Porsche offering new tire option for Carrera GT

Mon, 19 Aug 2013

Let's face it: finding new tires for older cars can be challenging if tire manufacturers have stopped carrying the right sizes (this writer went through Hell to find a set of 205/60-13s). But what about tires for low-volume supercars, which use sizes that often won't fit on high-volume production vehicles? The Porsche Carrera GT isn't that old and tires are still available in the correct sizes, but the German automaker has shown its support of keeping them on the road by working with Michelin to give owners yet another tire option. Enter the Carrera GT-specific Pilot Super Sport.

It's common knowledge that tires are one of the most important pieces of the performance puzzle, and Porsche claims that the PSS tires, sized 265/35ZR-19 front and 335/30ZR-20 with Porsche's "N0" rating, will improve the Carrera GT's handling and stability all the way up to its claimed top speed of 205 miles per hour. That's important for a car with razor-sharp handling characteristics. They'll also net drivers a 10-percent increase in fuel economy on regular roads and up to 20 percent on racetracks, Porsche says.

The PSSs use cutting-edge tire technology to harness the Carrera GT's 610-horsepower. They have a dual-compound tread that's different from the inside of the tire to the outside, which, Porsche says, helps steering precision and increases maximum grip. Aramid fibers, which are lightweight but just as strong as steel, are used in the tire's belt to reduce unsprung weight.

Check out the official press release below for more information.

Newly Developed Tires for the Porsche Carrera GT

Atlanta. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, based in Stuttgart, has developed a new tire for the Carrera GT in partnership with tire manufacturer Michelin. The new tire once again noticeably enhances the handling of the 1,270 versions of the super sports car built between 2003 and 2006. The new Michelin Pilot Super Sport tire, which now replaces the current Pilot Sport PS2 tire on the Carrera GT, brings together the findings of ten years' worth of tire development to give drivers of the Carrera GT noticeably improved handling, even faster lap times and a more harmonious driving experience overall.

Drivers will even see benefits in relation to the stability of the Porsche model at its top speed of 330 km/h, as well as its behavior at high lateral acceleration speeds. This is all down to the new structure of the tire, which, of course, features the Porsche specification "N0" on the sidewalls. The tread compound of the Pilot Super Sport tire, which is manufactured on the same production line as Michelin racing tires, is based on "dual-compound" technology. With this technology, different rubber compounds are used for the inside and outside of the tread. This concept offers maximum grip on bends and highly precise steering behavior. What's more, the belt is made from an especially durable mix of aramid fibers, which are five times lighter than steel but deliver the same tensile strength. In addition, the variable contact area distributes the pressure evenly across the tire, meaning as much of the tread as possible is always in contact with the asphalt under any driving conditions.

The new Carrera GT tires are available now in 265/35 ZR 19 98Y "N0" and 335/30 ZR 20 108Y "N0" dimensions. Alongside optimized performance criteria, these tires offer the cost-effective side-effect of increased mileage: Compared to the previous tire, mileage is up to 10% higher on normal roads, and even as much as 20% higher when the tires are used on tough race tracks. The new tire also improves braking performance, showing that, even after ten years, Porsche is still working just as hard to look after drivers of its older models as it does to look after drivers of its new vehicles.

By Damon Lowney