Tyres, tyres,tyres

[Parisien]

vreds @ 100 seem a bargain. can i ask where from?

I dont mean to skimp but I dont have a full appreciation of tyres. (some of you who have meet me will know this is my first car so...) question stems from ignorance rather than thrift!

No probs UM2...always a learning curve for me too.......better putting on a tyre thats had positive feedback than none at all.


P

 

[Ascott]

Just had to replace the rear tyres on my GS, no p/zeros available so need to change the brand, I considered the vred but no stock just when I needed them, so went for conti-contactsport 5p, so far after 200 miles I am very pleased , better steering feel, much better grip and traction, ride/noise about the same.

Ultraman I have had some experience with nanking and in the wet it was like driving on ice or a road covered in oil very poor. I think Autocar did a tyre test with them and they performed extremely badly especially in the wet.

Hope this helps

regards Ascott

 

[lozcb]

Would you entrust your child to ride in a tesco car seat , enough said......................................................... ,............ areas to skimp are cleaning and polishing........................ brakes and tyres go for a proven make , your life and your childrens lives may depend on it



regards loz

 

[drellis]

agreed, brakes and tyres no cost cutting
as a student I had a nova with part worn remould (all i could afford), I put it down a hedge in the wet, was only doing 25mph
false economy.

 

[maserati]

Pirelli P Zero Rosso - A Personal View

Tyre technology is another huge area of the motor manufacturing industry driven by continuing development and expertise. Indeed some specialists devote their entire working lives striving to improve. I am not therefore an expert but I still have to make tyre choices based on knowledge, experience and the best advice available. It is true to say that by far the majority of road traffic accidents are caused by driver error. Mechanical failure as a cause is comparitively rare, but it still does happen. Having invested so much in both the purchase and specialist maintenance of my Quattroporte I am able to derrive a measure of reassurance and security. However, there is one variable with a heavy, high performance car that commands my undivided attention. I am referring to the tyres. With exceptional high speed capapbilty the forces are enormous. Moreover, rising tyre temperatures are a compelling issue. Even with the highest specification rubber, catastrophic failure remains the biggest worry. This is not about being nervous or risk averse. Far from it. It is a question of recognising the threats and taking steps to mitigate them. A dynamic risk assessment if you will. Maserati test and recommend specific tyres for their fleet and with very good reason. Now there are much less costly alternatives and I most certainly do not criticise others for their decisions in this regard. Indeed I may make different choices in the future but for now I offer the rationale behind my decision to adhere to the builders recommendations.

Regards,

Paul

 

[Ascott]

Paul

I agree with your sentiments regarding manufacturers recommendations, however things move on, the P Zero rosso is a 10 year old design, it was considered one of the tyres to have back then, but there are better tyres out there today.

I have been trying to purchase the P Zero rosso rear tyres for my GS now for over a month and all of the reputable dealers could not get hold of it in the size, I checked the Pirelli web site and it is no longer listed as available for the GS, may be its being phased out? Which means we must make alternative choices, this is not always easy and the information from other members is very useful in making these choices, so is reading reviews and test reports from the the likes of Autocar and Evo. But as a general rule with tyres, you get what you pay for and the very cheap alternatives are just that and not up to the standard that most of us would expect on a Maserati.

Regards

Ascott

 

[maserati]

Hi Ascott,

Thank you for your reply. I remember having to source alternative boots for my V12 Daimler when the Pirelli P4000 was no longer available. As it happened the replacement was another Pirelli but with an improved specification..... I am sure it was a better tyre. A lot has been said about cost effective alternatives such as the Falken 452 with numerous positive accounts. It is a complex issue and I wanted to contribute to the discussion by advancing the merits of the manufacturers recommendations but without upsetting anyone or indeed being too contraversial!

Regards,

Paul

 

[k99]

The trouble with tyres is that very few of us get to do back to back tests like the car magazines do.So any choice we normal people make is very subjective with lots of psychological stuff getting in the way such as brand awareness, expectations, price etc etc.
I wonder how many of us would really be able to tell the difference in a blind test between Falkens and Pirellis?
New tyres wil feel different to tyres that have done 20000 miles and are well worn.
Possibly road noise is the only objective criteria we could maybe "measure' but new tyres will probably sound quite different to the same make that are worn.

 

[bigbob]

The trouble with tyres is that very few of us get to do back to back tests like the car magazines do.So any choice we normal people make is very subjective with lots of psychological stuff getting in the way such as brand awareness, expectations, price etc etc.
I wonder how many of us would really be able to tell the difference in a blind test between Falkens and Pirellis?
New tyres wil feel different to tyres that have done 20000 miles and are well worn.
Possibly road noise is the only objective criteria we could maybe "measure' but new tyres will probably sound quite different to the same make that are worn.

Never managed 20,000 miles on a set of tyres.....but seriously, agree with you completely.

I recently put PS3s on my wife's TT Roadster to replace SC2s that were down below 3mm. The main difference is that scuttle shake is now practically gone as there is more rubber to absorb road imperfections. However, are they better than the SC2s? No idea on a like for like basis.

PS On another matter the PS3s have a Treadwear index of 320 compared with 220 for the P Zeros on my Maser - the PS3s could be on for 20,000 miles then!

 

[maserati]

The trouble with tyres is that very few of us get to do back to back tests like the car magazines do.So any choice we normal people make is very subjective with lots of psychological stuff getting in the way such as brand awareness, expectations, price etc etc.
I wonder how many of us would really be able to tell the difference in a blind test between Falkens and Pirellis?
New tyres wil feel different to tyres that have done 20000 miles and are well worn.
Possibly road noise is the only objective criteria we could maybe "measure' but new tyres will probably sound quite different to the same make that are worn.

K99

I am sure you are correct. I for one could not tell the difference between Falkens and Pirelli or any other tyre for that matter in a blind test..... As I understand it some budget tyres do not meet the same specifications (such as reinforced side walls) as the premium brands. I don't know what the implications are for safety (if any) when Maseratis are driven very hard or at prolonged Autobahn speeds.

Regards,

Paul

 

[k99]

agreed, brakes and tyres no cost cutting
as a student I had a nova with part worn remould (all i could afford), I put it down a hedge in the wet, was only doing 25mph
false economy.

Or could it have been the inexperienced driver behind the wheel!!
The only proper crash I've had (so far) was when I'd just passed my test and lost my mk1 Escort on a wet roundabout.

 

[maserati]

Driver error is the most common factor but the risk of tyre failure still remains on the radar. Thinking back I did once have a blow out in a Stomil tyre in a three litre Capri. A Rover P6 3500s developed bulges and more recently a Michelin tyre delaminated on my wifes car. Apart from making tyre choices looking after them to avoid damage is equally important.

Paul

 

[lozcb]

Or could it have been the inexperienced driver behind the wheel!!
The only proper crash I've had (so far) was when I'd just passed my test and lost my mk1 Escort on a wet roundabout.

l
A lot depends on what style of driver you are personally, if like Urby( and no disrespect to the elderly implied) you pootle around town with just the occasional exposure above 60 then the budget hanking wangkin hangook tyres will probably be suitable, but most on here (including me) automatically assume that when you buy a performance car like these ,that you actually intend on driving it like one as often as you can so proper tyres will be needed, cornering hard into a bend at 80-90 mph takes some bottle and confidence and you want to give the old girl and yourself the best possible chance of coming out the otherside as you can , and hankook wangking budget tyres wouldn't give me the assurance that i need ,


regards loz

 

[drellis]

When i spun the nova my friends in a escort mk3 went through the corner first and i followed at the same speed ( it was wet). They went through and I spun. It was my own fault as part worn remoulds were rubbish and i should have gone slower in the wet.
For 99% of driving you do not notice the difference between cheap and good tyres. It is the extreme weather, or when in the fast lane when being able to stop 1 metre quicker can make all the difference, it other words a larger safety margin.
At llandow earlier in the year a cheap accelero alpha almost disintegrated ( it was practically new) with chunks pulled off it. These tyres are ok in dry coniditions (not amazing in the wet) but other tyres would not have disintegrated in this way.
If you put cheap tyres on and you had an accident you would never forgive yourself

 

[Parisien]

But brand tyre only part of equation surely.....balanced correctly, correct pressure, ample tread..then geo set up, rest of suspension in top order, an understanding and skill of how to drive a supercar........only then will the best or good tyre truly be appreciated.....or indeed relevant


P

 

[maserati]

But brand tyre only part of equation surely.....balanced correctly, correct pressure, ample tread..then geo set up, rest of suspension in top order, an understanding and skill of how to drive a supercar........only then will the best or good tyre truly be appreciated.....or indeed relevant


P

Parisien,

All very sensible advice..... The relevance part is that if you ask any tyre to perform beyond it's capability then it is more likey to fail. Premium brand high performance tyres are not immune from suffering whilst under load, but they are designed to tolerate stress in a way that their budget counterparts are not. The design, technology, the quality of the materials and the production processes all help to establish their fitness for purpose. This also explains at least one of the reasons why they cost more.

Regards,

Paul

 

[Parisien]

Indeed Paul, but in order to get the safest, maximum, most reliable usage, then everything above must also be right....no point in blaming any tyre if everything is knackered or badly set up or unsafe.


P

 

[maserati]

Indeed Paul, but in order to get the safest, maximum, most reliable usage, then everything above must also be right....no point in blaming any tyre if everything is knackered or badly set up or unsafe.


P

I am sure you are right P.

Paul

 

[Parisien]

I am sure you are right P.

Paul

...not normally......Paul......just once out of every 50 posts is my ratio....


P

 

[maserati]

...not normally......Paul......just once out of every 50 posts is my ratio....


P

Well yes P ......... even if you did manage to digress slightly!