I bought my '04 coupe three years ago with 37K miles on it, with Michelin PS-2s mounted. New to this type of performance tire, I couldn't figure out whether they were the originals and needed to be replaced (did these ship with Michelins?), or they were a replacement set with some life left.

My concern is, they have just a little bit of the squiggly tread left around the outside two inches or so of the contact patch, and really just seem to have the deep, straight grooves - and that's all. Is that all the tread pattern there is on these?

Muddying the waters a bit was the fact that my Crossfire has chromed stock wheels - BUT, it was a lease return. I don't believe that chrome wheels were ever offered, but would you have the wheels on your leased car chromed? FYI, The original date-of-sale was November, 2003, so mine was one of the first ones out of the box (VIN makes it one of the first 5,000 produced).

Clean Carfax, no issues there.

Just this weekend, checking the tires I noticed what LOOK like "wear bars" - the little "bridges" across the grooves in the tread, that on OTHER tires (that I have experience with) would indicate how much life is left in the tread. If that's the case with these as well, I would ASSSSSume from that inspection that these tires have a ways to go before I need to worry about replacing them, as there is as much "groove" above the bridge as below it.

So, have I got 40K on an original set of Michelin PS-2s with life left to go; or did someone wear out the stock tires and replace them with these, and then wear these down a bit as well?

Or, am I just riding on rubber overdue for replacement?

What say you, learned colleagues? I know it will just be a informed opinion, not set in stone, but that's the level of input I am looking for. Thanks in advance.