Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S (PS4S) to Supplant Pilot Super Sport Beginning January 2017

[KevinM]

Well, the Michelin marketing machine is alive and well. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Michelin fan. I've tried many options on my E39 M5 and to a lesser extent my Z4M coupe; PSS all the way. Best tire I have owned and worth the money.

Michelin needs to sort out the performance hierarchy, and I trust they will. PSS has generally been dinged for wet weather performance, which matters little to me in Tucson, AZ...but I understand the importance in general. If Michelin can maintain dry performance while enhancing wet performance....what's not to like?

[CRtoE92]

I cant still believe my car came with contis for the same price

I still remember the first moment i checked the tires at Welt and i freaked out

The guy said, " we put the best tires on all of our M cars."

I said BS in my head

[cc3]

MPSS got a really poor review in UK within last few weeks. All marketing hype?

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by CRtoE92

I cant still believe my car came with contis for the same price

I still remember the first moment i checked the tires at Welt and i freaked out

The guy said, " we put the best tires on all of our M cars."

I said BS in my head

The nice thing about factory tyres on an M3/4, is you get to replace them really soon. Or if you don't, then whatever is on there is good enough for your style of driving

[S65V8]

do wonder if these will just be as shoulder melty on the track...

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by cc3

MPSS got a really poor review in UK within last few weeks. All marketing hype?

MPSS has always been the dry lap time champion (among non R comp), and still is. It was never the best at longevity or wet track grip. Others have gotten closer to its dry performance whilst taking wet to the next level which has exposed MPSS in these tests.

Looks to me that Pilot Sport 4S maintains MPSS dry handling, but brings significant improvement to wet and durability.

One thing that does puzzle me, is MPSS has always scored very low in aquaplaning tests. This new tyre has an almost identical looking tread pattern, which must be the main criteria for anti aquaplaning???

[Don Molina]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

Are BMWs getting the Conti 6? doesn't look like it's performance is far off the MP SS in the TUV testing.. A mere .4 seconds behind in lap time, less than 1.5 m longer braking in the dry and wet performance and slightly less longevity.

My M4 came with Conti 5P which is the equivalent of the MPSS.

Basically my understanding is that Continental Sport Contact * is the equivalent of the Michelin Pilot Sport.

And the Sport Contact 5P variant is the equivalent Pilot Super Sport, or with the new nomenclature from Michelin the Pilot Sport *S

So from that standpoint, I think that the names just got more consistent across these 2 brands.

In any case, I don't mind the Contis 5P. I just finished my run-in period and they seem to be fine. There are traction problems for sure, but there's a lot of power and torque so I was kind of expecting that.

My biggest problem with both the MPSS and the Contis is the damn tire noise.

[bigjae1976]

I wonder if the tires get all of the new technology that reduce the loss of grip as the tire ages.

Originally Posted by SROC5

do wonder if these will just be as shoulder melty on the track...

Very likely. You'll need to get the sport cups if you want something that will not shred when it gets overheated.

[rich8566]

Originally Posted by cncmastr

This is terrific news, Michelin makes amazing tires and I am excited to get these on the M3 when it's time. With that said, does anybody else have a hard time getting their significant other as excited as you are about tires?

Are you kidding me? I'm always talking about tires at home. My wife mentioned that we currently have 34 tires in the basement plus another 8 in the garage. I cannot get enough tires -- Street tires, track tires, winter tires, etc.

[rich8566]

Originally Posted by KevinM

Well, the Michelin marketing machine is alive and well. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Michelin fan. I've tried many options on my E39 M5 and to a lesser extent my Z4M coupe; PSS all the way. Best tire I have owned and worth the money.

Michelin needs to sort out the performance hierarchy, and I trust they will. PSS has generally been dinged for wet weather performance, which matters little to me in Tucson, AZ...but I understand the importance in general. If Michelin can maintain dry performance while enhancing wet performance....what's not to like?

Not for nothing -I think the wet performance of the PSS is very good - even in NY.

[rich8566]

Originally Posted by SROC5

do wonder if these will just be as shoulder melty on the track...

I agree the soft sidewalls are an issue for the MPSS when used on track. While the feel, handling and precision is excellent on the track, the sidewalls roll over and melt away in short order. See below...

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by BMWZ4

Do you think they'll eventually be available for 18's as well?

Of course they will.

[MightyMouseTech]

Please make a 275/30/18.

Please make a 275/30/18.

Please make a 275/30/18.

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by rich8566

I agree the soft sidewalls are an issue for the MPSS when used on track. While the feel, handling and precision is excellent on the track, the sidewalls roll over and melt away in short order. See below...

I think you need more front camber. My MPSS look perfect after a couple track days.

[secretariat]

21" wheels are not covered under the new tire sizes??????/

[flyaway]

Originally Posted by Killramos

Are these tires actually better?

Personally i think the SuperSport name was a way better brand that PS4S.

I am concerned these might end up being some kind of a middle ground between PS2's and PSS's.

Me too, exactly what they did when discontinuing the excellent PS2 (UHP tyre) with a "normal" tyre branded PS3. And only afterward adding the PSS, the rightful successor of the PS2.

[angelr]

The pss have amazing wet traction in my experience. fwiw I've run the sport cups on track in the wet with good luck. This video was me playing around in the wet at roebling on them. Playing around with the throttle and weight transfer to try to get the thing to rotate since it was wet but still decent lap times all things considered. The car would run in the 1:17 range in the dry and these laps were in the 1:21 range for reference.

[evanevery]

Manufacturers comparisons aside - It would have been nice to see how the new tire compares against the one it is replacing. Curious why they didn't show that...

[G30 B58]

Originally Posted by username8701

Can't wait to get my hands on one of these.

Just one?

[trey100]

I wonder if performance went down some compared to the old PSS to get the longevity up that much.

[Blackland]

No 21"? I hope they continue to make the PSS in 21" or I guess I'll have to buy Dunlop tires. There are not that many choices in 21" non-runflats.

[tjswarbrick]

Figures.
Just ordered my PSS's yesterday. Don't call me an early adopter.

Ah well - I know they're still a fantastic tire! And I'm only on skinny stock 18's so who knows when these PS4S will really be available.
Glad to see Michelin continues to push the envelope.
At least this way when I wear out the PSS's in a year or 2, sizing will be figured out, and the PS4S >>> === <<< PSS debate will be (mostly) settled.