Michelin Claims Its Newest Tire is the Best

Jason Siu
by Jason Siu

Michelin has introduced the new Pilot Sport 4 S tire at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show.

The latest ultra-high-performance offering from Michelin succeeds the popular Michelin Pilot Super Sport, designed for sports cars and high-performance vehicles. According to Michelin, the Pilot Sport 4 S combines the best aspects of the Pilot Super Sport with key attributes of the Pilot Sport Cup 2, resulting in “unprecedented driving pleasure, exceptional steering precision and tremendous directional stability, while also providing maximum grip on wet or dry roads.”

SEE ALSO: Cooper Zeon RS3-G1: Do All Season Tires Belong on a Sports Car?

The company commissioned third-party track tests in Germany against five unnamed ultra-high-performance tire competitors and the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S ranked first in performance on dry braking, wet braking and dry lap times.

The tire bears a (Y) speed rating (186+ mph) and offers a 30,000-mile warranty. It will be available in the U.S. starting March for a suggested retail price of $233 and it will initially be offered in 35 sizes, in widths ranging from 225 mm to 345 mm, aspect ratios from 30 to 45 and rim diameters from 18 to 20 inches.

Michelin is the exclusive tire sponsor of the Detroit Auto Show for the 29th consecutive year and is also exhibiting two Porsche 911s restored and reimagined by Singer Vehicle Design of Los Angeles.

“When manufacturers design and build the greatest cars, they overwhelmingly choose Michelin and the Pilot tire line to connect them with the pavement and enable the very spirit of the machine,” said Jean-Dominique Senard, CEO of Michelin Group, in a press conference at NAIAS. “The Pilot Sport 4 S will be the next great tire in our Pilot family line-up, with more than 60 original equipment fitments currently under development.”

Discuss this story on our Porsche Forum

Jason Siu
Jason Siu

Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.

More by Jason Siu

Comments
Join the conversation
 1 comment
  • Smartacus Smartacus on Jan 14, 2017

    Wow. They were already very close to magical with their choice of tread and tire compound. How can they possibly reach even further?

Next