Tyres.

[Vince]

Just been having a look around as my car will need some new tyres at the back before long. It currently has sport contact 2's on all four corners and they wear at 2 pairs of rear tyres for 1 pair at the front.

With plenty of tread on the front I was going to get another set of sport contact 2 tyres and then possibly a different set (sport contact 3?) next time when it needs them all changed.

A little search around the web and I have found the sport contact 2's for £289.38 inc delivery and vat, this is on 2x 255x40x17 on a ZR rating at camskill (a reputable site... seem very cheap?). Firstly is it worth getting them shipped and paying a back street fitter to fit them and what sort of costs are we looking at just for fitting?

For reference your regular quick fit type tyre fitter is asking £400 including fitting for the same tyres. I am in no rush as the car is garaged for the next few weeks to have some work done so am perfectly happy to wait

 

[Vince]

Ok question, what are the implications of running SC2's on the front and SC3's on the rear? I don't want to loose any of the grip or handling that the car has already. should I just replace all 4?

 

[Vince]

Don't think I will be going with the falkens. I have never had them before but I want to stick with either the conti's or the michilin tyres as I hear these are the only ones to consider putting on the boxster.

 

[Vince]

For god sake dont scrimp on tyres for that.

Exactly the car wants good tyres. Good tyres it will get! Now to find order some sc3's I think.

Gonna grab them from camskill and have a local fitter fit them and do the geometry

 

[Vince]

Yea, no need to bother with the Falkens unless you are on a tight budget.

I'd stick with the Conti's.

Nice one SC3's it is then. Cheers guys

 

[Vince]

Will do. I will be buying this week so will let you guys know what I went for and what I think.

 

[Vince]

A little update - It turns out that Porsche tyres are N2 or N4 rated (according to some guy on the phone) now I must have phoned 20 companies trying to get something sorted for this weekend, I know, I know, I said I was in no rush but I decided that I want to get some driving in this weekend before it comes off the road for a month to get work done (leather repaired, detailed with paint correction and the gearbox rebuilt with performance clutch).

It turns out that there are 3 tyres I can put on, SC2's - not SC3's as there are no Porsche N rated SC3's, some bridgestones (some guy recommended I don't do this and keep the same tyre on all four corners) and some michillin tyres. Again I was told to keep the same tyre front and back so I went on the hunt for the N2 rated SC2's.

Hens teeth is the phrase that comes to mind, after ringing literally every tyre company in 20 miles from me only one can get the tyres and is charging a premium for the privilege. After a bit of negotiation I’m getting them fitted tomorrow SC2's N2 rated tyres £176 a corner fitted with balancing and my front wheels re-balanced for free.

So an entire morning wasted - Looking for tyres has never been so difficult.

 

[Vince]

Nice one Mark, think Ill just go with these. SC2's from camskill are 150 odd so with fitting and balancing this doesn't seem to bad a deal. Not only that but they can fit them tomorrow and I get the weekend to hoon around. Next time I will go for all four and not worry about the N rating.

I was wondering what this N rating is all about. Never before have I owned a car which has specific tyres made for them, most places seemed dead set on only supplying an N rated tyre. One guy even said some rubbish about using N rated for insurance purposes - He was probably taking the last hit from his crack pipe at the time.

 

[Vince]

I read a million of those debates and arguments and my first choice on a Porsche would be an N rated tyre.

On the other hand if i was caught short and needed tyres quick and there were no N's available id buy a non N pair of tyres or whatever.

Despite all the bumf i cant help thinking that 200 mph is the same in a Porsche as any other car. If a tyre is rated to a speed its rated to a speed whatever car it happens to be on.

Your absolutly right and up until today I didn't even know they made manufacturer specific tyres.

 

[Vince]

They say it has to do with handling and ride as well, but i cant tell the difference, though i have never pretended to be any good at driving, maybe Damen Hill could tell the difference but i cant.

I would like to think I can tell the difference but truth be told I have no idea. Even though I sometimes think I am Damon Hill when out on a country lane blast - truth be told the car and tyres both perform over and above my ability. So long as it goes in a straight line and doesn't crab across the road I am a happy man!

 

[Vince]

They do an N rated CS3 for the Boxster though? It's N1.

It's like a mine field mate. I hunted all morning and the only offerings I could seem to get hold of were the bridgestones.