New Michelin's and Refurb alloys..WOW

[blueserenity777]

I just got my car fitted to the new Michelin Pilot Sport3..Prior was PS2..What a difference to the ride..Car feels like new..and it is very quiet..Good choice..Hoping milleage wear is as good..PS2 lasted me 24k..

Had Premier Wheel Repairs (Coulsdon South) do the honours of 4 refurbs with new Titanium Grey on my AMG Style 4..Fantastic quality and excellent service..High Recommended for anyone wnting refurbs done on the South London M23 area..

Will post photos..

 

[d w124]

Good to see you're still about,have not seen you for a while

 

[blueserenity777]

Yes, been busy looking for a topic to write....but I am back now..nice to hear from you..hoping to meet you sometime at MB world..

 

[John]

I know I don't have the same car as you but after another recommendation plus my own experience of PS2s, I am planning to fit PS3s next.

I knew Contis were OEM supplied but I noticed yesterday on the inside of my petrol flap that Dunlops were too...

 

[ringway]

+1 for PS3's.

 

[John]

My rears have not got long until they are as useful as tissue paper (one could argue they are there already).

However, I have noticed my fronts, which are probably 4/5mm are shocking in the wet.

I went round a roundabout the other day in the wet and I could feel the fronts giving at a speed I would normally expect them to grip.

They are crap budget tyres (Maxxis) so not a surprise but I am now finding out how bad they are (if you travel at moderate speeds, they are fine).

However, I also notice the car starts to feel a bit 'light' at certain speeds in the dry and I get the impression they are at the limit of their ability.

So I am probably going to accelerate replacement of the whole lot!

 

[blueserenity777]

I know I don't have the same car as you but after another recommendation plus my own experience of PS2s, I am planning to fit PS3s next.

I knew Contis were OEM supplied but I noticed yesterday on the inside of my petrol flap that Dunlops were too...

Even Premier Wheel Repairs said it is an amazing tyre deisgn..Had tyres shipped there..so they were oogling it ..Conti's are soft and has a higher wear rate..I was totally stunned what difference the PS3 compound is to the old PS2..some very clever man at Michelin who got the formula right on these PS3's..

I was considering the new Conti Sport Contact 5p..and glad I stuck with Michelin's from MB recommendations..

 

[Mercy1]

Hi blueserenity,
Your post interested me as I will be needing two new rear tyres very soon.
I would normally stick with the manufacturer's chosen tyre which in my case is Contisport Contact 3 245 40 R17. From what you say, perhaps I should go for the Pilot Sport 3. Thanks for that, any further comment appreciated...

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

I have been running PS2s on my TT for the last four years or so, two sets, and I couldn’t fault them, however when I tried to replace them over the last few days at costco they said they no longer stocked them and could only supply PS3s. In fact they said that the PS2 had been discontinued. This is not strictly true, they have actually re-branded the PS2 simply as the Pilot Sport, it is still clearly on the Michelin web site and boasts that it is still the factory tire for Porsche.

My cynical streak tells me that if Porsche have refused to opt for the PS3 then it is in fact a cost reduced inferior version of the PS2 giving them a lower costs and a higher margin. However that is all speculation in my head.

My actual experience so far is very limited, 16 miles in torrential rain last night, I noticed two differences so far;

1 I think they are marginally louder than my worn PS2s
2 They offer a much softer ride, given I have very stiff suspension and anti roll bars on my TT is was immediately noticeable, even to Kim, my other half.

So Kim thinks, great I now have a more comfortable ride, she drives the TT most of the time but I'm left thinking, a softer ride will mean poorer handling when being driven hard.

Ill provide another update when the bloody rain stops and I can take it out for a proper drive.

 

[Mercy1]

1 I think they are marginally louder than my worn PS2s
2 They offer a much softer ride, given I have very stiff suspension and anti roll bars on my TT is was immediately noticeable, even to Kim, my other half.
Ill provide another update when the bloody rain stops and I can take it out for a proper drive.

1 I think they are marginally louder than my worn PS2s - That's bad!!

2 They offer a much softer ride - That's good (I'm in Kim's camp!)!!

Thanks...

 

[Sp!ke]

just checked out the tyre prices for ps3's for the new wheels im hoping to purchase.... holy moly they are expensive at £230 per corner.

Are they really that much better than the competition?

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Most people have not driven on enough different tyres to give an objective answer, so almost all answers will be subjective, I just know the PS2s were the best I have had on any car, the grip on corners was fantastic.

Costco have a deal on just now, 20% off if you buy 4, so for 225/40/18 it came in at £120 a corner.

 

[John]

If the PS is a re-branded PS2, why not just buy these?

I thought my PS2s on my M3 Evo (I'm talking 2000/2001 here) had a chevron design in the direction of travel I think.

Looking at the PS tyres, they don't appear to have this - or did they change the design?

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

If the PS is a re-branded PS2, why not just buy these?

The lure of minimum 20% off at costco with a further 20% cashback was too much, so I gave in to the PS3.

I thought my PS2s on my M3 Evo (I'm talking 2000/2001 here) had a chevron design in the direction of travel I think.

Looking at the PS tyres, they don't appear to have this - or did they change the design?

The original PS was a chevron style, and since mid 2000s the PS2 has been a block. Now the PS is also a block which looks identical to the later PS2 (ie it is in fact the PS2 rebranded). I dont know what the early 2000 PS2 looked like.

See here the mithelin web site, they seem to mix PS and PS2 up as the same thing MICHELIN Pilot Sport PS2 | tyres | MICHELIN from this page it can be seen that it is cleary still available but costco insist that it is discontinued.

But now I've got the PS3, i just hope they turn out to be better.

 

[scillyisles]

The Pilot Sport range has evolved over time. The original Pilot Sport was a symmetrical directional tyre (it had the chevron tyre tread) and was fitted to performance cars such as the E46 M3. Michelin then brought out a new Pilot Sport which became known as the Pilot Sport 2 or PS2. This tyre was an asymmetric non directional tyre which required the tyre to be fitted with the correct outside marked wall facing outward. The asymmetric tyre design consists of multiple sections of the tyre designed to optimise grip when cornering.
They have now brought out the Pilot Sport 3 which is still an asymmetric non directional tyre and the Pilot Sport 2 has been rebranded as the Pilot Sport. The original press announcements from Michelin indicated that the PS3 was a new tyre in addition to the PS2 but over time this message seems to have become confused with some Michelin dealers saying that the PS2 is discontinued. They are wrong in the sense that the rebranded PS (old PS2) is available in a far greater range of fitment sizes and as such the PS3 cannot replace the PS. Michelin have also brought out another tyre the Pilot Super Sport which is becoming more widely available and was developed for Porsche, M Cars etc.
Longer term I expect Michelin will concentrate more on the Pilot Super Sport for high performance cars and the PS3 for sporty cars and the Pilot Sport range will become less available as they expand the range of sizes available for both the Pilot Super Sport and PS3. This will take time as Michelin is a huge global company and changing production moulds/processes etc takes time.
On a personal note, I did take advantage of the Costco offer and changed from Pirelli Neros (a very similar tyre to the PS2) to the new PS3 in an identical size and LSI rating. The ride is more comfortable and the steering control appears better. Road noise also seems reduced. Wet grip seems very good and overall they seem to be a better tyre.

 

[Mercy1]

The ride is more comfortable and the steering control appears better. Road noise also seems reduced. Wet grip seems very good and overall they seem to be a better tyre.

I wonder how much of this benefit would filter through to the cabin if I were to fit just two PS3s at the rear. (I have original Conti 3s on the front with plenty of wear remaining). In general I think my tyres are a bit noisy and I would be happier if any new ones were quieter and more comfortable.

 

[LTD]

My actual experience so far is very limited, 16 miles in torrential rain last night

Perfect conditions for testing a Scottish Summer Tyre then

 

[John]

I wonder how much of this benefit would filter through to the cabin if I were to fit just two PS3s at the rear. (I have original Conti 3s on the front with plenty of wear remaining). In general I think my tyres are a bit noisy and I would be happier if any new ones were quieter and more comfortable.

On my last car, when I first put on a new pair of Conti SC3s on the front, there was a marked improvement.

Once my rears finally wore out, the improvement was again marked.

Then they started to get louder again gradually...



So I would say you should notice an improvement.

I will be doing my rears soon and am in two minds whether to do the fronts.

 

[nigel cross]

I just got my car fitted to the new Michelin Pilot Sport3..Prior was PS2..What a difference to the ride..Car feels like new..and it is very quiet..Good choice..Hoping milleage wear is as good..PS2 lasted me 24k..

Had Premier Wheel Repairs (Coulsdon South) do the honours of 4 refurbs with new Titanium Grey on my AMG Style 4..Fantastic quality and excellent service..High Recommended for anyone wnting refurbs done on the South London M23 area..

Will post photos..

How much do they charge, as I have just looked on their website and cant see a price list

 

[Mercy1]

Anyone thinking of buying PS3s might want be interested in my pricing reseach so far, for a C350 CDI Sport, ie 245 40 R17 91Y.
ATS Euromaster want £167 (but there website is not clear and haven't checked whether this includes VAT!)
Others:
KwikFit £162
Event 172
Tyre Shopper 180
Black Circles 181
MyTyres and ETyres 189
National 197.
Haven't taken into account possible promo discounts or discounts for more than one tyre.
Hope this helps...my search goes on