R19 Summer Tyres for 987.2S

[michael.williams1]

The N rated Bridgestone tyres on my 987.2S have plenty of tread left on them but are now 6 years old on the rear and 8 years old on the front. I think the sidewalls have probably hardened up with age; giving quite a hard ride on my 19” Spyder wheels.

So, it’s time for a change! I’m considering Michelin Pilot Sports or possibly going for Goodyear Eagle F1s because I’ve had these on a previous car and preferred the more supple sidewall these tyres have. I think that ride quality will suit the spirted back road driving and long distance touring that I do in the car.

As for the Michelin it’s annoying that the more modern technology in the PS4 isn’t N rated whereas the older PS2 is. Should that be a concern? How do the Michelins compare with the Goodyear?

What tyres are you guys using and do you have any recommendations?

 

[Motorhead]

I’m in the same boat as you Michael and need to replace the even older P-Zeros on my 987.2 CS. The Michelin PS4S tyres seem to be the favoured option by most owners [and certainly they’re very grippy on my GR Yaris!], but the Continental Sport Contact 7 tyres have a following and are cheaper, although word is that they tend to wear faster than the Michelins. Some years ago I had Goodyear Eagles on my Mk5 Golf GTi which were excellent on that car.

If you’re looking for N-rated tyres I think you’ll find that the Michelin MPS2 and Pirelli P-Zero tyres are the only options available on the 19” wheels and may not be available for both front and rear wheels. Even if they are they’ll be older technology compared with the latest offerings from the manufacturers.

Let’s see what other Cayman owners have to say.

Jeff

 

[michael.williams1]

I’m in the same boat as you Michael and need to replace the even older P-Zeros on my 987.2 CS. The Michelin PS4S tyres seem to be the favoured option by most owners [and certainly they’re very grippy on my GR Yaris!], but the Continental Sport Contact 7 tyres have a following and are cheaper, although word is that they tend to wear faster than the Michelins. Some years ago I had Goodyear Eagles on my Mk5 Golf GTi which were excellent on that car.

If you’re looking for N-rated tyres I think you’ll find that the Michelin MPS2 and Pirelli P-Zero tyres are the only options available on the 19” wheels and may not be available for both front and rear wheels. Even if they are they’ll be older technology compared with the latest offerings from the manufacturers.

Let’s see what other Cayman owners have to say.

Jeff

Yeah, let’s see what the others think. I had Conti Contacts on my Maserati 3200 and they were a very hard ride compared with Goodyear Eagles …

 

[Greenman986S]

I wouldn't worry about N rated tyres given the age of your car.

Suspension bushes and springs will have a much bigger impact on ride and handling

Unless you are a track god ?

 

[michael.williams1]

I wouldn't worry about N rated tyres given the age of your car.

Suspension bushes and springs will have a much bigger impact on ride and handling

Unless you are a track god ?

Non N rated tyres, in my experience, become an issue when you want to trade your car in to an OPC, because they’ll tell you they can’t put it on the forecourt unless it has N rated tyres on it. At least that’s what I was told many years ago when I had a 911. However, I don’t see the Cayman selling through an OPC on account of its age, but I wonder if the more respected Independents hold the same view(?).

 

[911hillclimber]

I am in the exact same situation nw as you on my 987.2 Box.
10 years old 1/2 worn on the front, AUDI S spec 2 years old on the rear.
Looking to change these Bridgestones to Sports 4 tyres, preferably N spec.
Why?
I think it is something a privat buyer would ask for as they have read about it somewhere, a dealer wants N spec so to make the car more saleable.
Possibly it 'says' that an owner is careful about he car having these spec tyres?
I will be pricing N and non N specs in the spring so tyres are fresh for the March MoT.

Please let us know what you do!

 

[michael.williams1]

I am in the exact same situation nw as you on my 987.2 Box.
10 years old 1/2 worn on the front, AUDI S spec 2 years old on the rear.
Looking to change these Bridgestones to Sports 4 tyres, preferably N spec.
Why?
I think it is something a privat buyer would ask for as they have read about it somewhere, a dealer wants N spec so to make the car more saleable.
Possibly it 'says' that an owner is careful about he car having these spec tyres?
I will be pricing N and non N specs in the spring so tyres are fresh for the March MoT.

Please let us know what you do!

My winter wheel set will be going on soon, so it’ll probably be early next year before I do anything as I’m thinking about having the wheels refurbished too; probably a colour change to gunmetal or bronze. Unfortunately the Michelin PS4 is not N rated, only the older technology in the PS2 is N rated. Either way, I think Michelin is the “gold standard” but I’d rather put an N on for the reasons you state.

 

[Motorhead]

Personally I wouldn’t be concerned about potential selling issues if you don’t fit N-rated tyres chaps. A Porsche dealer won’t offer you decent money for your car for trade-in or cash and I’m sure Porsche specialists won’t be in the least concerned, and most likely neither will a knowledgeable private purchaser. As I mentioned above, you may struggle to get N-rated tyres for both axles for an older car on 19” wheels. The latest N-ratings are applicable for post-987 cars, specifically the 718. Something else to consider is that even if you do manage to source them they could have been sitting on the shelf for a long time, and fitting a tyre which is already 3 or 4-years old old isn’t ideal.

I’m inclined to go with the Michelin PS4S and will let you know how I get on with them as and when.

Jeff

 

[Greenman986S]

Non N rated tyres, in my experience, become an issue when you want to trade your car in to an OPC, because they’ll tell you they can’t put it on the forecourt unless it has N rated tyres on it. At least that’s what I was told many years ago when I had a 911. However, I don’t see the Cayman selling through an OPC on account of its age, but I wonder if the more respected Independents hold the same view(?).

I very much doubt an OPC would be interested in retailing a 987

If you did px they would punt it out straight to trade

IMO you are overthinking this

 

[Motorhead]

Overtaking? Overthinking shirley [sic].

Predictive text always around to give us a laugh. Best to read what you’ve written before posting that reply!

Jeff

 

[Greenman986S]

Overtaking? Overthinking shirley [sic].

Predictive text always around to give us a laugh. Best to read what you’ve written before posting that reply!

Jeff

Damn auto correct ???

 

[michael.williams1]

I very much doubt an OPC would be interested in retailing a 987

If you did px they would punt it out straight to trade

IMO you are overthinking this

Really(?) I bought the car from Porsche Bournemouth just over a year ago …

 

[Motorhead]

Yes, it’s very unusual to find the early cars for sale at the Porsche dealerships unless they’re low mileage, well maintained and cared-for examples. They’re much more interested in shifting the newer metal, presumably with a higher mark-up. Most likely yours would have been a trade-in for which they’d have offered their usual low value or made a fair amount on the new car sale.

Just my take on it of course.

Jeff

 

[Greenman986S]

Really(?) I bought the car from Porsche Bournemouth just over a year ago …

So the OPC sold the car with 5 & 7 year old tyres??

Presumably it came without the OPC warranty?

 

[michael.williams1]

So the OPC sold the car with 5 & 7 year old tyres??

Presumably it came without the OPC warranty?

I think the fronts were six and a half years old when I bought it (date code 3318) but I didn’t notice that at the time, only that there was hardly any wear in the tread. I know a 5 - 6 year tyre life is considered the norm but Bridgestone actually recommends a 10 year maximum life and the tyres are in good visual condition with no visible perishing or cracks, so nothing to stress about. The car couldn’t come with a Porsche warranty because of its age, but it did come with a 12 month warranty, although I’m curious why you ask because tyres aren’t normally covered anyway, are they(?).

 

[BrianJ]

OPCs aren’t allowed to sell a used car with a Porsche Approved Warranty unless all the tyres are less than 5 years old, have more than 3mm of tread and are the same type with the same N number.

 

[michael.williams1]

OPCs aren’t allowed to sell a used car with a Porsche Approved Warranty unless all the tyres are less than 5 years old, have more than 3mm of tread and are the same type with the same N number.

Perhaps, but the Porsche warranty can’t be extended beyond 15 years and my car was 4 months into its 15th year when I bought it …

 

[911hillclimber]

Bit of info:
My Bridgestones on my Boxster are 10 years old, N spec and 1/2 down and no cracks now. They were 3 years old when fitted, I was told they were new.
Rear Bridgestones are 3 years old, "N spec" and I've now been told are AUDI spec S type tyres, about 1/3 down.
All came from a large reputable dealer.

Car drives, brakes etc well, but I hardly drive it hard. (34 to 36 mpg on long runs)

They will all be replaced in the spring.

 

[michael.williams1]

Just done a quick availability check and price comparison at Halfords who seem to be quite competitive at the moment with 10 - 20% discounts on offer. The Porsche approved Michelin PS2 come in at £876.56 vs PS4 at £835.16 and Goodyear Eagle F1 at £694.36. Prices include fitting. The rears for Bridgestone Potenza Sport were not available. Pirelli P Zero N2 are available at £747.16 but not with rim protection strips on the fronts, and Continental Sport Contact 7 are available at £804.56 but, again, without rim protection on the fronts ...

 

[Motorhead]

Yes, quite a few deals around ATM Michael … business must be slow now that summer’s over! Either that or they need to clear stock to make way for new supplies.

Although some tyre suppliers indicate the presence of rim protection, I can’t see any reference to that on the Halfords site.

If you’re set on having N-rated tyres front and rear it looks as though only earlier specs of Michelin and Pirelli tyres could be the only options.

Jeff