Pirelli P-Zero's on an E63

[AMGeed]

The good news, Rog, is that if you only have 5mm on the tyres now it won't take you long to wear them out

Always a silver lining Phil

Some interesting posts about these tyres and most of what I'd read beforehand said similar things. I didn't know they were designed with Italian car characteristics in mind.
The tyres are MO rated and appear fine in the dry, and I expected to take a wet roundabout in the same manner as my E55 on Falkens.
It was a bit of a surprise to feel the back moving around at such low speed but I'm prepared for it now and won't be taking any liberties when its damp or cold.

As you say, they aren't going to last too long anyway

 

[AMGeed]

I have P zero's on my E63, I've not noticed any issues with grip, but then again I have the benefit of 4 wheel drive.
They are a bit noisy, but I think that might be more the 20" tyres than anything else.

My old W212 E63 had Bridgestone's on it, and if provoked in cold damp conditions it would have tried to kick the back out.

The 4 wheel drive will make a big difference I think Shaun.
I am thinking a Quaife diff might in order before long too although I doubt this will help wet grip on P-Zero's on my car.

 

[bob6600]

The 4 wheel drive will make a big difference I think Shaun.

Quite possibly as I haven't noticed any poor performance on mine although it is a completely different car with less power

 

[wheels-inmotion]

I didn't know that so thanks for the reply. Tyres nowadays are marque specific it's hard to stay aware of specific evolutions but education from members in the know is a valuable finger on the pulse and a welcomed addition.

 

[st13phil]

I didn't know that so thanks for the reply.

Glad to share the (perhaps esoteric) knowledge. After all, W212 E63’s aren’t exactly common!

BTW, I’ve always respected your knowledge on suspension geometry and have learned much from your posts




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MrRight]

I second the PA4s for winter though both conti and michelin have newer and apparently better tyres than the PA4 for winter. eg Conti 860s though getting them in the right size is another matter entirely

As you are now approaching proper autumn, as long as the front end is stable that is the most important thing and I assume comfort mode equivalent has some use until you wear out those tyres. I quite enjoy having to drive extra carefully sometimes or enjoy sliding around in the rain as long as the front end isnt slipping much.

 

[Cyclone1]

Play about with the tyre pressures as you may end up with a bit of a better compromise. Might be worth the ££’s to switch them to another brand.

I know my car isn’t apples for apples,but mine currently steps out at the rear on light throttle with MPSS but they are close to needing replacing.

 

[AMGeed]

What pressures are you using Jules?
A couple of lbs less than recommended?

 

[Cyclone1]

I’m running 39 at the moment but think the sidewalls on the MPSS are softer than the Pirelli’s, it’s hard trying to find the balance between, grip, stepping out and sidewall flex etc...

See what they currently are and adjust a couple of psi and see how it goes?

Mine will be coming off soon to be replaced by some PS4S’s. The MPSS were pretty good until wearing below 5mm.

 

[AMGeed]

^I'll give it a whirl on the next damp day and drop a couple of lbs to whatever they are currently and see how it goes.

 

[gibsonk]

When I bought My W204 it came with P zeros on the front I found I suffered with a lot of tram-lining and pulling.

Upon switching them to pilot sport fours all the issues went away and grip was far superior as was turn in

Pirelli are not my favourite tire at all I much prefer good year Eagles or Michelin pilot sports, however, different cars react differently to different rubber

 

[Will]

I fitted a full set of new MO Continentals to my E63 soon after I bought it and they seemed like a very good all round tyre. Worked well in cold weather too despite not being ‘winters’. The old ones weren’t in bad shape so just sold them on to recoup some of the outlay.

How old are the Pirelli’s Roger? They may have reasonable tread but if they’re a few years old they could have begun to harden up already.

Other option is to replace them early and eBay the part worns. They always drive nicer on newer/fresher tyres

 

[AMGeed]

I fitted a full set of new MO Continentals to my E63 soon after I bought it and they seemed like a very good all round tyre. Worked well in cold weather too despite not being ‘winters’. The old ones weren’t in bad shape so just sold them on to recoup some of the outlay.

How old are the Pirelli’s Roger? They may have reasonable tread but if they’re a few years old they could have begun to harden up already.

Other option is to replace them early and eBay the part worns. They always drive nicer on newer/fresher tyres

I'll take a look in the daylight and see if I can find the date code.
I notice the fronts appear newer than the rears which are showing signs of a few light cracks around the sidewalls despite a good tread across the whole tyre. I'll take a picture too and get some opinions.
Got a feeling a new set of rear Goodyear/Michelins aren't far away.

 

[Atavus]

Pirelli are cracking tyres.

 

[gibsonk]

I just dumped all four of my crossclimate tyres today for Eagle F1 5's and the difference is night and day, even in the first few miles the grip levels are huge compared to the Bridgestones that came off.

Wholly recommend the Eagle F1 range

 

[kianok]

With the current wet performance that you have I would not be risking my life on a wet road, 5 mm remaining or not I would be buying new tyres or travelling by public transport if there was any chance of rain!

Bit dramatic.

 

[moonloops]

Bit dramatic.

Not at all, my C350 had pirelli p zeros on when I bought it, downright dangerous in the wet.

 

[flowrider]

Not at all, my C350 had pirelli p zeros on when I bought it, downright dangerous in the wet.

I have Pirelli Pzero Rosso's on my Audi S5 and I also had them on both my previous ML's and they have never let go in the wet, to say they are "downright dangerous" is a bit dramatic IMO I still didn't/don't like them though as I find them rather noisy when they wear down.

 

[moonloops]

I have Pirelli Pzero Rosso's on my Audi S5 and I also had them on both my previous ML's and they have never let go in the wet, to say they are "downright dangerous" is a bit dramatic IMO I still didn't/don't like them though as I find them rather noisy when they wear down.

Sliding 4 wheel drifts on roundabouts in the wet at 20mph is downright dangerous IMHO.

 

[st13phil]

I have Pirelli Pzero Rosso's on my Audi S5

One of the issues with the P-Zero is that they come in many different "flavours". Sometimes the particular flavour is explicit (e.g. "Rosso" or "Nero"), other times it's not and, in my albeit limited experience, nigh on impossible to determine. Anecdotally, some variants seem to suit some cars just fine, but which variant on which car?

What I can say with absolute conviction is that P-Zero's in the MO fitment variant for the W212 E63 are absolutely dire in the wet when ambient temperatures are low, i.e. circa 10c or lower, once worn to 5mm or less. To illustrate quite how bad they are, traction is so low in those circumstances that if you put on a fair deal of steering lock (for example like making a hard right turn after pulling through a traffic queue) and attempt to pull away even very gently, they will break traction. Truly hopeless.