Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 (240) 

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.

I was dubious about whether to get these in case we ever had a wet day on track, sure enough, first track day of the season, it rains all day, I was still pulling over 1 G in corners. Dry traction is unreal. They squeal way before they let go so give you plenty of warning, feedback is really good and I was surprised how well they ware as well.

I was dubious about whether to get these in case we ever had a wet day on track, sure enough, first track day of the season, it rains all day, I was still pulling over 1 G in corners. Dry traction is unreal. They squeal way before they let go so give you plenty of warning, feedback is really good and I was surprised how well they ware as well.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.