Thars (tires)

[Bill in Bama]

Well, at least down here in the South I hear it pronounced "thars" more often than "tires." Anyway, I've just ordered a pair of those black thingies for the rear of my 718 GTS 4.0, since the original Pirellis have seen better days. When I had the car on the lift Saturday I noticed the tread was WAY below minimum, not slicks yet but getting close. So I went to Tire Rack (no affiliation whatsoever) to browse their offerings, and while I consider myself a Michelin man I didn't want to discount other brands. The FALKEN AZENIS FK460 A/S caught my eye because they were half the cost of the Michelins and I seemed to recall some pretty good reviews of them not too long ago.

So, I ordered a pair. I know, they aren't Porsche approved, and they aren't Pirellis either (which I still have on the front), and these are cardinal rules you don't break, but I did anyway. For just over $400 I'll get a pair of all season high performance tires that should serve me well for street use until the fronts wear out and then I'll consider a full set of donuts from that fat fellow (Michelin Man), or maybe something else. Someone had posted somewhere a couple of weeks ago that Bridgestone was closing out their current A/S tire at ridiculous prices and I looked them up but didn't order any, now they are gone, but the Falkens are about the same price. I don't know where they are made, probably some :developing country", but they used to be German I think. BE that as it may, I'll report once they are installed and I've had a chance to see how they perform. I don't track any more, I drive spirited but not THAT spirited and all things considered, I'm just not in Michael Schumacher mode much anymore, no matter what my dreams tell me. YMMV.

[audi4t]

"BiB"

I totally support your logic - particularly for cool weather seasonal use.

From personal experience name brand high price performance "thars" don't guarantee longevity or quality.

Given the performance capabilities of our cars high performing tires have to be available but for many P owners that capability will never be approached for extended periods.

[Bill in Bama]

Yes, part of the reason for my choice was that my previous experiences with name brands didn't yield noticeable improvements in performance and definitely resulted in short tread life. The OE Goodyears on my 981 GTS lasted barely 4000 miles, the Michelin PS only about 8000, and at that rate ifvthese Falkens don't do any better I will still be ahead dollarwise and their Treadwell rating is 500 so expectations are better than the more highly regarded tires.

I long ago ceased to bother with the N ratings, I don't doubt their validity, just their practicality for people like me. My surgeon friend with a '96 911 runs Kuhmos, mostly to and from the hospital, but occasionally for a twisty road drive, and they seem to work for him.

[xcursion]

Bill, just curious, how many miles did the Pirellis gave you at the back?

[Bill in Bama]

8000 miles.

[Tom]

Falkens are Japanese I believe. I had a set on my 951 for a while. They were a quarter of the price of the high end performance tires (at the time). Maybe a better driver could tell the difference, but to me they were at least as good as the very loud Bridgestone Potenzas they replaced.

[audi4t]

I had Continentals on a 2019 Mercedes AMG - they needed replacing at 7000 miles.

[Southbama]

I just replaced my rear Michellins with 11,000 miles on them, probably had another 1,000 miles before riding on the wear bars.

[Bill in Bama]

I used Michelins exclusively on my 981 GTS but never got really great tread wear out of them, in fact I applied for tread wear credit on the last ones since they only lasted 7-8,000 miles. The tread wear warranty is halved for staggered sizes which is an out for them, but I did get credit finally (took several months) and my dealer told me that the Michelins weren't giving near the wear they once did. I know that high performance tires don't last as long, and on a high performance vehicle that applies in spades but still.... Anyway, its sort of an experiment and I'll see how long the Falkens last. My front Pirelli's have lots of tread left so its conceivable that I might need another rear pair before the fronts finally expire. Since I rarely drive my 718 in the wet its not as much of an issue and driving on dry roads on nearly slick rears just gives me more traction!:-) That's what I tell myself anyway. But they are much more susceptible to punctures so I decided to replace them.

[GT3Twenty10]

Falkens are a Sumitomo made tire. I’ve never had this a/s models. If those work for you I’d also get fronts as the complete package would work better.

As for superior a/s tires, I’d recommend the conti-DWS06’s… amazing if you need something in all conditions

As for Michelin tires… superiors in the Performance category… but like most the longevity isn’t there vs cost imo. I still have them on the 997, but on the Cayman I put Yokohama avid 601 apex’s on…. Really great!!! As good as Michelin PSS4’s but not better.. last longer tho.
I’m tired of paying for Michelin commercials so I’m not sure I’ll get them again