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Track Day Tyres - analysis

Yoda

PCGB Member
Member
Interesting link posted on titanic re some track tests of the various track tyres available. In german (with English comments) and on a GT3 so not exactly applicable but I am sure the charachteristics are similar.

For track use they seems to think the Michelin Cup is the daddy ...............
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http://www.nobleforums.com/images/onyxm400/tires/gt3.pdf
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good work yoda.....

as all you 964RS boys will need all the help you can get with judgement day approaching ! [;)]
 
I'll preface this by saying that I don't own a 964RS so don't feel all that qualified to comment.

There are some who feel the Michelin Cups don't work as well on lighter cars because they are built for the modern heavier car and therefore don't reach optimal temperature on lighter cars. When I say lighter I am talking about early 911s around 1000kg. I am not knowledgable enough to know where the 964RS comes on the weight scale between early cars and GT3s but all I have talked to reckon they are an excellent tyre on all post 73 cars.

Having said that I use them on an early 911E (car is on page 24 of this months Porsche Post [:D][:D][:D] - yellow with white circles on side ) and have found them to be very good especially on warmer days. I got them because they were recommended to me and this is what they use in the Club Championship and haven't felt the need to move to another tyre. They are not good in the wet though but Michelin do a wet version of the cup tyre which is good in the wet.

Ian.
 
I use them on my 964 (approx 1250kgs??) and can confirm they are fantastic. I have had positive reports on the Pirellis too and the Dunlops are very good value.

Choice is yours.
 
ORIGINAL: Yoda

Interesting link posted on titanic re some track tests of the various track tyres available. In german (with English comments) and on a GT3 so not exactly applicable but I am sure the charachteristics are similar.

For track use they seems to think the Michelin Cup is the daddy ...............
[FONT=courier new"]
http://www.nobleforums.com/images/onyxm400/tires/gt3.pdf
[FONT=verdana,geneva"]

Running Michelin Pilot Cup Sports (a little life left!) for the first time (inherited) hoping that North Weald will be dry have left them on in anticipation....North Weald will sh4g your tyres...........[:D]
 
The tyre debate is an interesting one. As somebody who actually uses his 964RS as it is meant to be used, regularly on the roads[;)] , tyre choice is important. I don't feel its safe to use Cups. For instance, last week I had a 3 hour journey in pouring rain. Having a migraine made it enough of a problem, Cups would have turned it into a total nightmare!

I currently use Bridgestone SO-2's which have always seemed a good comprimise but I suspect will put me at a serious disadvantage at North Weald unless it really rains hard or its so cold you cannot get any heat into your sticky stuff! I also suspect, as Des points out, that North Weald might be a bit hard on tyres so it could prove really expensive to ruin new tyres there.

After North Weald and having shagged my tyres(!), what should I go for instead.?
 
Ive got Pilot Cups fitted on the mags and used them on my last track day at Brands. Wet in the morning and positively lethal, dried up in the afternoon..... they were awesome, left a GT-3 RS spinning out of clearways in my wake.[:)]

I have been debating whether to fit them for the impending "Judgement Day" but I have since decided it would give those 993 boys a fairer chance if I left them at home.[;)]

I also had a set fitted to an M3 for daily use......Needless to say, 300 ponderous miles and now they're for sale to the highest bidder.[&:]
 
Lee

Interesting experience with the Cup's on the M3. This was the same issue with the CSL and why I am avoiding going down that route on my car. Maybe the answer is to get cups and then get a specialist to cut a wet weather goove pattern into them. After all, the rally boys custom cut their tyres to suit conditions.

(I suspect I am getting a bit carried away her....................or is it that I should be carried away![:D])
 
Although the Pilot Cup tyre has an E marking and is road legal, it is esentially a dry "track tyre". I know they came on the M3 CSL but I dont see the benefit in having them on a "road car" ie a car that is only ever driven on the road. Can you get them hot enough to really get the benefit from them?
 
lali

I was talking a bit tongue in cheek. For everyday use, getting heat into Cups is a bit of an issue but I know people who run them in the summer on their CSL's and don't have a problem (until it rains!!).

In addition, the 964RS is significantly lighter and I would suspect this would effect the ability to put heat into the tyres quickly.
 
Two sets of wheels is a good option, set of road tyres and a set of track tyres. Hard to have a one size fits all solution and the performance/enjoyment difference is significant for both ie track tyres for track work, road tyres for road work.
 
That's the way I went after driving on the road with the cups for a while. Great when dry but can be somewhat scary on the road when wet. I now trundle around on road tyres unless going to the track at which point I fit the cups before setting off, drive there, blat round for the day and drive home in them. Better than slicks which you have to somehow transport to the track.
 
ORIGINAL: lali
I know they came on the M3 CSL ...

It would be interesting to know exactly what comes on the CSL because it may not be the same tyre we are talking about. Cups come in dry or wet versions so perhaps they did a special version for the CSL?
 
ORIGINAL: Yoda

Two sets of wheels is a good option, set of road tyres and a set of track tyres. Hard to have a one size fits all solution and the performance/enjoyment difference is significant for both ie track tyres for track work, road tyres for road work.

Absolutely Yoda it's a NO BRAINER.......two sets ONE FOR DRY...MPCS and one for wet BSO2's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think this is how F1 works and any other racing teams......[8|]
 
The M3 running on cup sports was not good even in the dry due to the white-lining effect. Don't seem to get this in the RS. As someone stated, it's probably because the RS is relatively light.
 
ORIGINAL: carreraboy

ORIGINAL: Yoda

Interesting link posted on titanic re some track tests of the various track tyres available. In german (with English comments) and on a GT3 so not exactly applicable but I am sure the charachteristics are similar.

For track use they seems to think the Michelin Cup is the daddy ...............
[FONT=courier new"]
http://www.nobleforums.com/images/onyxm400/tires/gt3.pdf
[FONT=verdana,geneva"]

Running Michelin Pilot Cup Sports (a little life left!) for the first time (inherited) hoping that North Weald will be dry have left them on in anticipation....North Weald will sh4g your tyres...........[:D]

Great for a 90 left bender just dig in .................the MPCS's that is....
 
ORIGINAL: ian_uk

ORIGINAL: lali
I know they came on the M3 CSL ...

It would be interesting to know exactly what comes on the CSL because it may not be the same tyre we are talking about. Cups come in dry or wet versions so perhaps they did a special version for the CSL?

As far as i am aware they are the same cup tyre, there is a sticker on the windscreen that sasy something about BMW not being responsible for any action brought against them if the car is driven in the wet or in temperatures below 10C...

Didnt know they did a wet version??? I know thay do a raod tyre called a "cup" but its not teh same as a Pilot Cup. You can have them cut for wet weather but if its damp then you're supposed to increase the pressure to make them run more on the inside ( properly treaded ) section.
 
ORIGINAL: lali

Didnt know they did a wet version??? I know thay do a raod tyre called a "cup" but its not teh same as a Pilot Cup. You can have them cut for wet weather but if its damp then you're supposed to increase the pressure to make them run more on the inside ( properly treaded ) section.

You're correct as they are the same tyre as the dry's that have been hand cut but you buy them pre-cut as a wet and therefore don't have to cut them yourself.
 
ORIGINAL: ian_uk

ORIGINAL: lali

Didnt know they did a wet version??? I know thay do a raod tyre called a "cup" but its not teh same as a Pilot Cup. You can have them cut for wet weather but if its damp then you're supposed to increase the pressure to make them run more on the inside ( properly treaded ) section.

You're correct as they are the same tyre as the dry's that have been hand cut but you buy them pre-cut as a wet and therefore don't have to cut them yourself.
I said my comment about hand cut as a bit of a joke! I knew it was theoretically possible but I didn't realise they were actually available!
 
Would be great if someone could recommend a tyre - for track use but road legal - that works in the winter wet and cold? Have MSPCs on and these are a really slippery under current conditions. Also, need a set of wheels for the new tyres. Thinking of buying a set of 17 Cup alu wheels. Any comments and does anyone know where to find a cheap set? Seems really ott to try to find a set of mags for some winter use.
 

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