Tire Change for the Boxster

Happy New Year! In 2019, I hope to continue updating this blog with fun and useful content for all readers, while enjoying it myself. Thank you very much for your continued support this year.

Recently, my husband took the Boxster to Suzuka Circuit. Since the tire tread was already quite worn before the run, the tires ended up pretty beat after the session. “We need to change them immediately,” so we asked our usual shop, Nishinomiya Base, to handle the tire change this time as well.

Nishinomiya Base specializes in tire installation with customer-supplied tires and offers a “direct shipping service”. This means you can order tires online, have them shipped directly to the shop, and just bring your car empty-handed for the swap. It’s very convenient. For this reason, all our cars have had their tires changed here for several years now.

This time, my husband chose the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. Previously, for the 20-inch tires on the 981 Boxster GTS, the Porsche-approved options were limited to just two: “Pirelli P Zero” or “Goodyear EAGLE F1 ASYMMETRIC 2.” However, since he personally prefers Michelin, he had been hoping for a Michelin option. Not long ago, Michelin released the Pilot Sport 4S.

Initially, there was no size available for the Boxster’s 20-inch wheels, but later a Porsche-approved size arrived in Japan and became available for purchase. So, he decided to switch to the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S.

He also referred to reviews on TIRERACK, which he always uses for tire selection. The Pilot Sport 4S scored overwhelmingly higher than competitors, and its UTQG TREADWEAR rating (indicating treadwear resistance) is 300, which is remarkably high for such a high-grip tire. (By comparison, the EAGLE F1 ASYMMETRIC 2 rated 240.)

Although the rear tires still had enough tread and didn’t really need replacing yet, he decided to replace all four tires with Michelin this time. Changing only the front tires would mean mixing brands front and rear, and if he switched front tires back to Goodyear, he felt he’d be stuck with Goodyear going forward. Also, Goodyear’s Porsche-approved tires have become more expensive recently.

If the Shop Owner Were Choosing, It Would Be Michelin

While the tires were being changed, my husband chatted with the owner of Nishinomiya Base about tires. When he asked, “If you were to choose tires for your own car, which brand would you pick?” the owner replied, “I’d go with Michelin.”

He explained that Michelin tires tend to be very round and have uniform weight balance. They’re also lightweight but don’t suffer from rubber degradation or peeling like some other brands. Other manufacturers’ tires in the same class may perform well and be light, but often the rubber deteriorates or peels quickly. Michelin tires are very durable. He also said that, subjectively, Michelin’s rubber feels more like a “resin” than typical rubber, using a different material than others.

He also mentioned that during this tire change, they first balanced the wheels alone, then mounted the tires and rechecked the balance. Because the tires themselves were so well balanced, no further adjustment was needed.

Indeed, many blog readers and Twitter contacts also seem to be running Michelins.

How Does the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S Perform?

After the tire change, I asked my husband how he felt driving the Boxster. He said it was very good and remarked, “I didn’t realize how much the tires could change the driving experience. Tires really matter.” He also likes that, like the Michelin Pilot Cup 2, the sidewalls have Michelin’s unique velvet finish, making the lettering stand out nicely from the side view.

1. No Roughness, Incredible Rolling Feel

Compared to when the Goodyear EAGLE F1 ASYMMETRIC 2 was new, which transmitted a lot of road roughness, these tires feel much smoother. Previously, the roughness and vibrations were so noticeable that he even had the wheel balance checked at the dealer. But with Michelin, there’s none of that. The tires are perfectly round, and the rolling feel is very pleasant with extremely high roundness. He said, “I might be exaggerating, but the lack of roughness feels almost as refined as on the Panamera.” Noise levels are about the same as the EAGLE F1, so road noise hasn’t changed much.

2. Improved Steering Precision

The previous EAGLE F1 was already excellent, but the Pilot Sport 4S feels even more precise, especially in initial turn-in response and cornering accuracy.

3. Enhanced Straight-Line Stability

On the highway, it feels like the car is being gently pulled forward, gliding smoothly. Compared to the early days of the EAGLE F1, this difference is very clear.

He also noted that the EAGLE F1 had outstanding wet grip, but said, “I’m looking forward to a heavy rain so I can test the Pilot Sport 4S’s wet performance soon!” (laughs)

Tires truly are crucial for a car.