Reverse Logic on Tire Selection?

I've had my 2001 996 C2 for just over a year now. It has Pilot Sports on it and they still have a lot of wear on them. The problem is, they're all suffering quite badly from ozone cracking. My neighbor is a Michelin truck tire major account type rep, and he took a look at them. He suggested replacing them pronto. The date codes on them are from somewhere around 2007-2008. I've been looking at my options. My sons (Cayman S & GT4 owners) said I should get the max performance summer tires (such as Sport Cup 2s) that don't have much tread life to them. Thinking I wanted to get more life out of them, they pointed out that I only put about 3-4000 a year on them, so tires with less wear life will still probably be around by the time they begin to develop cracking. Points to consider. I drive "sportily" on the street. Haven't done a DE yet (tires and one-two other tech inspection gotta-do's), but will probably only do 1 a year, if that, in the future. I don't drive in the rain or snow, and usually not under 45 deg F, so cold/wet performance is not a factor. Thoughts?

If you are not tracking or doing AX k, then a really good street tire and lower cost is the Sumitomo HTR ZIII. They can handle a 1 off track day or AX, but not really up to snuff for those applications. MPSC2 is an expensive tire with poor tread life and really good on the track. That being said, many I know have switched to Bridgestone RE-71R for track and AX. If you want to go with Michelin, then the Pilot Super Sport is a really good street tire, not great for the track and mediocre for AX, subject to chunking Michelin may be the only manufacturer that has a tread life warranty on hi performance ties. They do cut it in half for our cars as they have staggered setup, so you can't rotate front to back

I chose the Sumitomo's due to similar concerns that you have. If I haven't worn them out but they are getting older, they are cheap to replace and I haven't dumped a bundle on Michelin's.

tires dont last but about 6 yrs. after that they break down. I would buy a sensably pricedd tire, not super expensive exotic brand. hankook, bridgestone, shop by price

If you aren't too concerned about price, the PS Cup 2s are great tires. They will be good for the track and should last you a couple of years. If price is a concern, the above recommendations are all good tires. As stated, the PSS aren't very good on the track so I would probably avoid those no more than you drive. They are my daily driver of choice though.

I run RE71R on the street. They're awesome.

Michelins have a good reputation for moderate road noise not just when new but when getting close to needing replacement. Do some searches on this site and you will see that other brands may start quiet but at half wear can become noisy enough that they get replaced early. 996's have some sound deadening but not a lot. For example, there is a cutout under the seats with no deadening. Tire noise gets heard unless you are revving.