My 'A lists' change all the time.

They are very subjective and dynamic things. Their purpose is to provide a reasonably sound starting point but they are built mostly from research on the Internet. The prices are from several sources, e.g. www.tirerack.com and www.1010tires.com. Because of differing discount levels, they are US$ normalised (against the base price of a Kumho ECSTA Supra 712).  Read ROUGH, figures may be 20% out! So, check local prices and availability before you compare! I'd appreciate comments. - Phil CHadwick

Firstly, some (edited) observations, mostly from David Porter on the UK 928 list:

• 928s are incredibly sensitive to mixing brands front to rear, so try to avoid (sometimes difficult).
  
  
• Stiff sidewalls seem to provide precision but transmit noise whereas soft sidewalls provide comfort/low noise at the expense of precision -- remember the 928 is a heavy car.  Compare the stiff sidewalled Pirelli PZero and Bridgestone S-02 to the soft Conti/Avon to see this.
  
  
• General consensus seems to be that the 928 feels best on the stiffer sidewall brands which unfortunately transmit most noise.
  
  
• Tyre mixes (front to rear) do sometimes give odd handling characteristics.  Problems usually arise when the rear sidewalls are more flexible than the front, producing momentary oversteer wobble which can be felt through the steering.
  

The tyre lists below are for matched sets (4 tyres). You don't HAVE to do this, but there is a risk to be managed.  See above. Different tyres front and rear may provide a lot more latitude of choice!

Here is my developing generic 'A list' which represents what I (currently) think provides a good balance of value, performance and durability. It's completely academic, unconstrained by issues such as availability in any particular size.  Depending on how many kids have school fees due, I think I'd be happy with any of these on a 'performance' car of some weight (but the higher on the list the better):

• Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Position
• Goodyear Eagle F1 GS D3
• Pirelli PZero Nero
• B F Goodrich GForce T/A KDW-2
• Firestone SZ50 EP
• Bridgestone RE750
• B F Goodrich GForce T/A KDW
• Kumho Ecsta MX
• Yokohama AVS ES100
• Sumitomo HTR Z II
• Yokohama Prada Spec II
• Kumho ECSTA Supra 712
• Falken AZENIS ST-115
• Falken GRB FK451

To research and consider: Maxxis MA-V1 (V rated, UTQG = 340 AA).

In the real world, we are constrained by rim size, tyre size, speed rating, load rating, price and availability. These issues will often force us in different directions.

I have divided the 928 into four categories:

• 928 Early: 225/50-16 front and rear
  
  
• 928 S4/GT: 225/50-16 front and 245/45-16 rear
  
  
• 928 GTS:   225/45-17 front and 255/40-17 rear
  
  
• 928 MyCar: 235/45-17 front and 275/40-17, or 275/35-17, or 265/40-17 rear.
  
  

NB: I have ignored those (rare) early 928s with 15" wheels. The last category is just for me and perhaps, a few others.

Early 928 'A List'.

They are all 225/50-16.

Read the reviews and take advice before buying a tyre tagged '?'

Each row is US$ price, speed rating, UTQG wear index (higher is better) and the tyre.

928 S4/GT 'A List'

Size is a big issue for the 928 S4 and GT.  It's odd size rear tyre (245/45-16) is available in very limited choices.  For that reason, many choose to upgrade to 17" wheels.

They are all 245/45-16 (S4 rear size).

Tyres which I think are (near) unprocurable in Australia are tagged '#'.
Read the reviews and take advice before buying a tyre tagged '?'.

Each row is US$ price, speed rating, UTQG wear index (higher is better) and the tyre.

There's a range of Dunlop SP Sport tyres that fit the rear of an S4.
These include the SP Sport 5000, 8000 and 9000.

928 GTS 'A List'.

They are all 255/40-17.

Read the reviews and take advice before buying a tyre tagged '?'.
Tyres NOT available for the front (225/45-17) are marked '='.

Each row is US$ price, speed rating, UTQG wear index (higher is better) and the tyre.

928 MyCar 'A List'.

They are all 275/40-17, or 275/35-17, or 265/40-17 for the rear of my car.

Tyres NOT available for the front (235/45-17) are marked "=".

Each row is US$ price, speed rating, UTQG wear index (higher is better) and the tyre.

These comments are from various list members on 928 tyres.

Sorry, I have lost the attributions:

Michelin Pilot Sport MXX3. Last well. V. Good handling. V. Expensive!

Pirelli Pzero <many>. Beware, there are many types with widely varying performance characteristics. Nero is probably the pick but available only in limited sizes. Expensive! Wear rates on Asimmetrico tyres are alarmingly high!

Bridgestone S-02 are precise and grip brilliantly in the wet, but can be noisy and harsh. Fabulous in the dry. Better than Michelins in the wet. Good until very very bald. Then very bad suddenly. Wear rate is good.

Bridgestone S-02 seems to be out of production, but it's still available, at least in some sizes, as the Firestone FZ50. Bridgestone sell the casing to Firestone, so they are genuine S02s.

Bridgestone S-03. Excellent grip. Good track tyre. Ordinary wear. Prefer S-03 to Continental Contact N1s on track, but can't tell the difference on the road. Less harsh and less noisy than S02, but very similar performance.

Continental Contact N1. Even wear. Well behaved for road. On track controllable, but S-03 better. Very happy with Conti's, prefer over the Bridgestone S-02.

Dunlop FM901. Quiet. Grippy. Fabulous in the wet and very. Predictable on the limit in the dry. Comparable to Bridgestone S03. Don't scrub and overheat like Bridgestone RE711, don't skate like Toyo Proxes. Do everything right. Really fast wear!

Prefer Michelin Pilot Preceda' s to Dunlop FM901. Very quiet, excellent grip.

Toyo. Toyo Proxy T1-S.  Popular 928 S4 tyre.

Kumho 712. Widely liked as a "budget" tyre on Rennlist.  Excellent value for money.  A good "cheap" (relative term) tyre for your 928.

Falken.  ZE502 and FK451 *very* noisy.  ZE326 and the FK451 ranges are   very durable and not prone to warranty issues/claims.  ST115 are much    quieter than the FK451s, but difficult to get in 16" sizes.  RT215 is a sticky "track" tyre, very short lifespan, about 10,000 km on the road. Falken FK451, ST115 and ZE512 are worth consideration.

These comments are mine, dug out of various test reports, user surveys and the like:

Sumitomo HTR+. Good reviews.

BFGoodrich Comp T/A HR4-2. Poor value.

Kumho ECSTA Supra 712.  Excellent (and unusually objective) reviews.  Claims to be be better than Toyo TS-1, Sumitomo HTR Z2, Yoko AVS    Sport, Comp T/A, Dunlop SP5000 and Goodyear RSA (which everyone says  is dreadful).

Sumitomo HTR Z. Some good reviews. Soft sidewalls. Tread wear is an issue.

Sumitomo HTR Z II. Some good reviews. A bit better in the dry than the Kumho ECSTA Supra 712, but not quite as good in the wet.

Yokohama AVS ES100. Seems likely. The AVS ES100 is definitely a better tyre than the Sumitomo HTR+, HTR Z II, and Kumho ECSTA Supra 712. In some sizes, it's not much more expensive than these.

Continental ContiExtremeContact. Beware, there are extremely mixed reviews for this tyre. Lots of balance problems. Most positive reviews relate to snow performance.

Continental ContiSportContact. Very noisy. I'm confused by this tyre. It has lousy wear rating, many reviewers who HATED it and yet there are Mercedes and Porsche drivers (where ContiSportContact is original equipment) who just LOVE this tyre.

BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDWS. The KDW or KDW-2 is probably better if snow is not an issue.

Pirelli P7000 SUPERSPORT. Wet performance suspect. Prone to irregular wear.

Kumho Ecsta MX.  Noisy.  Exceptional dry traction.  OK in wet. Deteriorate with age, esp. in wet. Good test report. Wear just OK.

Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Asymmetrical. The Sumitomo HTR+ and BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDWS are probably a better tyres for less money.

Yokohama AVS dB S2.

Dunlop SP Sport 8000. Poor in the wet. Lousy wear.

Bridgestone Potenza RE750. Looks like a good tyre.

Firestone Firehawk SZ50 EP. Looks like a good tyre. Comparable to the BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW.  The KDW is better in the dry but the SZ50 EP has the edge in the wet.

Dunlop SP Sport 9000. Soft sidewalls. Very average traction for its price class. This is a specialist wet weather tyre.

BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW-2. Looks like a good tyre. Just better than Firestone Firehawk SZ50 EP.

BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW. Looks like a good tyre. Comparable to the Firestone Firehawk SZ50 EP. The KDW is better in the dry but the SZ50 EP has the edge in the wet.

Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3. This is a premium tyre. Only the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 appears decidedly superior.

Pirelli PZero System Asimmetrico. Good in dry, abysmal in wet, really fast wear.

Goodyear Eagle F1 GS. This tyre is a complete dud at the price.

B ridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Pos. Best overall value premium tyre? Note poor wear.

BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KD. This is a fast wearing dry weather tyre only.

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. Michelin Pilot Sport probably better if  snow is not an issue.

Yokohama AVS Sport. The user reviews rate this tyre fairly poorly for the price.  Kumho ECSTA MX, Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 and Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Position are cheaper and better.

Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar. Very high performance, fast wearing, dry weather only tyre.

Michelin Pilot Sport. Very expensive. Premium tyre. Only Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3, Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Position, Pirelli PZero Nero are in this class. All are probably better value for money.

Visit here for good comparisons between brands, reviews and people's comments (but watch out for uninformed comment, small sample bias and glowing general assessment based solely on good performance in snow).

Since the subject of 928 tyre pressure comes up fairly often:

• 16" wheels 36/44 psi front/rear;
  
• 17" wheels 36 psi all round; and
  
• 18" wheels 30/32 psi front/rear.
  

Phil Chadwick