next spring my new wheels are getting pampered by Pirelli PZero Rosso's. are these tires TRULY as good as ferrari and others claim? many have said the PS2's are just as good if not 'better.'

there are a lot of enthusiasts here who's opinions i respect, so please let me know.

also, tirerack.com had the Pirelli PZero (not Rosso) rated higher than the pilot PS2's.....

anyone drive any of these 3 tires?

 

I think the PS2's are highly overrated, I'm guessing that Michelin gave the High-End performance car makers a really good deal on them. Therefore, it is automatically assumed that they are GREAT tires. I beg to differ. My car came with them, and I never liked them. They are Noisy, Ride HARD, Wear QUICKLY, a full set cost 10% of the purchase price of a nice used Crossfire Coupe. My favorite Ultra-High performance summer tire of all time isn't made anymore, that was the Firestone Firehawk F1. Those were awesome. I have also been impressed with the Kumho SPT. I have them now and really like them. Can't beat them for the money.

 

interesting, i heard really good things about the firehawk F1 as well.... wonder why they discontinued it.

good to know about the PS2's!!!! thanks so much!

 

At $230 for a pair, I will suffer through a pair of PS2's. This is, once I wear out the Kumho SPTs that I have on it now.

MikeR

 

I have them. They offer very good handling with good ride quality (they actually have pretty soft sidewalls for comfort I assume, but like I said, they offer good handling). My previous cars include an '01 Z06 and '06 Evolution IX and they were both excellent handling cars. All of the turns I've taken quickly in the Z06 and the Evo, I've taken just as fast in the C32 with these tires. They offer decent wet traction and are speed rated to 186 mph (92Y). Are they the end-all of performance tire technology... nah. Straight line grip offers a little to be desired and they aren't cheap. Would I buy them again?... I already have.

Now, there are two different types offered on tirerack.com. One is the P Zero Rosso, and the other is the P Zero Ross (Mercedes). The difference is that the regular P Zero Rosso is "only" rated at 186 mph as the load rating is 88Y. The P Zero Rosso Mercedes has a load rating of (92Y), thus a speed rating of 186+. Notice the parenthesis around the load rating.

"Most recently, when the Y-speed rating indicated in a service description is enclosed in parentheses, such as 285/35ZR19 (99Y), the top speed of the tire has been tested in excess of 186 mph, 300 km/h indicated by the service description as shown below:

285/35ZR19 99Y 186 mph, 300 km/h
285/35ZR19 (99Y) in excess of 186 mph, 300 km/h

As vehicles have increased their top speeds into Autobahn-only ranges, the tire speed ratings have evolved to better identify the tires capability, allowing drivers to match the speed of their tires with the top speed of their vehicle."

Laugh if you want, but I know the SRT6/SLK32/C32 is capable of 186+ mph speeds with current available mods, but for most people "only" 186 will be more than enough.

 

The reviews on Tire Rack are similar to the PS2's and are priced about the same. I've run Pirelli's on my bikes before without ever a problem - but that's hardly a comparison to what our beasts demand.

It would be hard for me to switch tires when the PS2's have never failed me, or lost traction. I could have run my OEM's to 15K - 16K miles. Glad I got my Costco "discount" and purchased a new set of fronts from the forum for 1/2 price.

I would gladly pay an extra $500 for a set treads and give up 6K miles for performance.

Some things you just don't scrimp on - if, of course, your budget will allow.