New tires for our new Porsche | Project Porsche 997

Update by Tim Suddard to the Porsche 911 Carrera project car
Mar 8, 2022

The tires that came on our 997 Porsche were old and noisy. Before leaving Charleston–where we bought the car–we called Tire Rack and ordered new ones.

We consulted with our Tire Rack expert, long-time, national-level autocrosser Woody Rogers. If we were concerned with tire noise yet still wanted something appropriate for an occasional autocross or track day, he suggested Bridgestone Potenza Sport as this model has performed very well in testing.

So we ordered a set and had them sent to our local Discount Tire for mounting–remember, Discount Tire recently acquired Tire Rack.

One thing that Woody cautioned us about is that this tire, though: It does not carry Porsche N-Specification.

Porsche recommends N-spec tires, meaning that these models have been developed jointly.

From Tire Rack’s website:

“To be an Original Equipment tire provider on a Porsche vehicle or be approved by Porsche for the replacement market requires the joint product development efforts of the tire engineers working alongside the Porsche vehicle engineers.”

Our Porsche came with the optional 19-inch tires, so we were looking at $267.99 each for the fronts (235/35R19) and $368.99 each for the rears (295/30R19).

Working with Discount Tire on the install was an absolute breeze. The facility was immaculate. They were able to communicate effectively with a consumer who knew both tires and cars. The whole experience was painless and reasonably priced as we paid $145 for the whole install, which included a tire pressure sensor that had gone bad.

As our old tires carried date codes from 2007 through 2016, it’s hard to compare apples to apples yet we instantly noticed a quieter ride. The tires felt very light on their feet, delivering exceptional turn-in, uncanny lateral grip, and virtually perfect driving manners.

Score another one for The Tire Rack and Bridgestone as they transformed our Porsche into something worthy of the famed crest.

Now we were ready for some upcoming trips, including our Orange Blossom Tour as well as The Amelia festivities.

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