The P Zero Nero (nero Italian for black) is Pirelli’s Max Performance Summer tire developed for the drivers of sports cars, sporty coupes and medium-large sedans. The P Zero Nero was developed to work harder so the driver could play harder exploiting the sporting character of their high performance car. Pirelli’s warranty does not cover tires that develop compound cracking due to use in ambient temperatures below 45° Fahrenheit (7° Celsius), so the P Zero Nero, like all summer tires, is not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice.
P Zero Nero tires feature a silica and carbon black enhanced tread compound molded into a subtle asymmetric, wide rib tread design to increase the rigidity of the tread to resist deformation and enhance grip and steering response on a variety of road surfaces while enhancing resistance to irregular wear and generating low noise levels. Circumferential grooves are optimized in their position and width to maximize dry road performance while enhancing hydroplaning resistance.
The tire’s internal structure features twin steel belts reinforced by zero degree nylon to complement a lightweight aramid internal structure that resists deformation at high speeds.
Founder at Tiresout. Used to be working as an engineer at Bridgestone Tires Akron Technical Center. The responsibilities included but were not limited to technical computing, indoor & outdoor testing of new tires.
This is the second set of P Zero Nero I have had on my Fiesta ST.For daily driving they are a great tyre giving good feedback on the road and above average levels of grip.Highly recommend them
Overall satisfaction with this OEM tire dampened by tire wear: 5/32 is more wear than experienced with similar performance spec tires. Am replacing with BF Goodrich G-Force Comp tires.
Great dry traction and handling couldn’t ask for better. but when it rains be weary tires will spin when starting from a stop and will hydroplane at highway speeds I have had my vehicle abrubptly change lanes without trying several times for that reason I’m going to try the Michelin Pilot Sports AS3 tires and hopefully it will remedy this.
These tires are not really good at anything other than responsiveness. The tires are completely bald after 7000 miles. I checked the alignment and I haven’t thrashed these around either. They have only one autocross event on them. After 5500 miles they had 5/32″ left on them, so I took them on a road trip to the black hills. After a day of going through the hills amazing roads, and not in an aggressive manner, the fronts were done and the rears had 3/32″. They have absolutely no ability in rain or temps below 40-45. I have had several sets of performance tires and these are easily the most disappointing set I’ve ever had. Noisy, extremely short life, dry cornering is not that good compared to the competition. Stay away from these turds, I got them on sale, and I wish I had gone with pretty much anything else. I’ve had good luck with Pirellis before, but I don’t think I’d ever pick up a set again without someone I knew vouching for them.
Mostly driving around the city, not much highway. Over local road bumps and cracks we cross over each week, these tires are so much smoother. Also, these tires are much less noisy that the OEMs.So far, had not used them in the wet and have not really pushed them in a corner.
My Abarth came with Pirelli P Zero Nero 205 40R 17 tires. I drove them to and from work not every day but about 4 days a week, BUT I also auto crossed them on a concrete track (WW2 airfield) for an entire season. I also did three competition driving schools on them. I ran them until they were slicks (not recommended really, especially in rainy conditions). I have to say, for a street tire these things are amazing. Of a usual 100 or so cars of all types at the events I consistently placed around 30th beating Vettes, Porsches, Subarus, Bimmers etc. I was amazed at the performance of these tires, granted a they are not competition tires! I was amazed at their grip on the track even once worn to slicks and that I got as many miles out of them as I did. When they wore out I replaced them with Falken 615Ks which performed even better on the track under racing conditions but I always worried about wet weather driving with the Falkens. The Pirellis didn’t give me that worry in wet conditions (until they were slicks). I bought a second set of wheels and am going to buy another set of the P Zero Neros for street driving and just replaced the Falken 615Ks for track use. I think there are better track tires than the Falkens but I trust the Falkens on the road and they work well on the track, last longer than stickier tires and are a better price point. The Pirellis are a good price point too for a road tire. Actually I’m very happy with both tires! A lot of veeeery high performance cars come stock with the Pirelli P Zero Neros! Great tires!
These are the original equipment tires for Mercedes, they are smooth and responsive at highways speed, wished the road noise would less. I am very satisfied with wet weather traction at highways speeds.
If you plan on driving in snow, do not buy these tires. Despite Quattro AWD and ABS, I slid 75 feet down a moderate hill and hit a truck stopped at the intersection before me. Apparently, the truck could handle the inch of snow on the road. These tires also spin on flat ground when their is snow or ice. I am switching back to dedicated snow tires. My old Michelin Arctic Alpins never slipped in any conditions.
I have worn out a number of very high performance tires on this car. All have their quirks. These are still low miles, so I haven’t really tested them much, but so far so good. The PZero Nero offer surprisingly civilized ride, fairly low noise, with strong and predictable cornering. My suspension is mostly stock with Koni shocks, and these tires will out perform my suspension with no drama or unexpected motion, and max cornering on ramps is very stable and predictable. I am impressed that wet traction is very good and they still behave well. I can’t wait to put them back on after snow season!
This is a good performance tire (emphases on performance). The tire holds up well for the first 10,000 miles, but then begins to wear quickly. The end of life noise and vibration is high (no matter how many times you balance and align the tire). The dealer told me I had 5-10% left at 15,000 miles, and I am replacing them at 17,000. I suppose this drop-off is normal for a performance tires.I am going to a summer touring tire next, so I will be curious to see the performance and handling differences between (arguably) the best sport tire and the best tour tire.
These tires did not last long at all, 16,500 miles. They were aligned new then rotated every oil change. All 4 tires had even wear across tire down to the wear indicators. After 8,000 miles, I started thinking I had a hub bearing going out, well I don’t. Come to find out it was the tires. Worst set of tires I have ever had, will never have again.
this is the oem tire on my car. i will be probably at least shopping for a stickier tire but i just got back from laguna secs for an Abarth track day event (comes free with the car if you’re looking for an excuse to buy an abarth) where i drove a standard abarth on standard brakes and tires and the tires gripped wonderfully. i could easily predict and feel the understeer and then feed on the power more correctly. the only time i was ever out of line was more my fault than the tires’ and after feeling them maneuver that corkscrew with aplomb, i can safely say these tires are top notch and they kept me on the track, which is more than i can say of other tires, and they are quite talkative (you know when they’re going to break away they begin to howl and you feel the slip happen but careful throttle modulation keeps grip easily).
Got these new Pirelli’s after a botched alignment on my old tires. After getting the alignment fixed, these new tires feel amazing. the bumps are less but the traction is amazing. I used to peel out launching from a light on the old tires, these hook instantly. The tread looks cool, handles awesome in the rain, and corners awesome for my little truck. Couldn’t have asked for a better tire at this price.
I use this set of tires as my off-track daily driver tire. These Pirelli P Zero Nero tires are standard equipment on the Mustang GT Performance Pack edition. They did well for me up until around 8,000 miles. They went from practically no measurable tread-wear to evaporating rapidly after the 10,000 mile mark. I am installing a supercharger in the coming week and, sadly, these tires aren’t going to be used for very long. They are only good above 72 degrees F for me as-is… and the tires don’t maintain traction very well below that range. Turning and cornering characteristics are indeed good… but straight line acceleration with high torque are these tires’ Achilles heel.
Bought these for my wife’s Genesis 4.6. They were reasonably priced for performance tires. I’ve had them for 22,000 miles and the tread is already less than 2/32 on all 4 tires. My wife doesn’t drive the car hard at all, so I’m very disappointed with the wear. And, of course, there’s no tread life warranty on these tires. I will not be buying another set!
OEM on a 2013 Fiat Abarth. Doing well on dry and wet. Ride comfort is not so well due to the low profile. This is a daily drive use, never track the car, however this car has lowing springs, Koni adjustable shock and other aftermarket roll bar and chassis brace. Also engine and exhaust is customized. Tire rotate every 5000 miles. But after 15000 miles combine with 65% highway and 35% city the noise start to increase to the point I can take it. Tire wear are even and should have other 5000 to 7000 miles left. No complain on the performance for normal daily drive. But the noise level is the most downside for me to keep these tires on. Even my winter tires is quieter!Planning to change them to Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport in few weeks
This is my summer only car. I put 23000 miles on it in the one summer I owned it. I had no complaints until late last fall, my tires started making a lot of noise. Now…did my first road trip of the year and the neros are getting louder. Took car in for first annual alignment and was told no adjustments were needed. The neros sound like monster truck tires! I can here them even over the shaker 500 cranked up. I hate these tires! I hate driving my car with them on there. They are expensive and not worth the money….do not buy the p zero Nero if your lookin for a quiet ride like I am. I baught the car so I could road trip, now I gotta put my first trip of the year off a while so I can buy new tires……tread life is still very good by the way….
Best high performance tire I’ve ever used. Hangs onto the road like glue. Very precise feeling. Summer tire but used through winter with light snow or ice with no problems. Tires wore much longer than expected for a high performance summer tire. Too bad no longer available and had to replace with something else.
These came oem on my mercedes. I have read bad reviews however so far these have been great tires. I can’t rotate them due to difference size wheels front and rear. Tires are quiet and tread wear has been great thus far. No need to rebalance them or get an alignment yet. Very happy since the day I bought the car last July.
So I have this Fiat Abarth, which if you’re not familiar with because it is new to the US, is the sportiest model of the Fiat 500. I expected a good handling tire to match the car and the Pirelli delivers. It’s quiet and responsive and no vibration. The only downside is the treadwear. I rotate my tires on my vehicles between 6K and 8K miles. When I rotated this set at 7K I also measured the tread depth to see how they were wearing. I was a little surprised that they averaged only 8/32nd at 7K miles. The tires start out new at 11/32 and 2/32 is as low as you can go. So I estimate these tires will be completely worn out around 20K miles. This may be normal for this type of tire but was a shock to me as I am used to getting 60K to 80K out of a set of tires. I liked the fact that they put an Italian tire on an Italian car but I think I’ll be looking at a different tire when the time comes.
I bought a brand new 2012 VW Golf almost exactly 2 years ago, and put P Zero Neros on with just a few miles on the odo. Currently (9/24/14) the car has about 46K and change showing, so without exaggeration, I have driven the Pirellis more or less 45,000 miles over 2 years. Just had the car inspected today- there is still 5-6/32 of tread left. They easily passed PA state inspection, and the service guy said 5/32 is about 1/2 the allowable tread wear! If it’s not clear, I will say I drive many hiway miles per year, working around the Mid Atlantic region, traveling from my home near Harrisburg, PA to NYC, NJ, Philly, Baltimore, and several cities in PA. Plus recreational driving/road trips etc. So more hiway than local miles for sure. I listed my driving style as “spirited”. Let’s say I don’t drive like a mad man but I do drive like I gotta get someplace. The tires handle well in all SPRING/SUMMER/FALL conditions. I’ve frankly never used them in snow- I have a 4WD truck I use in snowy times. These tires are totally predictable and stable in wet or dry conditions- not sure I’ve ever had them hydroplane on me, and they are reasonably quiet as well -depending on road surface & conditions. All in all, I have to say these are maybe the best overall tires I’ve ever had on a passenger car. I’d buy them again in a New York heartbeat, and heartily recommend Pirelli P Zero Nero tires to anyone who seeks to get get maximum mileage per dollar in a tire that does everything pretty doggone well.
Very solid performance tire with very good dry handling and acceptable wet weather performance. A little perturbed by a “bubble” in one sidewall that showed up after a relatively “mild” pothole impact around 22K–have had run flats “bubble” on me in the past but not standard tires. Treadwear is OK but certainly not stellar (no surprise based on the 220 treadwear rating). Had another Abarth with 16″ wheels previously that managed 42K on its OEM tires–these Pirellis will need to be changed out in the next 2-3K.
There are other reviews very similar to my experience on various cars (and weights). When cold and not managed carefully (both pressure and temperature) you are in for a ride. Much like ice skating.. I have run 27 to 32 psi cold. On an avg. Calif day of 72 to 80 degrees, until these temps come up, she will get loose quick. If you’re not comfortable steering with the gas pedal, you’re in for some fun. Once up to temp (tested cold 27psi through 31psi and warm to 33psi) you can attack corners with good gear and gas. Go hot into a corner with brakes, and you again are likely to have a bad moment. Wear is bad (normal for most soft compound tires) but what bummed me out was how greasy they can get once hot. So there’s this weird sweet spot of not too hot, not too cold, and the grip is heroic. Fart around the limits, and tread wear does not justify the grip in-between. Imagine for a moment, that I drive this car to the limits everyday. Yup – I have that varied commute with canyons and 100+ speeds twice a day as my daily commute. For more than 15 years and 9 Mustangs, I know my roads. These tires miss the mark. Others may love ’em and hate me. That’s cool. But these get loose and greasy, and wear worse than some 20+ sets of tires I’ve run through a daily “road course” over many years. – Yes – I share the 911 experience of the other driver that commented. I had same results 🙁 .. Good thing the rear actually does the steering.. 🙂
These tires came as OEM on my 2013 Volkswagen GTI Autobahn Edition and were great in the beginning. However, at about 12,000 miles the traction on acceleration from a stop began to go away and the noise started. I routinely rotate and balance my tires as well as check my alignment. It appears to noise may be caused by unwarranted cupping according to the dealership. I have tolerated the noise for the past 10,000 miles but believe I’m about to the end with these and have begun searching for a competitive alternative that will give me a combination of performance, quality and price.
The Pirelli P Zero Nero tire is the factory option for Ford Mustang GT in 2010. I have driven another Mustang that came with Goodyear Eagle tires for performance and track. Although that Mustang had three times as much horse power and torque, and upgraded suspension, the normal ride didn’t feel as stable as on the Pirelli’s. This, coming from a long time Goodyear customer.
Good luck previously with these tires. Replaced front set a few years ago and they are basically worn out after only 7,000 miles. Quality must have changed, rear tires are going on 35,000 and just now wearing out.
OEM tires on the Fiat 500C Abarth. Disappointed at the quality of these Pirelli’s. I have had several different sets of Pirelli tires and these are by far the worst. As a 205/40/17 the flat spot on the overnight and I doubt they will last past the 20K mark. Dry traction is good, wet is better than expected and forget about moving your car if it snows. Will not replace this set with Pirelli’s due to the flat spotting annoyance.
Grip was fine on these tires. I had three major problems.1) The tires wore out extremely quickly. I went to rotate at 9000 miles (yes I missed the target), and the fronts were already toast.2) Wet traction suffered GREATLY as the tires began to wear down. Controlling the vehicle at highway speed was tricky. It wanted to hydroplane even on the smallest amount of water.3) The tires tramlined terribly. Slight imperfections in the pavement would pull you all over the place. I thought I had a suspension problem until I bought new tires.
I put these tires on my mustang after I had good year stock tires on them. These tires were amazing the first 7-8k miles. After that, noise and ride comfort was an issue. Cornering is still still pretty stout as long as you’re not slamming the gas. As others have mentioned, tire pressure jumps, especially when its hot outside. I live in Florida and its hot 9 months out of the year. The middle part part of the tires, all four, show heavy wear, while the outside of the tires still look stellar. I can’t say I’d be waiting in line to buy them again but over all, I’d rate the tire a 6.5. Tires are too expensive to be experiencing problems with 19k miles on them.
The 205/40R17 P Zero Nero’s were original equipment on my 2018 FIAT 500 Abarth. The good- they stick well in both dry and wet conditions and are imho a very communicative tire …. you have a good sense of what the tire is doing. The bad- tramlining. Most of the time it’s nonexistent except for rain grooves. On most rain grooves the tires let you know they are there and it’s not a big deal but there’s one particular set of (deep) grooves where the car acts like it’s possessed, swinging wildly side to side. It’s a road I seldom take and I’ve never encountered it anywhere else.The other bad is treadwear but with a 220 rating what else could you expect …. I knew that going in. Think I’ll be lucky to see 20,000 miles out of them. The tires are currently off the car and a set of Blizzak WS80’s are in their place and am looking forward to the end of the month when the P Zero’s go back on. The Blizzaks are great in snow, ice and freezing temps (the P Zeros are not- damhikt) but seriously degrade the handling. Imho the P Zero Nero is an excellent summer only tire and when it comes time to replace them, they will be near or at the top of my list of tires to consider.