San Diego - new tires needed

Hi all, I'm in the market for new tires..... I'm currently running the OEM 18" sizes in front and back. I live in San Diego....this is my weekend car that I put about 3,000 miles/year. Spirited driving, some freeway, mostly backroads. Currently running Pilot Super Sport I'm not SUPER picky about tires......but.... I want summer/performance tires - NO All Season options. Thanks in advance!

The Michelin 4S is a fantastic option. I’ve even used them in the track a few times with surprisingly good results. You might check out the Tire Rack website. They do detailed reviews that compare tires in the same class.

Michelin PS4S . Done. Tons of threads about the PS4S. Aside from the higher price and arguably faster wear (but your car isn't your DD), you'll have no regrets. PS4S shows off what our cars are capable of. Enjoy. Over the years, I've become a Michelin fan for every single of our vehicles (cars, motorcycles, scooters). When I bought my 981 Outlaw 3.8L, it was intentionally built as a track weapon, and they came with a set -- I can totally see why. Wonderfully sticky tires and the car rides like it is on rails. Plus, I recently came into an inexpensive used PS4S set with some tread left on them, and I can't wait to throw those on my 987.2 2.9L next week.

I'm going to go against the grain here and give you an alternative to the 4S. The PS4S is a very soft 300TW tire that won't hold up in high heat/low pressure conditions. I have taken PS4S to the track before and absolutely melted them within a single track day when the hot pressures are ~32-35psi. Ambient heat and hot road surfaces will also accelerate your wear (aka the Los Angeles canyons). The PS4S is absolutely the best summer tire in the rain though, and has a ton of grip in the dry too. Just be careful of accelerated wear. I've run a set of Yokohoma Advan V601s for a few trackdays and daily use. The wet performance is not as good as the PS4S but it's nothing to be scared of driving in the rain. They're also $200-400 cheaper to get than PS4S's depending on where you source them from. They also last longer and are 280TW, so they have pretty good dry grip. I'd be careful of heating them up and driving them super hot for extended periods of time (20+ minutes of track driving) because they also get greasy like the PS4S. Just some food for thought. If you want ultra high performance 200tw (which you probably shouldn't street drive because they're ridiculously expensive), look no further than Nankang's CRS v2 v2 or Yokohama A052.

I've done a bunch of research (twice now!) The PS4S is definitely more expensive. That being said - I looked at Costco and it's a solid 10% less for the total, plus getting 5% back in Costco credit. Thanks!

QUESTION Current rears are 265 40R 18 How do I found out if 265 35R 18 would fit?

Maverick, The sizing can become a bit involved depending upon the application. The general rule is that you want to match the front to the back. As an example if you change the back to 35’s, you might want to change the front to 35’s. There are tire size calculators where you can enter the details for the original size as well as the new size and it will provide info on the change in circumference as well as changes in mph reading on the speedo. Do a google search for “tire size calculator.” If you go with 35’s, I would recommend increasing both the front and back width by 10 mm. So it would be 245/35 and 275/35. That’s a fairly common size when the OE size is 235/40 and 265/40. Keep in mind that by dropping to 35’s you are slightly lowering your car, making the gearing slightly lower (better acceleration but worse mileage) and creating a bit harsher ride. If you drive on mostly smooth roads, I would think you would like the change to 35’s as it will improve the steering feel and tighten your connection to the road. If you drive on poor quality roads a lot, I would stay with 40’s. Based on your description of back road and freeway driving, I think you would like the additional performance and handling gains from going with 35’s. I personally use 35’s and very much prefer that size.

Thanks PorscheGreg..... So then the question is....can I load up the Yok. Apex Advan 601s? Front: 235 40R 18 Back: 265 35R 18 OR 275 40R 18 Does anyone have these on on their OEM 18's? Thanks!

I would not recommend doing different AR front and rear. As PorscheGreg mentioned, you should match the ARs front to rear. I don't know for SURE on 987s, but PSM wigs out on 996s due to a difference in wheel speeds between front and rear because the 40AR and 35AR tires are rolling at different speeds at the same time, and that difference makes PSM think some sort of loss of traction event is going on. I can't say for sure this is what will happen on the 987. If you drive on the roads of LA like I do, you'll find the 40AR adds just a bit more cushion and ride quality at the expense of steering feel. I would do 235/40/18 and 265/40/18 or 245/35/18 and 275/35/18.

Thanks Likethebossiam I'm trying to gather info on options - so that I can expand my search to as many tire options/brands as possible. Same Q on the back: OEM spec is 265 - how do I conclusively confirm that I can put on 275s?

Looks like it fits to me. 10 mm increase (5mm towards the outside of the car and 5mm toward the inside of the car) won't cause too many rubbing issues. Definitely check out some other threads here on planet-9 (a few come up on google) about people running 275/40/18 rear on OEM wheels. I am running that tire spec on a 10" wheel which is 1" larger than the OEM size.

Let it also be known that Costco's policy is not to sell you tires that deviate TOO far from OEM size, but the sizes that you're eyeing they should be okay selling and installing for you. If you are able to drive up to the SGV area I have a great tire installer in Baldwin Park who a ton of Porsche guys use as well as imports/track/show cars. @goodnighttireservice on Instagram.

When the Costco tire tech asked what a TPM was I was unimpressed. Discount tire also thrashed them in price and service so there’s that.

I would think you'd have a hard time telling PS4 All Season from PS4S on a daily basis. They are that good.

I do want to follow-up that I'm not a track or an autocross guy (yet). However, I do know that for spirited and non-track use, the PS4S feel just fantastic. No wrong answers here; a non- Michelin is likely just fine. The used ones I recently bought had some melty-ness on them, as the previous owner specifically used them on his dedicated 987.2 track car and I think he pushed his car pretty hard. Methinks that's going to wear off from regular driving, and I'm not too concerned. Plus, if I was regularly tracking and anticipated going through tires like Kleenex during Covid (currently the case - LOL!), I personally would consider less expensive alternatives such as @ likethebossiam posted as my budget dictated. TBH, I was originally very skeptical about summer tires for casual and non-track use. The idea of expensive consumables never sat well with me, but I learned that one has to "pay to play." With my E30 'vert, many years ago -- I moved from A/S to dedicated summers/winters and felt SOME difference. But with my former 987.1S, there was question that there was a significant difference riding on summers and I was hooked. As the 9X7 cars are all about handling over speed, to me -- it seemed to be a major part of the equation and worth the investment. I got hooked on Michelins and never looked back. This being said, right now I'm running an older set of Bridgestones (I think?) on my 987.2 from a Cayman tire/wheel set I bought when I first bought the car. They're grippy and help the Boxster shine. Would I notice a difference with the PS4S? Uh...TBH...maybe? Maybe I'll know when I mount the used ones and I doubt there'll be a huge difference. Meanwhile, I just really love them on the 981 Outlaw. My dear friend and Porsche enabler reminded me that the contact surface at any given time with the road is the size of four softballs -- and good tires aren't something to skimp out on. So, my default has become to just rely on Michelin at this point. (And no, they're not sponsoring me or any of the like.) One other thing, which is minor but notable. I recently splashed out on a pair of Michelins for my '75 BMW R-bike, and a fellow Airhead helped me mount them. Unlike days of yore, these were crafted and balanced so well at the factory -- I didn't even need to balance the wheels post-installation. I couldn't believe it. To me, that says something about the quality of the modern tire manufacturing process. In short, if money is no object, PS4S FTW. If it's a budget situation and/or you anticipate chewing through tires, there are plenty of other fantastic options out there for summer tires. YMMV and let us know what you decide!

@MaverickSD , here's what 245/40/18 and 275/40/18 looks like on 18x9.0" and 18x10.0" wheels. These are Yokohama A052s that I just had mounted last night with Mike (goodnighttireservice).

Is there a way to check my wheel width without taking the wheel off?

What wheel do you have? I think all the Porsche 987 OEM wheels are 8.0" front and 9.0" rear.

These are my 18" wheels.......

Yeah, I'm fairly sure you have 18x8.0" and 18x9.0". There are some RARE OEM wheels that are 18x9.5" rear, but I'm fairly certain yours are not.

Thanks for the feedback everyone! I decided to go with "you can never go wrong buying an IBM" approach (yes, this ages me) - and went with the Michelin Sport 4S....... Looking forward to some top-notch grippy performance!!!