Lee Sibley

Poole, UK

It was during a Sunday morning drive when I found Little Irish a little less settled than usual, particularly at the front of the car. Whereas I could normally throw my 996 into a bend knowing the front tyres would grip faithfully, today was different. The front just wasn’t biting in the way I was used to, replaced by a sketchy, greasy feeling as the 996’s nose slipped around wearily during my morning blast. It didn’t inspire confidence, particularly on damp, wintry roads, so I eased off and, once car and driver were safely returned home, I got underneath the 911 to check out the condition of those front tyres. As I’d expected, they were worn.

I run a little camber at the front wheels as part of my geo setup, which gives the car a more direct, dart-like steer, though the drawback is, of course, faster tyre wear on the inside edge. I say fast, but these front tyres have lasted around 12,000 miles, so it’s not like I’m forking out on new rubber every other month. Regardless, the pay-off is worth it, as I generally love how my 996 handles.

The perished Michelin PS4S also presented a great opportunity: the chance to upgrade to Michelin PS5S!

I’ve already fitted these at the rear and have been impressed by their superior performance over the already-brilliant PS4S, so the prospect to have PS5S fitted all round held great appeal.

These days, the majority of the UK’S national tyre-fitting firms do a come-toyou service, which means if, like me, you work from home, you can carry on with your day while new boots are fitted to your pride and joy on your driveway. So that’s exactly what happened.

Once fitted, I was excited to start scrubbing the tyres in, which happened en route to our first 9WERKS event of the year: ‘9WERKS at the Warehouse’, held at Heritage Parts Centre (get up to 10 per cent off your parts basket by entering 9WERKS10 at the checkout!).

The performance of the PS5S is nothing short of sensational. They’re super grippy, even in damp or wet conditions when the mercury is close to zero. With a nice, supple side wall, they do a great job of communicating grip levels and are, in my opinion, the best performance tyre outside of Cups (though Cups don’t perform as well in colder temperatures).

Pilot Sport 5s aren’t N-rated, but that matters little to me. They’re the best tyre for your 996 and are much better than the awful Pirelli P Zero tyres carrying the current N-rating. Do yourself a favour: bin the stubborn, hard P Zeros and replace them with a set of Michelins. You’ll literally and noticeably elevate the performance capabilities of your 996.

With multiple road trips planned in the first quarter for Little Irish, I’m excited to get stuck into the bends in this fabulous little 911 once more!