Michelin Pilot Sport 4S

[Vicr]

Can anyone talk me out of buying the PS4S? I’ll be doing road course track days about 6 times a year and a lot of Arizona highways and don’t want to have a set of dedicated track wheels and tires.

Sponsored

 

[Brian@BMVK]

Can anyone talk me out of buying the PS4S? I’ll be doing road course track days about 6 times a year and a lot of Arizona highways and don’t want to have a set of dedicated track wheels and tires.

For that, I'd get the Goodyear Supercar 3 (not 3R) on track durability alone.

 

[Ewheels]

Can anyone talk me out of buying the PS4S? I’ll be doing road course track days about 6 times a year and a lot of Arizona highways and don’t want to have a set of dedicated track wheels and tires.

Dang, that's what I was going to recommend. Honestly, having a track set will save you a lot of money in the long run if you plan to keep doing track days. These "jack of all trades" tires like the PS4S are essentially mediocre at everything. They aren't grippy enough for the track and are overly expensive for the street.

If you must do a double-duty tire, I would recommend the Conti equivalents, Indy 500s, or what Brian recommended. I personally do not like Michelin tires; they're all way overpriced. (Cup 2Rs are $800 a tire!! Hoosiers aren't even that expensive!)

 

[NightmareMoon]

Dang, that's what I was going to recommend. Honestly, having a track set will save you a lot of money in the long run if you plan to keep doing track days. These "jack of all trades" tires like the PS4S are essentially mediocre at everything. They aren't grippy enough for the track and are overly expensive for the street.

If you must do a double-duty tire, I would recommend the Conti equivalents, Indy 500s, or what Brian recommended. I personally do not like Michelin tires; they're all way overpriced. (Cup 2Rs are $800 a tire!! Hoosiers aren't even that expensive!)

While they're expensive, they're also very good street tires. I wouldn't call them "mediocre" at all.

MP4S are pretty good at track but not really designed for track abuse. For that reason alone, and because track is so brutal to tires (and 6 times a year is a lot of track), yeah maybe find a cheaper alternative.

I'd be looking hard at the Hankook R-S4 (275/35R19). Grippy and very durable for track use. Their main downside is wet weather performance (one of the great strengths of the MP4S) which probably isn't a concern for Aridzona. That Supercar 3 is another good choice.

 

[Brian@BMVK]

While they're expensive, they're also very good street tires. I wouldn't call them "mediocre" at all.

MP4S are pretty good at track but not really designed for track abuse. For that reason alone, and because track is so brutal to tires (and 6 times a year is a lot of track), yeah maybe find a cheaper alternative.

I'd be looking hard at the Hankook R-S4 (275/35R19). Grippy and very durable for track use. Their main downside is wet weather performance (one of the great strengths of the MP4S) which probably isn't a concern for Aridzona. That Supercar 3 is another good choice.

Only reason I didn't suggest R-S4 is because of availability.

 

[ice445]

Dang, that's what I was going to recommend. Honestly, having a track set will save you a lot of money in the long run if you plan to keep doing track days. These "jack of all trades" tires like the PS4S are essentially mediocre at everything. They aren't grippy enough for the track and are overly expensive for the street.

If you must do a double-duty tire, I would recommend the Conti equivalents, Indy 500s, or what Brian recommended. I personally do not like Michelin tires; they're all way overpriced. (Cup 2Rs are $800 a tire!! Hoosiers aren't even that expensive!)

You're thinking of an all season, the PS4S is a dedicated summer and one of the best street tires in traction. OP will absolutely roast them their very first track day though. A single set of tires on the street and the track will be lucky to last 10,000 miles.

 

[TopJimmyCooks]

Can anyone talk me out of buying the PS4S? I’ll be doing road course track days about 6 times a year and a lot of Arizona highways and don’t want to have a set of dedicated track wheels and tires.

I’ve got a lot of friends who are very happy with MPS4S. My bud ran them on his C8 in June with no problems at all. Much different car though. 4Ss are the next-gen of the MPSS that I run (and so far am pretty pleased). Right now I’m what I would call a “yellow” skill level at HPDEs so I am working the tires but not as hard as other track enthusiasts might. But one thing you might want to consider is climate. You mention Arizona. What temperatures will you be driving in? If the track days will be hot, might want to research which tires perform better in higher heat. Some tires will get “greasy” faster than others. I’ve done no such research, but something to consider. My only advice is to avoid Pirelli P-Zeroes. I have yet to find someone who would buy them again (including me) for any application.

NightmareMoon is right...if you are going to become a “track monster” and abuse them, might want to look at less costly options. Call some tire vendors and talk to them. Let the salespeople help with the process. Ultimately you’ll need to pick something, and you will most certainly not make a mistake with the 4S.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surv...6427243784!b!!g!!&gclsrc=aw.ds&&affiliate=HM5

 

[Elp_jc]

I'd run the 4Ss at the track but just for fun. Just like a spirited canyon run. But if you push a near 2-ton car hard (like ours), especially in triple-digit heat (like in TX and AZ), you could roast them in a weekend. And driven hard enough, you could do that in a day. I've done several multi-day track camps in both cars and motorcycles, and it's fun. But as you get better, it gets expensive in a hurry. Fortunately, there're no tracks anywhere close to where I live, so no itching to get into that . Just like to drive/ride great mountain roads in both when I have a chance, so no need for anything more than summer tires for that.

 

[Vicr]

I'll be retiring in AZ starting next spring. In the meantime I'm in western Washington State where it literally rains 9 months a year so I need a wet rated tire. I'll also be traveling around the country in our motorhome from June until September and will try and hit track club days when we're trailering the Mustang. I've invested a few dollars in the suspension and steering brakes and tune are next and the wife is running out of patience with all the car mods so I'm really trying to have one set of tires. The car is not a DD and I won't be beating the shit out of the car on the track. I will do some research on the the tires suggested.

 

[shogun32]

You might try Federal 595-Pros but I have no idea how they work at street temps. The Supercar 3 are lovely on 2-lane especially if you've got some heat into them. Your stock brakes are a dire problem even if all you do is piddle around at your track days.

 

[Vicr]

I've got six piston Brembos and 15" rotors sitting on my workbench.

 

[Bikeman315]

so I need a wet rated tire.

You didn't mention that earlier. In that case just stay with the MP4's There is nothing better.

 

[Brian@BMVK]

You might try Federal 595-Pros but I have no idea how they work at street temps. The Supercar 3 are lovely on 2-lane especially if you've got some heat into them. Your stock brakes are a dire problem even if all you do is piddle around at your track days.

They heat cycle out really fast and become slow rocks quickly.

 

[Ewheels]

Only reason I didn't suggest R-S4 is because of availability.

I CANNOT find RS4s anywhere, so frustrating

 

[Ewheels]

You're thinking of an all season, the PS4S is a dedicated summer and one of the best street tires in traction. OP will absolutely roast them their very first track day though. A single set of tires on the street and the track will be lucky to last 10,000 miles.

No, I'm thinking of the PS4S. Greasy and slippery when they get hot (on track). Yes they are grippy for the street but I don't really care for "max performance" when I'm driving to the grocery store. These are perfect for someone who likes to drive canyons. For me, I'd rather spend money on serious track tires and get something more affordable and longer lasting for daily commuting.

Sponsored