Bridgestone Potenza Sport vs Pirelli P Zero (PZ4): When you think of an ultra high performance tire you might recall the Michelin’s Pilot Sport 5 and also Continental’s newly launched ExtremeContact Sport. These are indeed household names which have been dominating the performance summer segments. We would like to bring in another 2 main premium competitors in this segment in the form of Bridgestone & Pirelli. Bridgestone’s Potenza Sport is an exciting new ultra high performance segment tireline which was recently launched in 2021 while Pirelli’s P Zero (PZ4) has been making headway since it started selling in 2016. Let’s pair these 2 products head to head and see who comes out on top !
Table of Contents
Results
Results below were taken from Tire Rack’s Testing Premium Max Performance Summer Tires 2021 Test. A total of 4 tires were tested this time on Tire Rack’s own proving ground . The graph below shows the comparison between Bridgestone Potenza Sport vs Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) based on the relevant performance category. The Bridgestone Potenza Sport was set as a reference hence at the 100% mark.
Note that for subjective evaluation, we equate 1 point as 5%. Hence for example if tire A is graded 7 while tire B is graded 6, A is better than B by 5%. The tire size of interest is a 245/40R18 which is a common tire size for Audi A4 & Mercedes-Benz C 200 Amg Line. You can check out our latest tire size table for more information. The testing vehicle for this tire test is a 2020 BMW F36 430i Gran Coupe.
Dry
Dry performance plays a big role in the requirements of an ultra high performance segment. The urge to be good in dry & wet performances always poses a challenge in this category. In a dry braking test where the vehicle is required to brake from 50mph (80 km/h) to 0, P Zero (PZ4) came out ahead with a 2.3 feet (0.7m) shorter braking distance compared to Potenza Sport.
In the dry handling category both tires are extremely close to each other as P Zero (PZ4) has the same subjective rating as Potenza Sport at 8.16/10. In terms of lap time, they were only separated by 0.08 seconds which is really close. To get us a real hint on the differences between the 2 tires, we noted down the subjective test driver’s notes for each tire set.
P Zero (PZ4):
The P Zero (PZ4) also was a balanced and easy-to-drive option, syncing up with our testers almost innately. The steering was accurate and predictable, though we would have liked it to respond with a little more urgency. Mid-pack objective figures and the second-fastest average lap time were a solid showing.
Test driver feedback on P Zero (PZ4)
Potenza Sport:
The ultra-responsive steering we felt on the road allowed for very fast directional changes on the track, lending a light and nimble feel to the front end of the vehicle. The cornering traction felt stronger than the third-place skid pad figure may lead one to believe, building speed with ease around turns and through the big sweepers on our track
Test driver feedback on Potenza Sport
Overall both tires performed really well in dry handling with good handling precision but P Zero (PZ4) have a slight measurable advantage in dry braking.
P Zero (PZ4):
- +3% in dry braking
- 0% in dry handling (subj)
- +0.3% in dry handling (lap time)
Wet
The friction of coefficient of the tire/road dramatically decreases in wet roads compared to dry roads. Hence it is more likely to get into a road accident during wet conditions rather than on a sunny day. It was so important that the EU label has wet braking as one of its three criteria. With regards to our comparison, P Zero (PZ4) was better when it came to wet braking as it managed to out-brake the Potenza Sport by 1.8 feet (0.55m).
In the wet handling category, P Zero (PZ4) maintained its advantage with a 0.49 seconds faster per lap over Potenza Sport. Subjectively, P Zero (PZ4) was the best tire with the highest rating of 7.85/10 among the competition while Potenza Sport could only muster a 7.28/10 rating. Based on the driver’s feedback on P Zero (PZ4), “its ability to put it all together on the track was unmatched. Predictable, balanced handling; strong front-end authority; confident braking; and the uncanny ability to put the power down while exiting a turn all combined to lead the test by a significant margin”
Overall it is clear that P Zero (PZ4) is the best wet performance tire with better wet braking & top honors in wet handling.
P Zero (PZ4):
- +1.5% in wet braking
- +2.9% in wet handling (subj)
- +1.5% in wet handling (lap time)
Noise/Comfort/Ride Quality
Normally in an ultra high performance segment, noise & comfort is usually not the main requirement. People who drive fast cars prefer to focus more on traction/braking performances rather than subjective comfort Anyhow the ride comfort was tested and the P Zero (PZ4) was the best with an overall rating of 7.88/10 compared to the 7.21/10 of Potenza Sport.
P Zero (PZ4):
- +3.4% in average of Noise, Comfort & Ride Quality.
UTQG rating
We have previously shown that UTQG tread wear rating can be a good indication of your expected mileage. Below are the UTQG values of both of the tirelines.
| Brand | Tireline | Size | Tread Wear | Traction | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pirelli | P Zero (PZ4) | All | 300 | A | A |
| Bridgestone | Potenza Sport | All | 300 | AA | A |
Surprisingly both tires do not provide a mileage warranty coverage which is quite common as you move towards a low UTQG tread wear rating. Even though it is unwise to compare UTQG tread wear values from different manufacturers, both tires have a UTQG tread wear rating of 300. This indirectly signals that they are roughly the same when it comes to expected mileage. For more in depth information about UTQG, please check out this article here. We even have a free download on the latest UTQG values from the leading tire manufacturers.
Price
P Zero (PZ4) was found to be 28 dollars cheaper compared to the Potenza Sport.
Tire size: 245/40R18
P Zero (PZ4): $186
Potenza Sport: $214
Difference: -15% more cheaper for P Zero (PZ4).
Summary
Overall, P Zero (PZ4) showed clear domination in dry, wet , noise/comfort & price over Potenza Sport. In our eyes, P Zero (PZ4) is clearly the winner in this duel !