Has anybody had any success with fitting different brand tyres to their F-Type?

I'm looking at purchasing a set that produce less road noise.

 

Check out SpinningBull's thread - he swapped the OEM P Zeros for the Michelin PSS and reported much better grip and lower road noise. I personally think the OEM Pirelli tires on these cars are terrible, so this is a swap that I also plan to make soon.

 

+1. I've had both on my MINI. As soon as the car arrives, I'm switching from 19" P-Zeros to 20" Pilot SSs. (the wheels I want aren't offered as an option on the S, only on the R).

 

Give me break. The Pirelli P-Zeros are FAR from terrible. Perhaps they are a bit noisier than other brands, but so is the exhaust on this car.

I suspect the Michelin PSS is a somewhat better tire, but I'd bet the performance difference is insignificant.

 

Foosh, they are shocking. They're a budget tire masquerading as a performance tire. These are far from the best tires in the segment. While we may like to think that Jaguar engineers spend hours comparing tires and matching them to the nuances of the car, the reason these bad boys are blighting our F Types probably has far more to do with Jaguar likely getting these tires for little to nothing to ensure the aftermarket business for the manufacturer.

Keep in mind this is my third gig with the P Zero, and the prior two times a change to the then-best Michelin delivered a significant upgrade. Also keep in mind these changes were done when the Pirellis were relatively new. The performance enhancements weren't there as I was replacing a shot tire with a new one.

The one good thing about these tires is that they wear well. That is bottom of my list for the reasons I'd specify a tire for a 100K car.

 

Have you had them both on the same car?

 

I'm sure we all have our views on Tire Rack surveys, but in this case the PSS is the top rated tire in the max performance summer category and our OEM tires are languishing in 20th (although I think that the low score for treadwear for the P Zero is wrong, the tires do wear well)

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey...wdp=N&showcm=N

 

OK, I'll be changing to PSS too at some point, but I think the term "horrible" with regard to the P-Zeros is a bit of an overstatement. It's not just Jaguar using them on high-powered cars. They've come standard on high-end 911s as well.

They may no longer be the best in their class, but I seriously doubt they can objectively and fairly be called "horrible." As for the Tire Rack reviews, the differences between 1st and last are rather insignificant and represent an average from non-expert consumers, whose opinions are all over the map.

None of the tires listed are "horrible." As I said, I doubt you'd see any significant difference in track times from expert drivers.

 

Ive had both on my XKR and the PSS are quite noticeably better.. Quieter for sure and better handling.
Lawrence

 

P Zero are horrible for an everyday car. I've had Continentals on a Merc and Michelin on an Audi. Both better than P Zero. Michelin first choice by far.

 

Anyone find any other options out there for tires besides P Zeros and PSS? (for the R - 20 inch)

 

Yep, they were the OEM tire on my two 911s. That's one of the things that's informing my views - they weren't great on the 911 either! Porsche was
fitting P Zeros, PS2s and if I remember right a Bridgestone tire and I had the Pirellis on mine.

 

Continental Conti Sport Contact
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT

 

Now, better for a daily driver is a different comparison set. I was talking purely based upon grip and performance. I would not be surprised if the preference for the PSS was based on a better balance between street "comfort" and performance. If the the PSS sticks as well and is more comfortable too, that's a bonus.

As I said, I plan on making the switch to the PSS as well, but I think the P-Zeros stick really well when they are used in their intended temperature range. In that sense, they are not terrible.

 

Tire Rack shows a Continental ContiForce Contact which I believe is what they are putting on the Project 7

Very curious to hear if anyone has tried these track compound street tires yet. I know they probably won't last very long but if they last at all they would seem to be the grippiest option.
I went through at least 10 sets of rear pirellis on my Mercedes and was not thrilled with the fragility of them on our local (terrible) roads. The XL rated ones on the F-Type seem better so far but the Contis would be the ones to try if max performance is the priority.

 

Had Conti's on Merc SLK55 and liked them, but are expensive and had wear on rears very quickly, probably my driving habits. Have Dunlops on our Maser Ghibli and find them good for that car, but noisy at highway speed.

 

Thanks for the info gents - Having read up on the PSS's over this side of the pond, they seem to receive good reviews - This may be what I end up getting...

Wouldn't it be nice to have a line up of F's, each fitted with a different brand, and a proving track such as Millbrook to play with for a day or two! Anyone fancy chipping in a few £/$'s?

 

Tel, how any miles have you put on them?

 

I'm thinking you've never actually driven s car fitted with budget "Ditch-Seeker" tyres. Obviously, it's all relative, but when I read people describing how bad a particular make of tyre is on a given car that I've owned, I generally note that they have a much bigger problem than the tyres that they are unaware of.

Given the maximum age and mileage of most F-Types, problems with worn tyres and suspension components that are usually blamed on the brand are unlikely to be a problem. So that just leaves crummy road surfaces and low temperatures...

 

Not directly at Foosh's comment, but relate to what he's talking about... Just looking at the numbers, the P-Zero is a higher performing tire.. Granted, wear ratings are not consistent across manufacturers but they are in range for pricing comparison/competing.. The P-Zero has a much lower wear rating than the PSS which seems to indicate it's a more performance oriented tire. This would support the notion that the PSS is more ride compliant and providing a balance of comfort/performance. Most "performance" oriented tires are generally skittish for those not used to them making them not feel confident in the car even though the performance threshold is increased. There is something to be said for a less performing tire instilling confidence in the driver.

That said, I doubt I would switch to the PSS. I will likely stay with the P-Zeros or look for something in a similar performance range when it's time to switch.