RC:

I have the same tire on my C4 GTS and I cannot say I'm unhappy with it in the wet (we have lots of rain here). I never drive in Sport or Sport Plus in rain though, the ESP setup is certainly for dry roads only. In the wet, using even only Sport mode, can be very tricky because there is some severe understeer, followed by a more severe oversteer if you push it too hard, depending on the (wet) surface type/quality. Add a thin layer of mud (dust getting wet) or even oil and this can get very dangerous.

I know this sounds a bit weird but...drive slower under these conditions. Or stay away from the Sport modes. With Sport/Sport Plus off, I can do a lot of stupid stuff in rain and the ESP works quite OK (for such a car!).

There may be slightly better tires in the wet but I doubt you will be very happy with the results. 

The new N1 version of thr PZero is excellent, especially in the dry but with some improvements in the wet as well. Maybe worth a try once Porsche (hopefully) gives approval for the 991.1 Carrera models. 

You could also go with a non-N rated tire,if you find the right size but this could result in some dangerous moments under other driving situations.

I assume tire pressure is OK but have you tried to contact Porsche about this?

Actually I like the current PZero a lot (I said it before) but in the wet, there isn't really a much better tire, unless you are willing to compromise.

Or to use the words of my driving ed instuctor many many years when I couldn't manage to complete a wet roundabout stabilty test (I was always entering havy understeering): Slow down and stay away from the throttle!

I know that you can drive but sometimes it is impossible to achieve a certain performance under certain driving conditions, you can't beat physics. Some cars may have better a more neutral behavior in the wet but the 911 has a very specific weight distribution and mixed tire size setup. 

I still think however that you tried the wet roundabout in Sport mode because with ESP active, it is basically impossible to provoke serious under- and oversteer.

Alternatively, you could try to slide through the roundabout (this can be fun) but make sure there are no other cars (especially no police LOL) around. Brake late into the roundabout, initiate the slide and control it with gentle throttle commands (Sport Plus recommended!).

 

I never use Sport or Sport Plus on wet, not only because of the more aggresive throttle remapping and the shorter gear ratios but also because what you mention of the increased PSM activation thresholds which is a risk in wet on public roads. So I always use normal mode on wet as well.

Wouldn't really want to go the non N rated route as you are taking a gamble on the outcome of the tires on certain situations that may arise with your car since they werent tested by Porsche.

As to driving slower, its not a issue about driving slower, I'm driving like I have always driven on those roads under the same conditions with the 997 and 996, and through different tire models. Its the tires that don't perform as they should reasonably do, and don't want to drive like on egg shells because of tires that have poor and unpredictable grip on wet. I'm specially talking about encountering a situation on wet were I would need good traction and stabibily from the tires to avoid an accicent, obstacle, or whatever. I have no trust on these tires.

 


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⇒ Carlos - Porsche 991 Carrera GTS