Michelin PS3 Pioneers

[is1]

I had conti sport contacts on my 172 cup and they seem fine, anyone know if they make them in trophy sizes?

You can get the Conti SportContact2s in our size but they're not exactly cheap so again, a bit of a gamble and are unlikely to trounce the PS3, but may be as good.
Unfortunately, I don't think we can get Conti SportContact3s in our size. They get very (very) good reviews and I recall someone with a 200 saying they were standard fit on his.

 

[marrow]

I had conti sport contacts on my 172 cup and they seem fine, anyone know if they make them in trophy sizes?

You can get the Conti SportContact2s in our size but they're not exactly cheap so again, a bit of a gamble and are unlikely to trounce the PS3, but may be as good.
Unfortunately, I don't think we can get Conti SportContact3s in our size. They get very (very) good reviews and I recall someone with a 200 saying they were standard fit on his.

You're on the money... below taken from Conti's website....

Tyre size: 205/45R16 83V
More infoContiSportContact 2 | High on safety, high on performance

Safety

shorter stopping distance
runflat option
Performance

excellent handling
smooth drive
Environment

quiet drive

 

[spitfire]

I have had my pair of PS3s three weeks now and I am still unsure about what pressures I should be running them at. They are on the rear, and I have them at 30 psi at present, with the front PE2s at 32 psi (when I had PE2s all round I ran the fronts at 30 psi and rears at 28 psi). The car is primarily used around town, two up, with the occasional A road blat. Any thoughts?

 

[Cue]

Well I can certainly report that in damp and slippery condition they hold traction a whole lot better than the toyo's I have on the rear... whole lot of fun having a fwd car that thinks and acts like it's rwd... haha.

 

[send2pj]

Right, I got a set of PS3s fitted today, and drove from Geneva to Chamonix, and they were shite, even Motorway lane changes had a delayed reaction as the tyres deformed. Horrible. And they slid round bends, but not in a good "drift" way....

So I was ready to do a U-turn back to the garage and have them put my PE2s back on (still just about legal) but I checked this just in case, and (thankyou is1!) saw the comments about tyre pressure. Pumped them ip to 34psi (from 27 it turned out the garage had put) and holy shit! It was like someone had reinforced the sidewalls! So I did a quick run over the Col de Forclaz to scuff them up a bit, embarrassing screeching on bends making people stare, but sure enough, after breaking hard from 120 to 10 every time there was noone behind me on the way down, the ugly ducklings were replaced by grippy Swans worthy of the three laps of the roundabout I did at the bottom...!

So moral of the story, pump and scuff, and you'll be fine with PS3s...

 

[send2pj]

Shite = shrike
Shit = sheep
(apparently, according to iPhone spellcheck...)

 

[send2pj]

Holy sheep!
It did it again..
It's the forum's shrike spellcheck, not my iphone's

 

[Cue]

it's the anti swear filter haha, not your phone - don't worry. Before getting to the end of your post i was thinking "i bet his pressures are out and being new rubber need a few miles to bed the rubber in haha.

 

[is1]

I have now had mine on around 2.5 - 3,000 miles now. Set them to about 34psi all round and on standard suspension, it drives like it always did on PE2s.

 

[PAGANI]

I have PS3's on the front they are a few thousand miles old and are great in the wet, i also have nearly new PE2's on the back and am considering a swap to compare the difference's.

 

[moono16v]

Had mine on the rear for about 2000 miles. At first I hated them and seriously considered selling them and getting some others ( i was going to go for the Rainsport 2's after the reviews they get on cliosport).
However now there 'bedded' in there just like the PE2 was. I would defiantly say they are better with a higher pressure in, which I run 33psi PS3 in rear and 31-32 PE2 fronts. I do like to have the fronts higher than the rear but o well :roll:
The only criticism I have which I noticed whilst on an empty back road, when travelling in a straight line at about 60mph if you turn the wheel sharpish either side, the fronts turn whilst the PS3 takes some time to adjust and move!!

Elliott.

 

[is1]

Had mine on the rear for about 2000 miles. At first I hated them and seriously considered selling them and getting some others ( i was going to go for the Rainsport 2's after the reviews they get on cliosport).
However now there 'bedded' in there just like the PE2 was. I would defiantly say they are better with a higher pressure in, which I run 33psi PS3 in rear and 31-32 PE2 fronts. I do like to have the fronts higher than the rear but o well :roll:
The only criticism I have which I noticed whilst on an empty back road, when travelling in a straight line at about 60mph if you turn the wheel sharpish either side, the fronts turn whilst the PS3 takes some time to adjust and move!!

Elliott.

Elliott, I agree with the point about slight hesitancy compared to the PE2s. However, I think that is the trade off (i.e. softer sidewall) for improved wet weather performance.
Personally, I would avoid Rainsport 2s. I did a back to back test with Rainsports against PE2s on the front of mine and you lose some steering feel either side of centre. So you turn the wheel say an inch or so and there is no resistance. It just lost that razor sharp feel the PE2s had. The PS3s are better than the Rainsports but as you say, still not as good as the PE2s.
Of what's available though, it is PS3s for me. No-one has come up with a better overall tyre for the car. I think they last well too so the extra cost is absorbed to some extent.

 

[Cue]

Having driven for a week or so on my track wheels (r888 shod) I can definitely say the tyre noise is better with the ps3's, the wet grip is better, ride comfort is better and they don't tram line as much also :lol:

 

[wigstar1]

Anyone found a decent price from a National company on these recently? They seem to have gone up by about £20 each over the last 2 months!!!

That's quite an increase.

 

[aucky]

Anyone found a decent price from a National company on these recently? They seem to have gone up by about £20 each over the last 2 months!!!

That's quite an increase.

I've noticed this, even the lower speed rated ones on camskil aren't cheap!

I noticed camskill had some PE2s in 205/45/16 but they obviously added a premium due to the rarity.

 

[wigstar1]

And are you Pioneers using the 'V' or 'W' rated Pilot Sport 3's?

 

[Cue]

v - the w's have strengthened side walls and are for towing cars, so they weigh quite a bit more.

 

[Gordon]

With a strengthened side wall could that not negate the 'squishy' issues people have been experiencing with the PS3's (presumably people are mostly using the V rated PS3)?

Seems users are over inflating PS3's to get a better turn in and feel through the steering wheel. Others were commenting that at standard pressures the PS3's were appearing almost flat.

Given a W rating, would that also mean they have a higher speed rating than a V? Therefore a different rubber compound?

 

[is1]

With a strengthened side wall could that not negate the 'squishy' issues people have been experiencing with the PE3's (presumably people are mostly using the V rated PE3)?

Seems users are over inflating PE3's to get a better turn in and feel through the steering wheel. Others were commenting that at standard pressures the PE3's were appearing almost flat.

Given a W rating, would that also mean they have a higher speed rating than a V? Therefore a different rubber compound?

I must say, this thought has occurred to me too. I know that the Hankook EVOs get good reviews by the Clio community and I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) that they are only available in 205 45 16 as a W rated tyre and wondered whether that was partly why they seemed to work well on the Renaultsport Clios, even though no-one else has either picked up or commented on this before.

 

[spitfire]

I could only get Ws for mine back in June, and believe me the side walls are soft on them too. I have not felt any unusual handling issues with mine, but then I don't routinely try to find the limit of their grip while trying to avoid the potholes here in west Kent