Tires for 308 GT4/ running 16" QV Rims

Even though you bought the "same" brand, it sure looks like the tread pattern changed a lot -- is that what your photo shows?

 

I just bought a set of Continental extreme contact sport from tire rack in stock sizes for my 328. I think they're a great value for $488 after the instant $110 discount.

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Continental Extreme Contact

or Pirelli P ZEROS

Thank you

 

I don't have them yet Rob. They should be delivered on Monday and then I'll have them installed next week. I just realized I fibbed about the discount from Tire Rack. I actually bought the tires from Discount Tire Direct so that's where the discount was. It was only effective for a few days and I forgot what it was for.

I whittled my choices down to the Continentals and the Pirelli P Zero Rosso and Cinturato P7. I was leaning heavily toward one of the Pirellis but they were twice as much as the other options and I couldn't find any ratings or reviews of either one of the Pirellis.

 

I run these on my daily 986 Boxster and love them, but I’m concerned about the modern tire tech and grip levels compared to original type specs making the car feel very different in my QV. Have you seen any additional roll or have you pushed it hard yet? I’m weighing between these and the P7 classic style, but hard to pull the trigger on the more expensive ones. Thanks in advance.

 

Also, they look really good on your car, Rob.

 

Tire compounds have gotten so advanced, it's hard not to pick a good tire. All of the Tire Rack statistics and reviews help a lot too.

The three-year freshness date is a little worrisome, just because that means you have 3 years less of tire life.

The great thing about using 16" rims with the 205 & 225 tires is that it is the same spec as what Porsche used at that time. There are a zillion Porsches so there will always be a good selection of 16" tires available to us.

I replaced my 16" tires on my QV last summer. I shop using the Tire Rack specs and statistics. Supply chain problems limited my choices. Available from Tire Rack at the time were the Continental Extreme Contacts, which I bought reluctantly. I wanted Pirelli or Michelin. I am now a Continental convert: love them.

 

Every ones in a while I like to dig into something I read just for the heck of it. Tire age often comes up and I read it hear in this thread. I'm not trying to make any point but just curious about it. So a quick search came up with this fro Michelin:

Interesting that Michelin only recommends replacing 10 year old tires.

Then this:

Just found it interesting that Michelin only recommends replacing 10 year old tires and that states with safety inspections don't have tire age restrictions.

Granted, totally different than how the tires preform as they age.

 

It is GREAT to hear others came up with the same conclusion regarding 16" 3x8 tire choices. For the GTB with factory P7's, I went with Cinturato P7 (Collezione) (225/50-16 front; 245/45-16 rear). I'm planning on Conti ExtremeContacts for the GTS (standard spec 205 front / 225 rear), it's good to hear others (@robertgarven) like these.

 

Rob, one thing I've noticed over the years is that every time I replace tires, they always feel a bit floaty and disconnected at first. After a couple hundred miles that feeling always goes away and the car feels normal again. I don't know if it's the tires breaking in, or just me getting used to them, but I'm curious how your impression changes after driving on them for a little while.

My tires are mounted and ready to go but my car is in the shop getting a radiator leak fixed so I haven't been able to try them out yet.

 

I have long felt that the "6-year rule" was arbitrarily decided by the car industry for little reason other than to increase tire sales and service. What makes rubber deteriorate is exposure to ozone and UV light. The recommendation may be appropriate for SOME cars that are stored outside all the time and are daily driven for 12k-15k per year. But for cars like ours, which almost always reside in an enclosed garage and see relatively few miles exposed to ozone and UV, the "standard recommendation" should be taken in context. My research reveals that it is the car makers, not the tire manufacturers, who decided on that standard.

From Car and Driver magazine - https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15339994/how-long-should-a-new-set-of-tires-last/

"There is a general consensus that most tires should be inspected, if not replaced, at about six years and should be absolutely be swapped out after 10 years, regardless of how much tread they have left."

And from Discount Tire - https://www.discounttire.com/learn/tire-aging

"While we recommend replacing your tires at 6 years of age, you can’t just assess your tire’s life based on how old it is. A tire’s lifespan is determined just as much by the conditions a tire is exposed as it is by calendar years. Temperature changes, sun exposure, storage conditions, usage and maintenance schedules all contribute to how a tire ages...

• Tire manufacturers recommend replacement at 10 years, regardless of tread depth.

We recommend replacing tires aged 6-10 years, no matter how much tread remains."

From Edmunds - https://www.edmunds.com/car-maintenance/how-old-and-dangerous-are-your-tires.html

"Carmakers, tiremakers and rubber manufacturers differ in their opinions about the lifespan of a tire. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has no specific guidelines on tire aging and defers to the recommendations of carmakers and tire manufacturers.

Many automakers, including Ford, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz, tell owners to replace tires six years after their production date, regardless of tread life. Tire manufacturers such as Continental and Michelin say a tire can last up to 10 years provided you get annual tire inspections after the fifth year."

 

Robert

I have 16" Superformance alu wheels on my 78 Euro (in UK) car. So probably not as delicate as your wheels which are magnesium? When I bought my car 8 years ago it had Goodyear Eagles virtually unused but as hard as rock. I swapped them for Bridgestones (S-011?) which were really good value special order from Costco here in UK. 320 pounds UK for all 4. The difference in ride was noticeable. So I drove them for 20K miles, a bit of track , alpine passes etc and wore them out. So in 2019 I replaced them back and front 6 months apart with Bridgestone S-02. These were supplied and fitted by a local to me tyre supplier who also happens to have won the FOC GB hill climb championship for a number of years in his 308GTB fitted with these same tyres. This is now over two years ago and even then he had to search for the tyres so I don't know the current situation - just glad to have them. I have no rubbing issues.
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Paul
What year is your GTB and do you have any problem fitting larger 225x50x16 and 245x45x16 on 7x16 and 8x16 inches rims respectively? I have a 77 GTB unmodified and just about to fit 16" QV wheels on it.
David

 

I was running Bridgestone RE-11 in 205 225 before but they stopped making them. Great tires! I’m sure there some replacements.

They make a period correct vintage Porsche 911 tire in new compounds. If you need to have a concourse tire it would look great!

 

David (@dinoart),
Mine is a 1980 Euro Carb GTB, and it's lowered nearly two inches... with no rubbing. Based on aesthetics, I would consider going with the OEM front size of 205/55-16 on the front 7" wide rims. The 225/50-16's have a slight bit of sidewall bulge (at least with the P7 Colleziones), even though 7" is in the middle of the recommended wheel width of 6-8 inches for a 225/50-16. That said, the 245/45-16 P7 Colleziones rears fit absolutely spot-on with the 8" wide rear wheels, they help fill the rear wheel wells nicely. Even though tire sizes are standardized, there are effective variations in same-sized tires based on manufacturers and models.
Hope this helps. Paul

 

Paul
How is the ride quality with the set up 225x50x16 front and 245x45x16 rear on your 308 GTB? Is it tracking like it supposed to? Thank you.
David

 

This is not true....Texas requires age limits on tires.

At least, on my Ducatis.
I have had to purchase new sets to pass, which is probably a good idea on a sport bike anyway.

 

David (@dinoart),
The P7's made a significant difference regarding ride, handling, braking (and looks) compared to the tires I took off. I hate "hating" on other brands of tires, but the ones I removed were fairly new (2017 date coded) Goodrich g-Force Sport comp2 in the standard 205 front and 225 rear sizes. They handled decently, but braking traction and ride quality were both terrible. So, I am a huge advocate of the Cinturato P7 Collezione's. And apologies for the late reply!
Paul

 

Thank you Paul.

 

I replaced tires once on a 964 RS and had to point out the 3 year old date code. The Yokohama dealer assured me that if stored properly it makes no difference.
Or was he merely happy to rid of old stock?

This fudges the expiry date, obviously, if not documented properly. I sold the car 6 months later after a few good laps and left the country ;-)

So I will never know.

 

On an expensive car, do you really want to chance running old tires? I have also found that the tread rubber starts getting harder at over 10 years, which probably affects max effort cornering.

That said, V rated tires are much, much less likely to shed a tread at over 10 years than an S or T rated tire.

As far as tire changing and wheel issues, do some calling around. I have used a place that builds /tunes high perf late model Corvettes,and they have a touchless machine, and the techs are used to dealing with expensive wheels vs the local discount shop. Their balancer is also quite high tech.

Doug