Michelin  Pilot Sport Cup 2 (240)

These tires are simply amazing. I purchased a set of 4S’s for a track day event last year and then purchased the Cup2’s and wow what a difference in dry traction and grip. The 4S’s are still better overall as far as wet, ride etc. Cup2’s are fantastic dry track day tire. I will definitely buy another set!

These are my Time Trial and Track Day tires. They helped me win the car's first SCCA Time Trial by a huge margin in my class, almost matching a couple cars with more power on full slicks. For track days they are reasonable to warm up, grip well, are progressive when they slip, and don't overheat any quicker than I'd expect for a tire like this. On my M2 I have to actively manage the front end much more with these tires vs. the OEM P Zeros, which might be due to the street-biased alignment up front.

As with any tire like this, they are sensitive to temperature and pressure. I suspect most drivers would be faster on a traditional UHP summer tire, but if you're buying these you probably understand how to use them, or have access to coaching to get you there. If so, you'll love them.

Cup 2s are gold standard HPDE and open track day tires for 19 and 20 inch wheels. They are definitely better on track than Pilot Sport 4S. Cup 2 tread wear also holds up much better than 4S. Immediately prior I had a set of Michelin Cup 2Rs. The Cup 2Rs wore down rapidly and needed replacement after one and then two track days. Also current Cup 2 have adequate grip on the street. Whereas Cup 2Rs were never able to heat up sufficiently and limited grip was scary on the street. The Pilot Sport 4S is not enough of a track tire (excellent street tire) and I’ve found the Cup 2 to be the perfect sweet spot.

A fast, consistent, and long wearing street/track tires with excellent road manners (compared to 100tw and 200tw tires of this segment). Not the fastest, but considering its durability I'm really impressed. Faster and a lot more communicative than a Hankook RS4, with almost as much grip to a Nitto NT01, but with much better streetability. I've managed 6 track days and some 4100 street/track miles before the outer shoulders started showing their cords up front. Had I rotated these more frequently and ran more negative camber (currently running -3.1fr, -2.5r), they would have another 2 more track days left in them and probably double the street mileage. This is on a 3450 lb (with driver) E46 M3 running a 265/35/18 square setup shooting for 33-34 psi hot. These take a lap or two to warm up, so lap 3-5 are your hero laps. After that they fall off slightly, but not as sharply as the 180tw Cup 2s and will happily lap a 30 minute session on a hot day.

Definitely ordering another set and this time will use the Track Connect app to optimize tire usage! NOTE: The scoring is answered in context to other similar 100-200tw tires.

Michelin makes the best tires and the psc2 reputation is well earned. I went with the connect because of the extra tread depth hoping I could have a long(er) lasting sticky tire for the street.

On wear bars after 10k miles in Southern AZ. Our roads aren't great, they are nuclear hot 9 months of the year and I drive aggressively.

Rotated every 5k and they wore evenly...but they definitely wore quickly.

Traction degraded the moment they got near the bars

Would be the perfect street car tire if they either had a bit more tread depth or cost less. It's a 240tw tire that wears (and sticks) like a 100tw and is at the absolute top price point for its class. Not much encouragement to stick with the connect when there are tires 90% as Sticky with 50% more life.

TLDR: Top street tire performance with top track tire life

These tires are stiff and noisy on the highway, not the best for a long trip. On the track they are excellent! Great traction during braking and in the corners, very stable with a gradual breakaway. Compared to the Cup2 (180 tw) they have about the same level of grip, but turn-in is more precise. Their performance does not fall off towards the end of a 20 minute HPDE session. After 4 track days, these still have more than 50% tread depth remaining, and the wear is pretty even across the tire ( with 2.8 deg camber). It does not get much better than turning a personal best lap time with tires that get great wear.

Tires are fantastic racing tires, probably the best on the market. However, the Michelin Super Sports are better for daily drivers. Would not buy these again unless they were only for racing. Wet traction is significantly worse than the Pilot Sport A/S and there are weird road noises with these tires. They harmonize with the road and make weird whale sounds sometimes which echoes through the cabin. Again, fantastic race tires, but not something for a daily driver.

As for the race component, I'm not running these on a track, but once they warm up, they will not break free. Even with first gear wide open they stick. No other tire has been able to do that once they are warmed up. I have extreme confidence in these tires on a track or during some spirited windy road driving, but these are not your daily tires. Worth it only if they are a race set.

Have not tested in winter, but I imagine they will be unusable or have little traction due to the softness of the rubber. Definitely not advised for snow given their performance in the rain.

These are great tires that match the handling qualities of my car, 370Z sport coupe, very nicely. I had had the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires previously and the Cup 2s have the better firmness in the sidewalls, for better steering response, and increased traction that I was looking for. The main drawback is the reduced wet traction, but that was expected and is compensated for in my driving style on wet roads, lower highway speeds and no hard braking or cornering. Another nice feature of these Michelin tires is their very light weight, which lowers unsprung rotational mass for better suspension dynamics, acceleration and braking, and steering response.

Great performance tires for the track and weekend drives. NOT a daily driving tire though. Lots of road noise, no longevity, and not good in the winter. Wet and snow traction is awful.

However, if this is your Sunday summer car, worth every penny. It's so much fun to drive and it sticks to the road like a magnet. But don't expect the tires to last. I put 5000 miles on these and the rears already need to be replaced. There is zero longevity.