During all the je ne sais quoi of the 2016 Paris auto show, we missed some major tire news: Michelin is replacing its Pilot Super Sport (PSS) with the Pilot Sport 4 S (PS4S).
What" Why" The PSS is still young. It is also the tire that dominated our latest summer tire test, and, frankly, it’s one of the best-balanced summer tires on the market. But, if Michelin sat happy with the PSS and turned its undivided attention to rating restaurants, its competition would catch up on the tire front while reaping the benefits of knowing where to get the best eats.
The PSS can handle wet conditions as well as dry. However, according to Michelin, the upcoming PS4S expands the envelope of performance even further with better wet and dry braking, better lap times, and even better wear; an independent testing lab has estimated the PS4S?s life at greater than 30,000 miles. Plus, it features a fuzzy, velvet-like sidewall relief like that found on the Pilot Sport Cup 2. That doesn’t add anything to the performance; it’s just cool to touch. You’d better believe the new tire will serve as the original-equipment choice for a lot of spicy cars. We first noticed the PS4S at Paris on Ferrari?s GTC4Lusso T and also saw it on the new Porsche Panamera at a different event. Expect to see the PS4S as original equipment on BMW, Ford, and Mercedes-AMG products, too.
Initially, we thought the new Pilot might be a Europe-only tire, which is more common than you might th...