Continental Sport Contact 7 tyres - Page 4 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

I'm coming up to the time to swap out my regular Pilot Sport 4S tyres, a tyre I have sworn by on several cars for ages. They are, INMO a great product, grippy, predictable, quiet and long lasting. I have noticed that Continental Sport Contact 7's are availble in Porsche sizes now, and for the fronts are about £50 a tyre cheaper whilst getting better revies on back to back tests. Has anyone taken the plunge with them? I'm a bit loathe to change but for £100 inc for a front pair cheaper, surely worth a look?

Interesting question. I had a pair of these put on my Boxster Friday, I was considering MP4S but after reading the very positive reviews on the Cayman R thread I took the plunge. They replaced a pair of PZero The Cayman R thread is worth a read.

I was going to replace a set of ps4s on my CSL with the SC7, but I read from other users that they had a slightly smaller footprint for the given width. This leads to an almost stretched look, which I did not want. I fitted another set of PS4s instead. That said, if you do want sc7’s black circles have 15% off tomorrow. https://www.blackcircles.com/offers/black-friday?u... Edited by darreni on Sunday 1st December 23:02

I'm running Conti SC7's and cant fault them. FWIW our other car has PS4s on at the moment and I think we will likely go to the SC7's when they wear out.

Crudeoink said: I'm running Conti SC7's and cant fault them. FWIW our other car has PS4s on at the moment and I think we will likely go to the SC7's when they wear out. Any evidence of the 'stretched look' mentioned earlier? I'm considering 235/35/20's by the way.

I would have put SC7's on my 991.2 GT3RS but couldn't get the sizes in N rating hence PS4S (which are pretty good).

andygo said: Any evidence of the 'stretched look' mentioned earlier? I'm considering 235/35/20's by the way. Can't say I've ever noticed Here's a couple pics

Crudeoink said: Can't say I've ever noticed Here's a couple pics Thanks for posting the photo's. They look fine, I was a bit concerned about the stretched look and the rim protector being ineffective. (Not that I'm a big user of the rim protector, but it's a nice to have.. . )

CS7s on my Cayman R. Love them. I haven't driven my R on PS4S, but I've driven at least a dozen performance cars (911s, Boxster, 981 Cayman, Gold R, F-Type etc) on PS4S, so know how good they are. Steering feel on the Conti is way ahead of the Michelin and I've found wet grip to be really good. Someone I know with a C63 reports they wore out quickly on it, but I'm not sure how hard they are on tyres. I'll be buying more CS7s. Worth a watch if you want some data - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t10y-87oiD4 Spoliler alert - The conti wins. "The CS7 really does move the standard by way more than I thought was possible" [vs PS4S].

Nope, apparently C7S's aren't made in N rated spec. Looks like I will be sticking with the Michelins after all. I know N rated are no longer a Porsche requirement, but I understand the Porsche specific variants are different so I might as well stick with them for now.

andygo said: Nope, apparently C7S's aren't made in N rated spec. Looks like I will be sticking with the Michelins after all. I know N rated are no longer a Porsche requirement, but I understand the Porsche specific variants are different so I might as well stick with them for now. If you're looking at the PS2 then its worth thinking about how old that tyre technology is now. The 987 PS2 variant hasn't been updated since 2013 iirc for the newest N4 variant. If you're happy using compounts that are 12+ years old go for it but there are much better options available nowadays.

Crudeoink said: If you're looking at the PS2 then its worth thinking about how old that tyre technology is now. The 987 PS2 variant hasn't been updated since 2013 iirc for the newest N4 variant. If you're happy using compounts that are 12+ years old go for it but there are much better options available nowadays. PS2's? Not sure where they came into the convo, Its PS4S's I would revert to!

Ahh ok. I saw on your garage it was a 987 Boxster you have. I didnt think they did the PS4S with an N rating with Boxster sizes? Edit to add. The lack of recent N ratings for the 987 is why I went SC7 over the PS4S in the end. If i'm not using an N rated tyre I may as well get the best out there I couldn't find an N rated PS4S that was in the size I needed for the 987.2 Edited by Crudeoink on Tuesday 3rd December 11:53

Crudeoink said: Ahh ok. I saw on your garage it was a 987 Boxster you have. I didnt think they did the PS4S with an N rating with Boxster sizes? Edit to add. The lack of recent N ratings for the 987 is why I went SC7 over the PS4S in the end. If i'm not using an N rated tyre I may as well get the best out there I couldn't find an N rated PS4S that was in the size I needed for the 987.2 Edited by Crudeoink on Tuesday 3rd December 11:53 Must update my garage! I'm in a 981 CGTS these days.

A good watch, thanks ! I suppose the PS4S is now becoming old ... is the new P5S any better ?? I still couldn't find it N rated when I last looked ... Edited by ChrisW. on Tuesday 3rd December 12:16

I was recently struggling with this exact decision for my Spyder RS. Ended up going with the PS4S partly due to the N rating, and partly due to the fact I think if i sold/traded the car, the SC7s might be seen as a negative as they're not the established choice. Have yet to drive the car in anger yet but many owners with PS4S are very happy with them so it seemed unlikely i'd be disappointed with the performance.

I have used the 4s’s for ages now, this is my 5th Porsche with them, plus several golf gti’s etc. Would be a big decision to change tbh.

No PS4S in 18” 987 sizes at all, never mind N rated ones, so I bought a set of Conti SC7 a few weeks ago. So far so very much a step up from the (N rated) Bridgestones that came off.

Yes it’s a leap of faith, I have had those MPS4S on my Audi A3, my GR Yaris and have them now on my GT3, the 718 Boxster came with N rated PZero and last time I changed the rears I went for the same but frankly they are pretty wooden so I was convinced by the Cayman R thread.

I don't think it is a leap of faith. The reviews are pretty consistent that it outdoes the PS4S. It was bound to happen at some point that another tyre would improve on the 4S - it's still an impressively long time that it has been the top of the road tyre pack. I've gone to SC7 on my GT3, replacing a set of old Cup2s. The new tyres can't quite match old Cup2 around a circuit but they weren't far off and obviously are on a different planet on a wet circuit (or road). I don't get to do many track days so I fancied trying a more road biased tyre that could still handle the occasional track day. And the weather gods do seem to bring on some rain whenever I drive my car!

andygo said: I know N rated are no longer a Porsche requirement, When did this happen? Any more info?

My recently purchased 987 Spyder came with N rated Pirelli’s , loads of tread but 6years old. I have replaced them with the SC7s and v impressed so far. The only downside is ride comfort has sharply deteriorated- I can only assume they have a much stiffer side wall. Which will probably come through in better handling

squirdan said: My recently purchased 987 Spyder came with N rated Pirelli’s , loads of tread but 6years old. I have replaced them with the SC7s and v impressed so far. The only downside is ride comfort has sharply deteriorated- I can only assume they have a much stiffer side wall. Which will probably come through in better handling I have read a few reports saying the same. I was about to switch but have stuck with Michelin PS4S for this reason.

I went with the new Bridgestone Sports. Much sharper steering than the PS4S and still comfy, much quieter too. Wear is meant to be a bit pants, but I only do 5k miles a year, so if I have to change every 2 years so be it. Some said that the Conti Sport Contacts he fitted made the back end feel like it was on run flats, that put me right off them.

All good feedback everyone, both pos and slightly less than pos. All very interesting really. Thanks! I think I'm going to stick with the PS4's for now, at least I know where I am! Having recently put new 265/35/20 PS4S's on the back, I also prefer to have both ends of the car on the same rubber.

Yeah definitely, no way I would mix tyres front and rear.

squirdan said: My recently purchased 987 Spyder came with N rated Pirelli’s , loads of tread but 6years old. I have replaced them with the SC7s and v impressed so far. The only downside is ride comfort has sharply deteriorated- I can only assume they have a much stiffer side wall. Which will probably come through in better handling The Contis ride a bit better than my old Cup2 tyres.

braddo said: squirdan said: My recently purchased 987 Spyder came with N rated Pirelli’s , loads of tread but 6years old. I have replaced them with the SC7s and v impressed so far. The only downside is ride comfort has sharply deteriorated- I can only assume they have a much stiffer side wall. Which will probably come through in better handling The Contis ride a bit better than my old Cup2 tyres. But probably have softer side walls than Cup 2's ... To put this in perspective I could feel the greater flex in the steering input of PS4's over Cup 2's ... probably due to their softer side-wall ... often read as less grip but in fact the grip in extremis was probably 90% of the Cup 2's, but care was required not to overheat them.

My son had a race in a Ginetta Academy race at Brands. They use the PS4s's as a control tyre. They get about 4 laps before they turn to jelly.. Fair play though, they are not designed as a competition tyre.

andygo said: My son had a race in a Ginetta Academy race at Brands. They use the PS4s's as a control tyre. They get about 4 laps before they turn to jelly.. Fair play though, they are not designed as a competition tyre. And in the wet there is plenty of cooling

ChrisW. said: But probably have softer side walls than Cup 2's ... For sure. It was just to put the Contis in context that their ride comfort is somewhere between the 4S and the Cup2. They’re not some rock hard heavy lump to be avoided like a runflat. All 3 are phenomenal tyres!

ChrisW. said: To put this in perspective I could feel the greater flex in the steering input of PS4's over Cup 2's ... probably due to their softer side-wall ... often read as less grip but in fact the grip in extremis was probably 90% of the Cup 2's, but care was required not to overheat them. If you watch the tyre reviews video, the "flex" in the PS4S is one of the things the tester criticises, and I'd agree with his crititque of them. The CS7s are much better in this regard.

So the CS7 looks like the better tyre than the PS4S for general road use and the odd track day. Is it correct that by fitting them you are NOT invalidating the OPC warranty?

PaulD86 said: ChrisW. said: To put this in perspective I could feel the greater flex in the steering input of PS4's over Cup 2's ... probably due to their softer side-wall ... often read as less grip but in fact the grip in extremis was probably 90% of the Cup 2's, but care was required not to overheat them. If you watch the tyre reviews video, the "flex" in the PS4S is one of the things the tester criticises, and I'd agree with his crititque of them. The CS7s are much better in this regard. Yet the Cup 2 is the more comfy tyre because you run it at a much lower psi. I run my Cup 2s at 31 front and 33 rear cold, where as the PS4S were 35 front and 38 rear to stop them feeling too mushy.

Ed.Neumann said: Yet the Cup 2 is the more comfy tyre because you run it at a much lower psi. I run my Cup 2s at 31 front and 33 rear cold, where as the PS4S were 35 front and 38 rear to stop them feeling too mushy. What car is that on? My Cayman R is 31 all round in the manual and factory tyre was the PS2 (sam on most Cayman R).

PaulD86 said: What car is that on? My Cayman R is 31 all round in the manual and factory tyre was the PS2 (sam on most Cayman R). Sorry, should have said, 18" on 996. Not tried Cup 2s on my 997 and probably won't on that car. Porsche say 38f and 42r, which is crazy high.

RiccardoG said: When did this happen? Any more info? I emailed Porsche warranty a couple of months ago after seeing more rumours about it online and they replied with this: Happy to share the case reference number privately if anyone wants it. I've had SC7s on my 718 GTS 2.5 since April/May - not totally fair to judge the P-Zeros that were on the car when i got it as they were fairly worn, but I didn't like the Pirelli at all. Skittish in the Scottish rain and traction control would come on even under relatively mild throttle. Had PS4S on my Audi TTS and had no complaints but wanted to try something different. Local tyre centre recommended the SC7 and have been fitting more of them on performance cars. Wet handling is a lot better, no arse twitching moments on roundabouts and the car feels a lot more assured. I'd get them again for sure.

Ed.Neumann said: Yet the Cup 2 is the more comfy tyre because you run it at a much lower psi. I run my Cup 2s at 31 front and 33 rear cold, where as the PS4S were 35 front and 38 rear to stop them feeling too mushy. I'm not sure if tyre pressure is an indicator of comfort for the Cups. More a sign that their construction is stiffer which allows lower running pressures? The Cup and Cup2 have always lower recommended pressures than normal road tyres (e.g. 997.1 on Cup1 is 29/33 on the door sticker(?) whereas a Carrera was 33/36?).

braddo said: Ed.Neumann said: Yet the Cup 2 is the more comfy tyre because you run it at a much lower psi. I run my Cup 2s at 31 front and 33 rear cold, where as the PS4S were 35 front and 38 rear to stop them feeling too mushy. I'm not sure if tyre pressure is an indicator of comfort for the Cups. More a sign that their construction is stiffer which allows lower running pressures? The Cup and Cup2 have always lower recommended pressures than normal road tyres (e.g. 997.1 on Cup1 is 29/33 on the door sticker(?) whereas a Carrera was 33/36?). I think we are saying the same thing? Run the PS4S at 30psi and it is woeful, the sidewall just can't cope with it, feels nice, till you go round a corner, hence you have to get them to around 35f and 38r.

Doddler said: So the CS7 looks like the better tyre than the PS4S for general road use and the odd track day. Is it correct that by fitting them you are NOT invalidating the OPC warranty? It's been asked a couple of times, but no definitive response. I've not seen anything from Porsche, rather than hearsay, that this is the case. I'd like to run the Contis, as whilst the PS4s has loads of grip and the wear is bordering on miraculous, as others have said you can overheat them even with road use and the steering definitely is muted compared to the Pirellis I previously had on my GTS. The Conti SC7 would seem to address these issues, but aren't N-marked.

M11rph said: It's been asked a couple of times, but no definitive response. I've not seen anything from Porsche, rather than hearsay, that this is the case. I'd like to run the Contis, as whilst the PS4s has loads of grip and the wear is bordering on miraculous, as others have said you can overheat them even with road use and the steering definitely is muted compared to the Pirellis I previously had on my GTS. The Conti SC7 would seem to address these issues, but aren't N-marked. 3 posts above is confirmation from Porsche re warranty and N rated tyres.

andygo said: 3 posts above is confirmation from Porsche re warranty and N rated tyres. Don't know what happened there, as when I posted the last post was Ed.Neumann's at 00:14. One of life's mysteries. Thanks for that, certainly seems to be progress in getting them to acknowledge it. Knowing how tricky Porsche can be to deal with I wonder if that applies to the initial 3 year warranty period too?

Ed.Neumann said: I think we are saying the same thing? Run the PS4S at 30psi and it is woeful, the sidewall just can't cope with it, feels nice, till you go round a corner, hence you have to get them to around 35f and 38r. My experience has been that the Cup2 has a harder ride even though they are running lower pressures.

braddo said: My experience has been that the Cup2 has a harder ride even though they are running lower pressures. Oh right. I found them more comfy, yet much nicer steering feel too. Maybe I had an XL on the rear with the PS4s and didn't need an XL tyre? Who knows, so many variables.

jeebsy said: I emailed Porsche warranty a couple of months ago after seeing more rumours about it online and they replied with this: Ahhh.... I see, apologies, I had misunderstood it as Porsche not testing tyres to N rating any longer. When in fact its just whether its a warranty requirement or not, makes sense. Thanks for the follow-up.

I had Michelin PS4S on my 987 Cayman S previously (as well as Goodyear Eagle Super Sports) and now have the Continental Sport Contact 7’s. From the 1000 or so miles I’ve done on them, I prefer them to the PS4S. They are more stable and all round slightly grippier. The only thing I don’t know yet is how long they will last.

Conti 7's are extremely grippy. However they are short lived. I usually get around 3000 miles from rears on my M2. The C7's lasted 1600 miles..

Yikes!

i've done over 2000 miles on my sc7 so far and still got tons of tread left - checked the other day and it's not a concern for a good while. don't drift round every corner but i like to push a bit where conditions and speed limits allow.

About 1500 miles on my CS7s and they aren't showing significant wear to make me think I should be concerned. And they haven't been slow miles.

I just had my 987 Spyder checked over at CenterGravity. Chris suggested the SC7 as a better choice for me than my currnet Bridgestones. I reckon he's tried a lot of cars with a lot of different tyre set ups, so I'm quite content to take his advice.

I moved from PS4S to CSC7 recently due to their performance in comparison tests Vs the PS4S. I did notice the slight stretch look and I do think the the grip is an improvement. One thing I noticed is they have give a bit of movement when changing direction as if you are on the edge but there is more grip to give. Maybe just me but I quite like it, feels a bit playful. Planted after the initial movement if that makes sense. Cheers, Dunc.

hooch500 said: Conti 7's are extremely grippy. However they are short lived. I usually get around 3000 miles from rears on my M2. The C7's lasted 1600 miles.. I think you like roundabouts too much!

johnfm said: I just had my 987 Spyder checked over at CenterGravity. Chris suggested the SC7 as a better choice for me than my currnet Bridgestones. I reckon he's tried a lot of cars with a lot of different tyre set ups, so I'm quite content to take his advice. What are your current Bridgetsones? The S02A was a great tyre, the RE050 is one of the worst I have experienced, the new Bridgestone Sports are one of the best, I prefer it to the Cup 2 for the road. Steering is superb, so is grip and comfort, but wear rate is looking a bit rubbish. I wouldn't think it would last a single session on track.

Jim1556 said: hooch500 said: Conti 7's are extremely grippy. However they are short lived. I usually get around 3000 miles from rears on my M2. The C7's lasted 1600 miles.. I think you like roundabouts too much! No roundabouts just some juicy empty local roads.. M2 is gone tomorrow picking up a Cayman718S I’ve had a few Porkers but this will be the first mid engined. Edited by hooch500 on Friday 27th December 17:47

hooch500 said: No roundabouts just some juicy empty local roads.. M2 is gone tomorrow picking up a Cayman718S I’ve had a few Porkers but this will be the first mid engined. Cool, get lots of pics and enjoy!

Ed.Neumann said: johnfm said: I just had my 987 Spyder checked over at CenterGravity. Chris suggested the SC7 as a better choice for me than my currnet Bridgestones. I reckon he's tried a lot of cars with a lot of different tyre set ups, so I'm quite content to take his advice. What are your current Bridgetsones? The S02A was a great tyre, the RE050 is one of the worst I have experienced, the new Bridgestone Sports are one of the best, I prefer it to the Cup 2 for the road. Steering is superb, so is grip and comfort, but wear rate is looking a bit rubbish. I wouldn't think it would last a single session on track. The current tyres are the RE050. Will try the SC7 when time comes to change, which is imminent.

Always thought lowers recommended pressure on Cup2s was because they are expected to be used on track where the tire pressure increases with the higher tire temp seen on track use. Hence starting from a lower cold tire pressure as a recommendation. Maybe it’s due to its construction but always thought it was due to its use case. Which if only on road use dirties those pressures might need revising.

Mate has them on his CR, sharing video he made, and rates them.

I agree the CS7 edges out the PS4s in terms of outright grip especially in the wet. However on the rears of my M2 they were finished in 1600 miles whereas the 4s lasted 3000. Same roads etc, so a fair comparison. The C7's are slightly cheaper but not enough to offset difference. The new Falken RS820 looks to be getting positive feedback.

hooch500 said: I agree the CS7 edges out the PS4s in terms of outright grip especially in the wet. However on the rears of my M2 they were finished in 1600 miles whereas the 4s lasted 3000. . Are you going everywhere sideways?

The M2 was my second car, with better suspension and brakes, I only used it for ‘ sport ‘ driving on mostly deserted roads I know intimately, so they get a hard life. It’s just been replaced with a 718S Cayman as I’ve previously stated. I’m hoping it’s a little kinder on its tyres….

I replaced my PS4S (sub 5 years old, 3mm tread left) for CSC7. They're excellent. They were also the best part of £300 less than the PS4S when I had them fitted a few weeks ago.