Nitto R2 or Michelin PS Cups

[landho]

I can get either the Nittos or PSC for about the same price. (There is a small rebate with the PSC.) For track HPDE which tire do YOU prefer. I do not want to get hoosiers or kumhos.

thanks

[Duke 1]

I just did my first track day after switching from the Nittos to the Sport Cups, there is a noticeable difference between them. I am looking forward to see how the PSC's wear on the track, the Nitto's wore out really fast. I have heard from others that the Cups last longer.

[landho]

Originally Posted by Duke 1

...there is a noticeable difference between them...

Handling difference? or just overall feel...which tire did you like better?

[Duke 1]

The Sport cups gave a better steering feel and they also seemed to grip better. The sports cups are back ordered in certain sizes so I am running 285/18's at all four corners. I was a little worried about the car becoming real tail happy but no problem.

[landho]

Originally Posted by Duke 1

... so I am running 285/18's at all four corners...

that's exactly what I was planning to do. got some older wagon wheels...

[Duke 1]

I was thinking about tubbing the car out to take the 315's but I think I will stick with the 295's in back when they are available.

[salvador]

I would expect the Michelin Sport Cups to work better for the track because it's a whole different league of tire. It's much more of a race tire than the 555R2's. It doesn't have any tread to speak of. The 555R2's are more of a street tire and the Pilot Sport Cups are more of a race tire.

Just look at the difference.

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup



Nitto 555R2 (This is the 555R drag radial, but the tread looks similar)



The Pilot Sport Cups are closer to something like a Kumho V710 and the Nitto's are closer to a street tire. The Pilot Cup Sports and the Kumho V710's are both DOT approved and street legal, but I wouldn't drive either on the street.

Kumho V710 (DOT approved as well)



Does anyone know the wear ratings on the Michelin's? I know that they last a long time for a track tire, but I don't know how long they'd last if you actually drove them on the street.

Sal

[Duke 1]

Some one told me to expect to get less than 2,000 miles if you drove the Michelins on the street. (I don't).

[salvador]

Originally Posted by landho

I can get either the Nittos or PSC for about the same price. (There is a small rebate with the PSC.) For track HPDE which tire do YOU prefer. I do not want to get hoosiers or kumhos.

thanks

Back to your original question... If you have a separate set of wheels and tires that you will change at the track, I'd go with the PSC's. That's if you don't want to go with a race tire like the Hoosier or Kumho. If you want a tire that you can drive back and forth from the track and do DE's with, I'd go with the Nitto's.

Sal

[ZO6 AL-X]

For the track: the Michelins. They were made for the track.

Alex

[landho]

Originally Posted by salvador

Back to your original question... If you have a separate set of wheels and tires that you will change at the track, I'd go with the PSC's. That's if you don't want to go with a race tire like the Hoosier or Kumho....Sal

I have a trailer and extra wheels...Also, michelin says that one can easily drive the PSC up to 100 miles on normal tire pressure. Then inflate to track pressure...so far...I am leaning toward the PSC...That seems to be the consensus thus far...

[landho]

Originally Posted by salvador

...Does anyone know the wear ratings on the Michelin's?...Sal

I think 80 AA A

[UstaB-GS549]

My neighbor just leaves his pilot cups on his car year round. He drove it to work a couple of times this winter (dry days). I think his last set lasted about a year or so of DE events and a small amount of street driving.

[black01]

I've got the 555r2's, and had a set on my previous car. I like the fact that I can leave them on the car as my daily driver, drive 180 miles each way to driver events, and have a decent track tire.

A compromise, surely, but they are fairly sticky on the track, wear pretty well even with a little too much sliding around and should get a total of at least 5000 miles including a few track days.

[Mark Olson]

You can do a search, but I will give you the hole story, First I was sponsored by Michelin for two seasons, (SCCA National Tour autocrossing) I also did some track testing, all on PSCs. During both seasons, I drove to and from all my events on the PSCs (aprox 5k+) I also ran aprox, 500 laps autocross. at the end of the season I still had just over 2/32 left. If you are doing DEs and have to drive to and from events there is IMO nothing that is better, or cost efficient. Are they going to be the fastest tire. Same driver and set up other brands will be faster, but will not wear as well. Just the facts. I ran 285s front and 315s on the rear with no clearance problems. See sign for a look of how the tire fit on the Z.