2morrow
DesignR/DriveR/RiceEatR
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2015
- Threads
- 51
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- 5,987
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- 5,348
- Location
- NorCal Bay Area
- First Name
- Todd
- Vehicle(s)
- '16 Mustang GTPP
This is great info. I referenced this thread and post in my month long search for new tires. I read countless other forums, talked to multiple retailers largeHi there
So I've being talking with Michelin past couple of days regarding the Pilot Sport 4 S in 295/35ZR20/XL (105Y) K1 which comes with K1 Ferrari approval.
Their technical manager and chief K1 designer did say the tyre is indeed changed to meet Ferrari standards, they would not disclose these changes except for the fact they did not recommend fitment on a none Ferrari car.
Speaking to a friend who works closely with Michelin informed me the MPSS (Super Sport) was heavily changed to meet Ferrari standards, tyre wall, tread depth/pattern and compound were different, hence why on 295/35/20 MPSS their is three variations, an NO (Porsche approval) which is also fine to fit on any vehicle and has the standard 105 loading as expected for 295 width. Then there was also a K1 and K2 versions, one being 101 load and the other 105 load. The 101 load had the different rounded sidewall design creating a stretch effect.
Now he thinks the PS4s K1 tyre is not changed much as it brings the same 105 rating, the only difference is wet traction is downgraded from A to B, which he says is most likely due to the tyre only have 5-6mm tread from new (instead of regular 7-8mm) to save weight. He said if any compound changes are made it will be to positively effect grip at the expense of longevity, but he also assures me the PS4s is truly magic when it comes to longevity with upto 30,000 miles possible from a set of rears on the none Ferrari approved variations.
He did say for those with MPSS if you like MPSS the PS4s will blow you away as it performs better in the dry but in the wet and longevity it blows the MPSS away and is also better on fuel mileage as well. The MPSS has being the holy grail on forums like here, GTR register, BMW forums, MPSS is well known throughout the internets as a tyre constructed from voodoo magic for its all round street ability that also performs great on track, I will be damn impressed if they have truly moved the game on as much as they say.
My friend who owns a R35 GTR had Pzero, then MPSS and now PS4S, he said the Pzero was good, he said the MPSS were somehow better than what he though was good in the Pzero and is completely gobsmacked by the PS4S, he says they are a bigger improvement over the MPSS than what the MPSS were over the Pzero, now that is some high praise.
We then looked at the Ferrari this specific tyre was designed for:
Ferrari GT4C Lusso T which is a 600HP V8 front engine rear wheel drive Ferrari weighing 1700kg which is a sports/GT class vehicle. So this Ferrari when it comes to weight, power train is very similar to the Mustang GT.
As such I've taken the gamble. :lol:
My other option was 285 P4Ss square setup, the rears would look stretched on 11" wide wheels, or go 285/35/20 front and a 305/30/20 rear which would result in less sidewall in the rear which could look funky and increase road noise and decrease comfort.
On a plus side a 295/35/20 none K1 PS4s is potentially schedule summer this year and a 315/35/20 NO Porsche approved version should also be coming for those who like a truck tyre out back. ;)
When the tyres land I will inspect them and measure the tread depth and compare with the 285/35/20 PS4s I am going to order for the front to see if I can visually see any differences between the regular and K1 tyre.
Its taken me a few days to hunt the right people down to find this information out, I have gambled, wish me luck and I shall share my results.
and small, called Michelin and come up with some additional helpful info.
I just bought a set of MPSS in 275/35/20(BMW spec tire) and 295/35/20(K1 Ferrari spec) I had the option of the NO Porsche spec but declined which I will
detail later. I really wanted the normal or regular spec 295's but they weren't available due to Michelin underestimating the market. The 275's were hard
to find as well which ultimately forced my hand.
Here is a picture of the MPSS K1 on the left and the "regular" on the right.
You will note that the K1 has much larger grooves compared to the regular. This was one of the reasons I was so hell bent on finding the regular with
smaller tread grooves. Traction is an issue and I figured more rubber on the road is better.
The tread depth of the K1 is at 7/32's" compared to the regular of 9/32's". Many sources say that the regular has 10/32's" and I even got off the phone
with Tire Rack before writing this and they state they have 10/32's" FYI, if your that detailed...
The K1 tire has a 3 lb weight savings on the regular and a slightly different sidewall shape(see below). Even thought the Michelin folks state that the
performance is almost exactly the same I cant help but think that the additional weight loss and difference in Tire tread design will give a different driving
impression. However the Mustang is a hammer compared to the surgical knife precision of a Ferrari (Yes, I have driven one) and I figure the difference in
vehicles is too large to be able to discern a difference in K1 vs. non-K1 equipped Mustangs(if that makes sense).
I Also found that the K1 has a 12"wide tire width in 295 where the NO Porsche spec has an 11.5" width. This was ultimately the reason I went with the K1.
The bummer thing is that the K1 has .7" LESS tire tread than the regular MPSS.
The rounder sidewall shape gives a stiffer sidewall(according to sources) and more of a stretched look also giving a harsher ride but better handling.
Here is a pic of the K1 mounted:
Here is the standard model mounted:
Side Note:
With all the time being spent on researching this I had the thought of waiting for the Pilot Sport 4S but we are having a monsoon over here lately in NorCal
and I am getting dangerously low on tread. All these factors pointed to my decision to not wait for the sizes I wanted which no one knew how long would
take to get to market. My wife said "BUY TIRES NOW" last night before we went to bed lol. They should arrive tomorrow. I Hope these tires are good...
Sources Include:
Costco Tire Center Novato & Vallejo CA. Cains Tire San Rafael, CA H&J Tire Service, Novato CA Tire Rack, IN Les Schwab, Santa Rosa CA Tire Buyer.com
1010tire.com, car and driver.com, motor trend.com, road and track.com, Michelin USA, 5post.com, allfordmustangs.com, mustang6g.com, themustangsource.com.
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