XK Tires
#21
On my XK, none of the above. Very stable, quiet.
With all tires you need a "break-in" period to scrub off the mold vaxes from the very top layers of the tire. That likely explains the initial miles of instability.
Also, the 911 Turbo, due to its rear-engine configuration, is rather unstable at speeds so, not the best car for tire testing. It will be unstable with ANY tire.
Albert
With all tires you need a "break-in" period to scrub off the mold vaxes from the very top layers of the tire. That likely explains the initial miles of instability.
Also, the 911 Turbo, due to its rear-engine configuration, is rather unstable at speeds so, not the best car for tire testing. It will be unstable with ANY tire.
Albert
My 996tt with michelins was very solid at higher speeds. That car was designed for high speed autobahn runs with a top speed of 195.
#22
I'm with OCTurbo -- I will never buy another set of Hankooks. I had the V12s on my Z, and they were terrible in the wet and didn't really have that great of dry grip over the life of the tires... which was a lousy 14k miles. They were 'hard' and were prone to sliding regardless of temperature or dry/wet conditions. I switched to the new Pilot Super Sports and the difference was night and day. They were cheap, and they showed it. <shrugs>
#23
No offense, but the Z has a bad reputation for uneven tire wear, so you probably have to be more "careful" about what shoes you put on that car.
I can't help but giggle whenever I see a Z ... during "snowmaggedeon" a few years back, the majority of abandoned cars scattered around the Tysons Corner/Vienna/McLean area were, by and large, Nissan 350 Z's. Across from Tysons Corner Center, in fact, there were three of them, two right behind each other!
I can't help but giggle whenever I see a Z ... during "snowmaggedeon" a few years back, the majority of abandoned cars scattered around the Tysons Corner/Vienna/McLean area were, by and large, Nissan 350 Z's. Across from Tysons Corner Center, in fact, there were three of them, two right behind each other!
I'm with OCTurbo -- I will never buy another set of Hankooks. I had the V12s on my Z, and they were terrible in the wet and didn't really have that great of dry grip over the life of the tires... which was a lousy 14k miles. They were 'hard' and were prone to sliding regardless of temperature or dry/wet conditions. I switched to the new Pilot Super Sports and the difference was night and day. They were cheap, and they showed it. <shrugs>
#24
The Porsche 911s are basically WV bugs with a terrible engine location that no other manufacturer would want on their cars. Porsche tried to stop production of the 911s decades ago but, American customers protested the move. Reason being; at the low speeds Americans drive the 911 is fine. I only test drove the 911 Turbo once at high speeds and it almost killed me with its charasterically nasty behavior. I would never try 195 MPH in a Porsche on anything other than the glass smooth surfaces of a German autobahn and a reliable downforce device on the front end; without such, one bump on the road and you're history; that is exactly what happened during my test drive of the early 930 Turbo.
New technology has come a long ways to tame the rear-engined blues but, it can not be eliminated. It is like driving a heavy hammer, handle first, into a corner with all the weight back behind the axles; a matter of physics as the weight in the back will swing and wants to spin the car. As the linked comparison test below indicates, the new ones still have the same characteristics as the early ones. I personally would not drive one fast if it was given to me free.
After owning many fast cars with various engine locations, my preference is for a front engined car for the street and mid-engined car for the track. A front engined street car is generally far safer in its handling characteristics than one with the engine behind while likely faster on the street due to the confidence factor. Rear engined cars (engine BEHIND the rear axle) have all been failures for all past manufacturers. For the longest time people joked that more Porsche 911s left the road going backward than forward...
2013 Nissan GT-R Black Edition vs. 2012 Porsche 911 Turbo S Comparison - Motor Trend
Albert
#25
Went to NTB to get the rear tires installed. $788 out the door. One thing, not sure if this is a concern... the rears are now Pilot Sport A/S Plus and the older fronts are Pilot Sport A/S. My take is the Pilot Sport A/S is no longer offered? The "look" the same other than the name.
Wow, what a difference with new rears! The car is so well planted in the back. Gave it the shot it needed. The tires looked fine before, but I guess the way they sit (according to the tire shop manager), they just wear in the middle and that's that. I am picky about tire pressure and measure/adjust it weekly. I never go above what the door says.
Wow, what a difference with new rears! The car is so well planted in the back. Gave it the shot it needed. The tires looked fine before, but I guess the way they sit (according to the tire shop manager), they just wear in the middle and that's that. I am picky about tire pressure and measure/adjust it weekly. I never go above what the door says.
I do need the dealer to alighn the car again as the tires are still wearing out super fast on the inside due to squating from my heavy acceleration. This time I will ask them to add + camber to compensate for the squating.
#26
I have the same Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus (Ultra High Performance All-Season).
I am good to go then.
Last edited by mosesbotbol; 07-03-2012 at 09:59 AM.
#27
No offense, but the Z has a bad reputation for uneven tire wear, so you probably have to be more "careful" about what shoes you put on that car.
I can't help but giggle whenever I see a Z ... during "snowmaggedeon" a few years back, the majority of abandoned cars scattered around the Tysons Corner/Vienna/McLean area were, by and large, Nissan 350 Z's. Across from Tysons Corner Center, in fact, there were three of them, two right behind each other!
I can't help but giggle whenever I see a Z ... during "snowmaggedeon" a few years back, the majority of abandoned cars scattered around the Tysons Corner/Vienna/McLean area were, by and large, Nissan 350 Z's. Across from Tysons Corner Center, in fact, there were three of them, two right behind each other!
None of this changes the fact that those Hankooks wore just as quickly as other summer/performance tires and were hard in the dry weather and had questionable wet grip. Their only 'bonus' was that they cost 2/3 of what their competitors do. One of my favorite tires of all time were Goodyears GSD3s... but they don't make them anymore. Some of the best wet/dry grip ever. And up here in Rainyville, wet grip is something I use on a regular basis.
At this point in time, my inclination would be to replace the Dunlops on the XK with the Michelin Pilot Super Sports. The Michelins dont do the overnight flat spotting the Dunlops do, and they're a little cheaper.
#28
#29
I have some Sumitomo tires on my XK and have been VERY impressed with them in the rain, at first glance I thought gawd these are going to bring the severe suck in wet weather with the wide sipeless treads but they actually are very stable in the rain and stick like glue in the dry.
#30
You see what I mean about recommendations on tires? You can get all the impassioned testimonials and anecdotal stories on tires you have the time and stomach to read. I recon this will go on for another 3 or 4 pages. LOL
You can get any kind of brand recommendation in these Forums you care to read. My recommendation is go with any of the top 3 rated brands at Tire Rack. Go Michelin if you care to spend the money and the other 2 if you would save $200 or $300 on a set of 4.
The price and extras at your local tire store will vary + or - another $100 or so. I have run all 3 of the top brands at one time or another on my Jags with complete satisfaction. Think thur carefully the type of thread you need, Summer Hi Perf or All Season.
The price and extras at your local tire store will vary + or - another $100 or so. I have run all 3 of the top brands at one time or another on my Jags with complete satisfaction. Think thur carefully the type of thread you need, Summer Hi Perf or All Season.
Last edited by user 2029223; 07-04-2012 at 08:50 AM.
#31
Great information guys. I bought the car last night. It still has the original Dunlop SP Sport 01 tires on it. I will get a feel for these and then trade up. My guess is that I will opt for summer tires rather than the all season version. The only all season tires that may work are the Pilot Sport A/S+ and I have read all kinds of complaints about them. Thanks for all of the opinions.
#32
Besides having the Hankooks on my XK, I run "inexpensive" Sumitomo HRZs on my twin turbo RX-7 that has 500 HP at 2600 lbs. Living in an area of winding roads that are popular for those weekend racers (bikes and cars) I'm yet to meet anyone with any tire combo that could touch that car with these tires on it.
Like I said before, a little bit of driving skill will more than make up for the difference between the top and bottom tires. For instance; learn to left-foot brake (nearly all better racers employ that technique even with manual transmissions) and that alone will give you more cornering speeds than that top tire choice.
Albert
#33
I read Tire Rack's tire tests and they state that Continental Extreme Contact DW's are much quieter than the Pilot Super Sports and are close to providing the same performance. Are the PSS tries really that noisy over sharp bumps like paving joints and do they telegraph larger impacts through the tires? Is anyone having that experience with the PSS tires? Has anyone used the DW's? The XK's suspension is pretty firm. As a daily driver I'm looking for comfort as well as a reasonable level of performance. How about the Pilot Sport A/S all season tires? I read they are murder on gas mileage and deliver a very harsh ride. I know, too many questions, too few answers. I need to just go buy something and enjoy driving the car!!
#34
#35
#36
I have a set of Continental Extreme Contact DWs on my XK with about 5,000 miles on them. They are perfectly satisfactory so far. I relied on the Tire Rack recommendation. My criteria was low noise, wet performance and price- in that order. Mind you, I have had all major brands at one time or another without serious complaint.
My car has never been in a drift or 4 wheel slide so you may deduce that I'm a mild/undemanding driver. Moreover, I have never clocked less than 30,000 miles on a set of tires on any vehicle no matter the brand of tire or model of car/truck.
My car has never been in a drift or 4 wheel slide so you may deduce that I'm a mild/undemanding driver. Moreover, I have never clocked less than 30,000 miles on a set of tires on any vehicle no matter the brand of tire or model of car/truck.
I read Tire Rack's tire tests and they state that Continental Extreme Contact DW's are much quieter than the Pilot Super Sports and are close to providing the same performance. Are the PSS tries really that noisy over sharp bumps like paving joints and do they telegraph larger impacts through the tires? Is anyone having that experience with the PSS tires? Has anyone used the DW's? The XK's suspension is pretty firm. As a daily driver I'm looking for comfort as well as a reasonable level of performance. How about the Pilot Sport A/S all season tires? I read they are murder on gas mileage and deliver a very harsh ride. I know, too many questions, too few answers. I need to just go buy something and enjoy driving the car!!
#38
I have a set of Continental Extreme Contact DWs on my XK with about 5,000 miles on them. They are perfectly satisfactory so far. I relied on the Tire Rack recommendation. My criteria was low noise, wet performance and price- in that order. Mind you, I have had all major brands at one time or another without serious complaint.
My car has never been in a drift or 4 wheel slide so you may deduce that I'm a mild/undemanding driver. Moreover, I have never clocked less than 30,000 miles on a set of tires on any vehicle no matter the brand of tire or model of car/truck.
My car has never been in a drift or 4 wheel slide so you may deduce that I'm a mild/undemanding driver. Moreover, I have never clocked less than 30,000 miles on a set of tires on any vehicle no matter the brand of tire or model of car/truck.
Comfort/low noise, anti-hydroplaning ability, and wear/price are my governing criteria also.
Sorry, but few of us are going to to be setting any records on our daily commutes! Besides, these beautiful automobiles are GT's, with a racing heritage, not true Sports cars.
Last edited by tnt10; 07-06-2012 at 10:51 PM.
#39
Thanks, tnt10. I'm glad someone posted the way a lot of us think. I may drive spirited now and then but I'm mostly looking for a good set of serviceable tires appropriate for the car that will last a while and that aren't crap. The O.E. Dunlops on the car I just bought are 6-years old and the ride is very harsh. Any new tire will be an improvement. But, when we're spending $1,500 on a set a little research is in order. I agree with your tire priorities. So, are you running DW's or something else?
#40
Thanks, tnt10. I'm glad someone posted the way a lot of us think. I may drive spirited now and then but I'm mostly looking for a good set of serviceable tires appropriate for the car that will last a while and that aren't crap. The O.E. Dunlops on the car I just bought are 6-years old and the ride is very harsh. Any new tire will be an improvement. But, when we're spending $1,500 on a set a little research is in order. I agree with your tire priorities. So, are you running DW's or something else?
Hopefully, by the time I need replacements, there will be a more satisfactory replacement available with a better treadwear record.