Tire recommendations for 2004 C4S Cabriolet

I've been searching for updated information on tires and have not been able to find much. Would love if you could tell me what you're running on your C4S's with stock 18" wheels. Car is not a DD and is not driven in the elements. Would like something that grips, has minimal road noise a reasonable tread life and won't break the bank. Are the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 the best out there for the money?

Although not on a C4S, I have tried the Michelin's and they are very good. However, I prefer the feel/price of the Hankook's (Ventus V12 for street, RS3/4 for track).

Sorry, I don't have a C4s...just a C2. I don't track or AX, just drive. I have not tried the Michelins, but am very happy with the Continental Extreme Contact DWS that I put on my C2 and my DD (Infiniti G37x). Much smoother tire compared to both the previous tires installed and quieter. I chose an all-season over a summer tire to have a tire that retains good grip in colder weather in Spring and Fall and can handle an unexpected snowfall when out cruising (happened last year, lol).

Take a look at the Sumitomo HTR z III. Many people believe this is 9/10ths of the PS2 at 1/4 the price.

Michelin Pilot Super Sport or its replacement Pilot Sport 4S. Probably the best all-around summer tire for street use. They arent too expensive either.

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i have a C2 and G37x. Car twin twins

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I just put a set of these on my C4S and very happy with them. I do DD my car but on spirited drives are very grippy. I have also tested them in the rain and so far so good. I do feel the AWD aspect of the car helps with that as well.

Put some PS2's on the air-cooled car a few years back and they were impressive. Perhaps they are the best but super expensive. After telling my Indy I might track the car when asking about new rubber for the C4S he sold me some Yoko Advans AD80R's. It was a poor choice IMO as they are way too stiff and noisy. Last year I had a new performance suspension put under the V70R along with some Michelin PSS's. Again a mistake IMO as they were too aggressive and harsh. Had some problems with the car and needed new rubber so it ended up with new Sumi's HTR Z lll's. Score! Another Sumi fan here so when the C4S eats up the Yoko's it'll get some Sumi's.

OK that's a brand I didn't even think about prior to this post. When I received the car it had a set of Falkens on it. They are horrible, too much road noise and not the best grip, plus the inside tread is worn through on the rears. I want the car to naturally feel more stable as well. Thank you.

1. Mich 2. Hankook 3. Sumi 4. Conti I have tried all four and hands down the Michelins are a better tire for summer driving.

I have bridgestones on mine but a 285 rear(I thought 295 was OEM), whats the widest anyone is running on the C4S wheel?

I have been using dunlop direzza star spec z2's and really like them for a street track combination tire. Loads of grip and they are not too loud on the street. https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...+ZII+Star+Spec Showed really well in the Tire Rack tests.

When I had my C4S, I tried a few different brands. Personally, I prefer the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2. It offered the best combination of performance, noise level, and wear. I didn't like Pirelli P-Zeros on the car, mostly because of noise and wear. I found the Sumitomos to be the worst of the bunch. Poor life, noisy, etc. The Hankooks were better than the Sumis, but not by much. For me personally, Michelins are the best choice. I haven't yet tried the newest version of the Michelins, but I plan to do that when I need new summer tires for my 991. Reviews by individual Rennlist members are obviously subjective; I'm just adding my thoughts to those above.

I put Kumho PS91's on the rear of my Boxster S. The tread pattern and grip is very similar to the Michelin Pilot Super Sport for a fraction of the price. I was pretty impressed with the amount of grip they have. I will probably put them on my 996 when it needs a set. https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...del=Ecsta+PS91

I have pilot sports on mine and have been happy. I've put Continental on other cars (non sports cars) with good results, and heard they're some of the best. I put goodyear eagle F1s on my Z4 and found that they wore out pretty quick.

I just put new PS2's on my C4S, got rid of the Sumi's, like driving a completely different car! Living here in Nevada not any bad weather and the PS2's are amazing. You get what you pay for in this case, the rear Sumi's were almost new so just had them toss those into the recycle bin....

Just to be clear..... The PS2 and Pilot Super Sport are different. The Pilot Super Sport is superb but has been upstaged by the new Pilot Sport 4S. Check out the tire rack test. Some great pricing on the Super Sport out there.

I put PS2's on my 2002 Cab. It was an expensive mistake. I never track the car and would have been much better off with Pilot Super Sport tires. The PSC2's were very noisy on everything but new asphalt (that got better after I put a couple thousand miles on them) and ride hard. I don't drive the car in the rain. I doubt the PSC2's would be very good since they look like a racing slick with a few straight grooves in them.

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When I punch in my car info at Tirerack.com the super sports don't come up, why? Where else can I check on the costs of Super Sports for my Car? Ted

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So I just double checked their website. the Super Sports come in these sizes that are closest to my car OEM size requirement: 225/40ZR18 92Y for the fronts 295/35ZR18 103Y for the rears My OEM's (Turbo Twist wheels) are: 225/40-18 for the fronts 295/30-18 for the rears. So does that mean I cannot use the Super sports? Or can I but there are caveats? Can someone clarify for me please? Thanks, Ted

I wouldn't increase the diameter of the rear only. There are some circumference calculators that will show you the difference between various front and rear sizes, but with a 4S you want them as close as possible (or I've heard rears slightly smaller). I have 997 19" wheels so I can't verify one size or another for you. I think some other people on here with 18s have done it so I'd recommend waiting for one of them to chime in with the sizes they went with as confirmation before you order.

The Sport Techno wheels I purchased a few months back have the Sumi Z IIIs or whatever they are, and they aren't the WORST tire I've ever used on a car. They're actually a little better IMO than the Continental DWS or whatever it's called. But I plan to put the newest Pilot Sports or the newest variant on there ASAP as soon as these wear. I use Michelin on everything and always have.

To use the factory 8" and 11" wide wheels you can use the recommended 225/40-18 and 295/30-18 tires or match the diameters with 235/40-18 and 275/35-18. The 275 rears can go on 11" wide wheels but 265s require 10". My winter tires are 235/40-18 and 285/35-18 which is an ok combination. The 235s don't rub on my car.

I took the plunge and ordered the Sumitomo HTR Z III tires from TireRack for my '04 C4S earlier this week. I am ready to change out from my Winter wheels/tires and put Summer wheels/tires back on. When I bought the car last Fall the Summer tires (Michelin Pilot Sport PS2) were in decent shape but about 5 years old. I ran Hankooks on my 964 and was very happy, I hope to have the same luck with these new Sumitomos on my 996! My indy here in Fairfax, VA recommended these tires and after reading some reviews and this post I figured it was worth a shot. I will see how they do for a season and decide if I go back to Michelin P$2s.

Had the Sumis, hated them. Currently have Potenza SO4. Much better, grip good, noise acceptable. I would like to find something a bit quieter though. Tough to go on others opinion though. GL.

I just bought a set of S-04s for the rear to replace the current S-04s. Bought the car last year with them. Put 18k miles on them with one track day. If it were not for the toe out issue I had on the right side, I would have another 5k of use out of them. No idea how many total miles are on them. Good street tire. On the track they got greasy. When I do all four in a few years I will try the Sumi�s.

Just got my car back from the shop with new Sumi's mounted.. now I just need the Spring weather to really break out here in the DC Metro area! The short drive home was nice, no complaints so far. I think they look pretty good.. here is a quick shot! New Sumi's Tires!

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Nice looking car. What size are on the rear?

I just got Continental EXTREMECONTACT SPORT SL tires for my rears which are down to the limit. I think they were about $170-180 each I've had good experience in Continental, I'll report back when I have them on.

Thanks! The rears are 295/30ZR-18... however, I think I will go with 305s next time if I stick with the Sumi's.

I just installed a new set of Sumitumo HTR ZIIIs on the GT3 wheels I refinished. $570 shipped. How can you beat that? These are the same tire I used to use as rain HPDE tires on my 670HP 996 Turbo and as street tires for my 996GT3. Love them!

I just had my S-04 put on the rear and they are pretty squirrelly. I hope it�s because there is a lot of rubber on them otherwise something is very wrong with the car. Alignment checked out. Cross winds are exciting in all the wrong ways.

I’m a big fan of Continental and Michelin rubber but as in all things, the world has gotten smaller and great rubber can be had from many suppliers. Yes difficult to go on others recommendations especially since we all want/expect something different so make your choice and enjoy. It’s like a haircut, eventually you need to replace them again

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You know it's really funny, I don't daily drive my car, I don't drive it in the rain either. But I do drive it in 40 degree weather and warmer. So I'd be willing to go with summer tires because the amount of times I drive it in colder weather is really limited. All the people commenting that have narrow body 911's using tires I can't use because my car is a wide body. LOL I really appreciate it but it doesn't help me too much. I would have thought that a lot of owners use the car in the same way I do but I guess not. I appreciate all the replies and in the end I'll have to decide between the Mich and the Sumi and see what happens. Have to do this by end April/Early May. Thanks again, Ted

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She's a beauty!! Would love to hear your opinion of the Sumis once you get some good experience with them. Ted

FYI: Sumis do not have a wheel guard (protrusion of rubber to protect the wheel from curbs). Not addressing the prevention of curb rash, but for those with a wide wheel flange (where the tire bead touches the wheel) Sumis look funky because the tire is set back from the face of the wheel - instead of being flush, or slightly sticking out from the wheel. Obviously depends on your flange design. Looks fine with the Turbo Twists. My aftermarket wheels have a wide wheel flange.

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This tire is widely known among the community as a good performer. I ran them on a 670HP 996Turbo as back ups to my MPSCs when running at VIR and Summit Point, plus ran them on my GT3. They're about 90% as good as the Michelin at 1/3rd the price. They have reasonable wear and are a decent tire in the rain. I've recommended them as a great cheap DE tire to beginning students for years now.