Michelin Pilot Super Sport vs Pirelli P Zero

Michelin Pilot Super Sport vs Pirelli P Zero (PZ4): We have covered the semi-slick track day tires segment quite a bit with the introduction of Bridgestone Potenza Race & also the Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS. We made a comparison between the newly launched Potenza RE-71RS and its predecessor to show the improvement gains of the new product.

Now we would like to pair another premium competitor, Michelin Pilot Super Sport against one of its segment rivals, Pirelli P Zero (PZ4). We will go through both wet & dry surfaces with various objective & subjective tests and also a comfort test. Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) was launched in 2016 and is sold worldwide. In the meantime Pilot Super Sport was launched in North America in 2010 and despite being very long in the market, it is still available in a wide range of tire sizes.

Results

Results below were taken from the tire rack’s “Three Against One in Max Performance Summer” test. A total of 4 tires were tested this time around in Tire Rack’s own proving ground. The graph below shows the comparison between Michelin Pilot Super Sport vs Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) based on the relevant performance category. The Pilot Super Sport was set as a reference hence at the 100% mark. Note that for subjective comfort 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 245/40 R18 which is a common tire size for Audi A3 and Hyundai Elantra. You can check out our latest tire size table for more information. The testing vehicle is a powerful 2014 BMW F30 328i Sedan.

Dry

One of the most important performances when it comes to the max performance segment is to have a very strong dry showing. In dry braking, Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) has a clear advantage as it managed to out brake Pilot Super Sport by 2.1 feet (0.64m). This distance is relatively big as every braking point in the lap accumulates over a race, not to mention it will also enable better overtaking opportunities.

While in the dry handling area, Pilot Super Sport took the lead in lap times as it was 0.16 seconds faster than Pirelli P Zero (PZ4). While subjectively, Pilot Super Sport was ranked much better with a rating of 8.55/10 for Pilot Super Sport and 8.12/10 for Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) but the devil is in the details. Below are some of the feedback from the test driver.

Pilot Super Sport:

From behind the wheel, our drivers felt the Michelin had a slight edge in grip and handling precision, allowing exact placement through turns with enough reserve traction for mid-corner corrections if needed.

Test driver feedback on Pilot Super Sport

P Zero (PZ4):

The Pirelli and Kumho tires were closely matched both objectively and subjectively, delivering essentially identical average lap times and similar personalities in the process. Both tires were nicely balanced with direct steering, confidence-inspiring brake pedal feel and the traction to power out of turns. Ultimate grip levels were a notch below the Michelin, but the overall capability of either tire was impressive nonetheless.

Test driver feedback on P Zero (PZ4)

Overall P Zero (PZ4) had better dry braking performances while Pilot Super Sport has better wet handling performances.

P Zero (PZ4) :

• +2.8% in dry braking
• -2.2% in dry handling (subj)
• -0.5% 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 worse in wet braking by stopping 1.1 feet (0.33m) later than Pilot Super Sport.

While in wet handling, both tires are equally matched as P Zero (PZ4) was only 0.08 seconds faster compared to Pilot Super Sport. Things were relatively similar in the subjective rating, as P Zero (PZ4) was rated just a fraction higher with 8.32/10 points compared to 8.3/10 of Pilot Super Sport. Overall in the wet category, Pilot Super Sport has a tiny advantage due its wet braking capabilities.

P Zero (PZ4) :

• -1% in wet braking
• +0.1% in wet handling (subj)
• +0.2% in wet handling (lap time)

Noise/Comfort/Ride Quality

Ride comfort, noise & comfort was tested and Pilot Super Sport was ranked higher with an average rating of 8.09 vs 7.78 of P Zero (PZ4).

P Zero (PZ4) :

• -1.6% 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
Michelin	Pilot Super Sport	All	300	AA	A
Pirelli	P Zero (PZ4)	All	300	AA	A

Based on our initial check, only Pilot Super Sport provided a mileage warranty of 30,000 miles while both of them have the same UTQG rating. With the same UTQG tread wear rating, we expect both tires to have a similar 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

Being the undisputed technology leader, we would expect Michelin to command the highest priced tire in the market for these 2 segments. This was proven fairly true as Pilot Super Sport cost 58 dollars more compared to P Zero (PZ4).

Tire size: 245/40 R18

Pilot Super Sport: $257

P Zero (PZ4) :  $199

Difference: -29% more cheaper for P Zero (PZ4)

Summary

Looking into the overall package, Pilot Super Sport excels on both dry & wet handling while P Zero (PZ4) has better objective dry & wet braking performances. As both tires took turns to excel, we are unable to provide a clear winner. The tire choice would be highly based on whether you value the subjective feeling or objective braking numbers more. Enjoy !

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