Quote:
atomic80 said:
I'm not sure if it'd make a difference not to use Porsche approved tires but I like the fact that they've been tested extensively by Porsche engineers and are proven to work well with the car. That's why I'd rather stick with the "N" rated tires even though they're apparently only available through Porsche dealerships. I had to pay $700 more for my new PS2 tires than what they would've been sold for from Tire Rack if they were available there.

A local friend of mine checked to see what tires are available and apparently the Continentals were discontinued last year. This is what he had to say:

"Yes, I purchased Pirelli 240 SZ winter tires (235/35 19 and 295/30 19) - they fit the stock 997 Turbo wheels.
Here's what I learned through Walt at Tirerack (ext. 372):

The Continentals listed last year are being discontinued; although still in stock, if a tire had to be replaced later there's a risk none would be available and I have to replace all tires. Seemed like a reasonable concern.

The Nokian WR is an N0 rated tire; $1,302 for a set (I'm not sure this included delivery).

The Pirelli 240 SZ (Soto zero) is an N1 rated tire; $1,382.28 including delivery in Bellevue."

Now, you have to be VERY careful with those winter tires or any new tires when first mounted. He found that out the hard way a couple weeks ago on a drive with me and Larry. On a sharp corner I was able to negotiate that just fine but he didn't have enough grip and ended up going straight ahead into the cornfield and spinning out. He suffered very minor damages fortunately but that was definitely a lesson learned for him. Those winter tires do not have as much grip as the summer tires.



Jason,
Thanks. What tires were Larry running?
I'm a little confused about the ratings, "N" means Porsche approved? "N0" "N1" is ??