Tyre advice needed

[unRAPIDdan]

Sorry to be such a dullard, but can anyone offer me some advice?

I need to replace both front tyres as one has a puncture. My first question is 'do I need to purchase and have these fitted by an OPC in order to satisfy the conditions of the warranty'?

Secondly, the tyres are Michelen Potenza RE050A 235/35/ZR19 (87Y) N-O. I have had a look at the Black Cirlces web site, and can get them supplied and fitted all in for £381.74. The next question I wanted to ask was 'based on this quote, how much do you think my local OPC will likely look to charge'?

I'd rather take the car to my OPC, as I know that it will be looked after and any extra cost might be worth the piece of mind. That said, if it's likely to be prohibitively more expensive, then I'd look to take the Black Circles route.

As always, any advice very gratefully recieved.

D.

 

[spyderman]

ORIGINAL: unRAPIDdan
My first question is 'do I need to purchase and have these fitted by an OPC in order to satisfy the conditions of the warranty'?

No. But the replacements have to be Porsche approved and you need to end up with all four having the same N-rating.

... 'based on this quote, how much do you think my local OPC will likely look to charge'?

The same - per tyre! You can but ask.

 

[browser]

I think you have wrong make, Tyres sound like Bridgestones to me with reference nos ? If in Essex you could try Jet tyres at Canvey Island (only) they are great on price, only reservation on buying other than a dealer is the tyre service reputation? thats obviously very important..

 

[keithm]

Potenza RE050A is defo 'Bridgestone' [] Michelin would be 'Pilot sport' []

 

[Ian Mills]

Nottingham OPC charged me £434 for 2 Bridgestone rears, 265/35. Try your OPC.

 

[tommo1]

I have to agree they a Bridgestones,

I'm interested to know the size of the rear at £434 from OPC 17",18" or 19"as I'll be needing some shortly,

Just for reference my 19" Bridgestones just done 14500 mls and still have 3mm+, a great tyre in all conditions (except Snow)

 

[berty987]

£435 for two 19" tyres from an OPC sounds unbeleiveable, normally each tyre retails at over £260 , even at Costco ! I know costco only sell michelins , are the bridgestones really that much cheaper ? Were the tyres old stock or the previous N rating they were trying to shift ?

 

[rowtietowers]

Car just failed MOT on nearside rear tyre (marginal in my opinion), anyway my query is this - currently on 265/35 ZR 19 inch Michelin Pilot Sport N1 rating which have now been superceded by the N2 ones - OPC told me that you can't mix N1 on the front with N2 on the rears so you would have to replace all four tyres!!
Contacted North East Tyre & Exhaust and they say you can as long as they are the same on each axle which makes sense.
Could anyone confirm which is correct please before I end up having to fork out £1,000 on 4 new tyres!!

 

[Black80XSA]

Porsche would like all tyres the same. Its debatable how different the tyres are in reality, but no-one bar Porsche knows for certain. Unless you drive the car very hard i personally can't see that you'd have an issue with N2 on rear and N1 on front until the fronts need replacing.

There are plenty of 986s running non N rated tyres when you study cars closely, many of their owners non the wiser i suspect.

 

[akwaugh]

Sounds like a good price for 19's!

Regarding OPC vs Blackcircles etc.
In my part of Glasgow the OPC takes wheels (cars also?) to Performance Tyres, for example. And funnily enough that's who Blackcircles use too.

 

[geoffw]

Just browsed an article in one of the speacialsts Porsche mags, can't remember the name but they had an article on N rated tyres. It basically said that there's no definitive reason to fit them as insurance companies and warranty are not effected (might need to check this out as I didn't read the whole article). I've just fitted 2 Bridgestones to the rear of my Boxster and saved £70 over identical N rated tyres. The fitter (who I've known for 30+ years) just laughed and said 'typical Porsche' fit the cheaper tyres as they are exactly the same. You pays yer money.............

 

[Mark_Bennett]

Hopefully the Bridgestones are the same, but certainly some of the "identical" tyres of other makes are not - they don't even have the same tread pattern.

Someone posted some photos here once - can't remember what make it was though [&:]