Michelin Pilot Sport 2 Impression
09-16-2004, 01:24 AM
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Michelin Pilot Sport 2 Impression
Well, I just ordered the Volk Racing SF-Challenges, 18x9.0" all the way around. A few problems:
1. It's 60-90 days for delivery.
2. I had 17,000 miles on my stock Potenzas.
3. The TPMS clearly noticed.
Fortunately, there was an easy solution. Tire Rack has a special where you can get 245/40/18 ZR Michelin Pilot Sport 2s for a reasonable $225 a pop -- $1 more than the comparable Bridgestone Potenza S-03, only $14 more than the stock-sized Potenza RE040 225/45/18, and $50 per tire less than the RE040 in the same 245/40/18 size.
Michelin PS2 Sizes and Prices
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Sizes....ilot+Sport+PS2
Profile:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....ilot+Sport+PS2
The 245/40 is perfect as it fits a little loose compared to the 225 on the stock 8"-wide rim, but should be a snug fit when the 9"-wide Volk rims arrive. I had the MSP2s installed on Monday, and have put on about 300 miles so far.
Initial Impression
I gotta be honest: I didn't think the stock Potenzas were all that bad. In fact, that's the best tire I had ever driven -- until now.
Improved Ride Quality
The first thing I noticed was sharp improvement in ride quality.
A few months ago, I had the Mazdaspeed Sway Bars and Tanabe GF210 springs installed. This is a noticeably more agressive setup than the nice and soft stock setup. As a result, I felt like I had the best car in existence when on nice and winding roads -- particularly driving on I-75 through Atlanta on the drive from Ft. Lauderdale to St. Louis in June, and my daily commute down the GW Parkway across from DC for a couple weeks while in town for work.
On the flipside, on bad roads I had recollections of having to wear braces during puberty. If you've ever had braces, you know that feeling -- the one where you'd rather they just pull your damn teeth than bear the pain of straightening them out.
Nowadays, I know the bumps are there, but they just don't shock the same. I believe this may be partly due to the design of the tire, but probably mostly due to the 2lbs I saved per corner.
Grip, Handling, and Acceleration
Like I said, the stock Potenzas were the best I'd ever had. But I knew there was more to be had.
The rubber sticks to the road like glue, and the ride is firmer on the wider 245 tires. I even got a little wet road experience today, and that went well though I didn't really test limits. The one drawback is that you can appreciate the precision fit and feel of the stock 225 tires on the 8" wide stock rim, so I can't wait to have a little more rim to back the rubber.
The 245/40/18 tire also has a 3.25mm shorter sidewall than the 225/45/18 stock tire. Combined with the 2lb-per-tire weight savings, I believe the 1/4 inch or so smaller diameter has resulted in a noticeable improvement in acceleration.
Appearance
The tire itself looks good, and is of course slightly lower profile than stock. Unfortunately, it created a 3.25mm bigger gap in the wheel wells.
It hurts only because I really liked how the car looked and felt (most of time, and especially now) on the Tanabe GF210 springs. But I was going to upgrade to coilovers at some point anyway, and so it might as well be now. Sometime next week, I'll have the Tein Flex Coilovers with the EDFC installed.
That said, some of you may have noticed that the Tanabe GF210 springs on my car now -- with 7K miles and already broken in -- are up for sale:
https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=39223
Conclusion
If you're looking for new summer tires, particularly for 18x8 - 18x9 wheels, I can highly recommend the Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires at this price.
Jeff
1. It's 60-90 days for delivery.
2. I had 17,000 miles on my stock Potenzas.
3. The TPMS clearly noticed.
Fortunately, there was an easy solution. Tire Rack has a special where you can get 245/40/18 ZR Michelin Pilot Sport 2s for a reasonable $225 a pop -- $1 more than the comparable Bridgestone Potenza S-03, only $14 more than the stock-sized Potenza RE040 225/45/18, and $50 per tire less than the RE040 in the same 245/40/18 size.
Michelin PS2 Sizes and Prices
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Sizes....ilot+Sport+PS2
Profile:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....ilot+Sport+PS2
The 245/40 is perfect as it fits a little loose compared to the 225 on the stock 8"-wide rim, but should be a snug fit when the 9"-wide Volk rims arrive. I had the MSP2s installed on Monday, and have put on about 300 miles so far.
Initial Impression
I gotta be honest: I didn't think the stock Potenzas were all that bad. In fact, that's the best tire I had ever driven -- until now.
Improved Ride Quality
The first thing I noticed was sharp improvement in ride quality.
A few months ago, I had the Mazdaspeed Sway Bars and Tanabe GF210 springs installed. This is a noticeably more agressive setup than the nice and soft stock setup. As a result, I felt like I had the best car in existence when on nice and winding roads -- particularly driving on I-75 through Atlanta on the drive from Ft. Lauderdale to St. Louis in June, and my daily commute down the GW Parkway across from DC for a couple weeks while in town for work.
On the flipside, on bad roads I had recollections of having to wear braces during puberty. If you've ever had braces, you know that feeling -- the one where you'd rather they just pull your damn teeth than bear the pain of straightening them out.
Nowadays, I know the bumps are there, but they just don't shock the same. I believe this may be partly due to the design of the tire, but probably mostly due to the 2lbs I saved per corner.
Grip, Handling, and Acceleration
Like I said, the stock Potenzas were the best I'd ever had. But I knew there was more to be had.
The rubber sticks to the road like glue, and the ride is firmer on the wider 245 tires. I even got a little wet road experience today, and that went well though I didn't really test limits. The one drawback is that you can appreciate the precision fit and feel of the stock 225 tires on the 8" wide stock rim, so I can't wait to have a little more rim to back the rubber.
The 245/40/18 tire also has a 3.25mm shorter sidewall than the 225/45/18 stock tire. Combined with the 2lb-per-tire weight savings, I believe the 1/4 inch or so smaller diameter has resulted in a noticeable improvement in acceleration.
Appearance
The tire itself looks good, and is of course slightly lower profile than stock. Unfortunately, it created a 3.25mm bigger gap in the wheel wells.
It hurts only because I really liked how the car looked and felt (most of time, and especially now) on the Tanabe GF210 springs. But I was going to upgrade to coilovers at some point anyway, and so it might as well be now. Sometime next week, I'll have the Tein Flex Coilovers with the EDFC installed.
That said, some of you may have noticed that the Tanabe GF210 springs on my car now -- with 7K miles and already broken in -- are up for sale:
https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=39223
Conclusion
If you're looking for new summer tires, particularly for 18x8 - 18x9 wheels, I can highly recommend the Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires at this price.
Jeff
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