both for road and track use.

About 3 months ago I put Pilot Super Sports on my Cooper S (non runflat) to replace the run flat Dunlops and it has changed the car. For the better.

The Michelins are much quieter, which is probably due to being softer than runflats. More importantly, the Michelins provide better grip when accelerating so lass torque-steer. And the steering feel, when going fast through curves, is better. I'd say due to reduced under steer.

 

Also the PSS is a 2 compound tire, which is a 1st for a street tire. It comes in 215/45 17 not in 205/45 17. And it is OEM on the 599 GTO.