Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) tires are Max Performance Summer tires derived from Pirelli’s Formula 1 experience and developed for some of the most exclusive and highest-performing vehicles available. Initially introduced as Original Equipment on the Audi A3 and S3, Lamborghini Huracan LP 580-2 and the Porsche Boxster, Cayman and 911, the P Zero (PZ4) includes replacement tire sizes as well as original equipment fitments. 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 (PZ4), like all summer tires, is not intended to be serviced, stored nor driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice.
Each Original Equipment marked P Zero (PZ4) tire is tailored to the specific application. A special silica and carbon black tread compound can be adjusted according to the vehicle manufacturer’s needs to deliver the desired combination of wet or dry grip and handling, comfort, tread life and fuel economy. The tread compound is molded into an asymmetric tread design featuring an outer shoulder that differs based on whether the tire is intended for original equipment use on a sports car or a luxury vehicle, with the sports car’s outer shoulder focused on dry handling, grip and lateral stability, while the outer shoulder of a luxury vehicle tire is tuned for improved comfort, noise and lateral hydroplaning resistance. Non-original equipment P Zero (PZ4) tires feature the sports car outer shoulder design, and all versions utilize wide, circumferential grooves for efficient water evacuation and hydroplaning resistance.
The tire’s internal structure includes twin steel belts reinforced by a hybrid nylon and Kevlar ZeroDegree cap ply. Based on the desired performance characteristics of the original equipment application, the tire casing will be 2-ply polyester or 1- or 2-ply rayon, with either symmetric or asymmetric construction. This customization allows the tire designers to further fine-tune the tire to match the personality of the automobile for which it is engineered.
The specific tread pattern for each size P Zero (PZ4) is identified on the Specs tab, and will be listed as a clarifier when you look at Search Results.
Limited sizes of the Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) are available with Pirelli Noise Cancelling System (PNCS), which involves the manufacturer adhering a layer of sound-absorbing foam to the inner liner of the tire to reduce cabin noise in the vehicle. These sizes are identified on the Specs page and in the search results.
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.
These tires handle great and hug the road, but at this price I can’t afford a tire that only last 10000 to 12000 miles. I have only had these for 6 months and already need a new set.
Tires were factory tires from Audi at time of purchase. We noticed vibrating and shuddering at speeds over 55 for the past few months (8,000 miles +/-). Audi tried to tell us we need an all- wheel drive alignment as we must have hit something. Finally, I persuaded Audi to check balance, they found the front two tires could not be balanced, they were not sure of issue and suggested tires to be replaced, they indicated cost would be $875. So dissatisfied with dealer I took my car to local tire shop. Come to find out tires the noise dampening foam inside tire was loose and had separated from tire. I called Pirelli and have found out this would be covered under their warranty program. They confirmed there was an adhesive issue during manufacturing. Although they agreed it was a manufacturing issue I am now responsible to may 65% of cost for new tires (prorated based on wear). Pirelli sent Audi dealer the same tires as currently on vehicle. I am currently working through issue that has been going on since October 2018. Both Pirelli and dealership have been very difficult to deal with as no one can tell me the straight story. I am running on the original tires having a tire shop remove the foam and rebalancing tires at my cost. You decide for yourself if these tires are worth the purchase?.
I recently purchased these tires and took them on a several thousand mile trip. During the trip, I encountered some winter weather. The tires were outstanding in all driving conditions.
Tires perform and ride the way you would expect from a quality set of new tires. Only been on the car for 24 hrs so I can’t answer for wear but I would imagine I should get 20k to 30k miles. I would say it is a premium ride quality and cornering seems pretty spot on. First time buying w/tirerack. Process was so simple and the ability to compare tires in one place made the process fun. Thank you
Great performance tire but the tread wear is rather quick.
I drive 90 minutes to work each day, almost all on highway and the tread is basically gone after 20,000 miles. They are only on my car for 7 months out of the year (I switch to Nokian Hakkapelita 9 studded snow tires in winter, which are awesome.) I also experienced two sidewall bulges on these tires and have never had this problem with any other tire. I will never get these tires again.
Left front tire chunking badly after two track days at High Plains Raceway. Right front not quite as bad. Rears badly worn and pitted, but not chunked. Failed tech and lost a prepaid track day. Tire pressures carefully monitored and adjusted after each session. Had similar results on a different car with P Zeros at GingerMan Raceway.I DO NOT RECOMMEND these tires for track use. Have NEVER had similar deterioration with Michelin PSS tires at multiple tracks. Sadly PSS’s seem to have become unobtanium.
I’m over the moon for this new S90 Inscription. It came with 20″ wheels and these P Zero summer-only tires. I saw that there was only one review of this tire, so I thought I’d jump in early. 20″ tires often ride hard. They are more prone to damage from pot-holes etc and I normally would not consider a car with them. I’ve put about a thousand miles on these so far and love it. Car had 4,xxx on it when I got it…dealer demo. So, while I haven’t driven long on them, tires have about 5,000 miles. The ride of this car with 20″ P Zeros is better than my A6 with 19″ Pirelli P7 A/S. There is plenty of grip on dry pavement and no problems in the rain even at higher speeds. My only complaint with these tires is that they are summer only and they’ll have to be replaced for winter. I can’t find wheels for the car, so winter tires are not going to be an option. I’ll use whatever A/S tire I decide on (probably Michelin PS3+ A/S) for the time I drive it and put these Pirellis back on the car at trade-in time. I wanted P Zero A/S because they ride very well too, according to legend. Alas, they do not come in this car’s size. If you have 20″ wheels and want summer tires with good ride, I think these P Zeros will be an improvement. They are quiet and sticky and ride very well. I don’t use this car for track days or crazy stuff so can’t comment on ultimate grip, ability to hold up to track days etc. The S90 is a sedan the size of a 5 series. Great for what it is, but not a track machine. I’d have purchased this car with 19″ A/S tires, but all Inscriptions in the country to date are equipped with summer-only tires…dealer looked this up for me. Is it me or does it seem kinda strange that an AWD Swedish-made sedan and only comes with summer tires on it. Other choice was a 535i with run-flats. I’d have had to change them as well.
I used the P Zero previously and the PZ4 is a significant improvement. The most noticeable difference is the improved ride quality and reduced road noise. The grip is superb and confidence-inspiring. 3,000 miles in and I really like these tires. I’ll try to post again to comment on durability.
I bought these P Zero PZ4’s to replace the original P Zero’s. They seem pretty similar to the earlier P Zero as far as handling, acceleration and braking with no noticeable improvement. I haven’t autocrossed or tracked them to see if they’re different pushed to the limit long enough to get them hot. The difference I do notice is the noise. They are significantly louder on the highway. Road trips are not as much fun and using the phone hands free especially on a conference call is much more difficult especially for the person on the other end. My recommendation is to stay with the original P Zero at least until Michelin makes a Pilot in this size.
Came from michelin pss. The steering feels a tad bit more responsive that pss. It’s certainly a lot more better on the ride quality. Very well isolated on large and lumps. Slightly quieter than pss. Grip levels are pretty similar too. Overall a great tire.
I’ve had these tires all summer and the only time I ever felt the slightest bit of unresponsiveness is at 80 mph in the pouring rain. These are great tires in dry and wet conditions, extra grippy in dry weather. Since highway speed slow down in rainy conditions anyway, I’ve never felt unsafe on these tires. The ride is not too loud but not as quiet as some, the comfort is surprisingly good for the low profile that they are. I’m running them on 8″ wide wheels so they’re a tad bit more stretched than they would be on stock 7.5″ wheels, but they still feel great.
I purchased a pair of these 107 Dodge Challenger HC Widebody-spec 305/35/20 PZero Summer tires to replace a pair of 104 Ferrari-spec PZeros of the same size. The 104 tire exhibited squirrelly (sometime scary) behavior under full acceleration. This 107 version completely removes the bad behavior of the 104 tire and improves handling and response as well. As it should, having been designed for the widebody version of my car. Apparently the carcass of the 104 tire could not properly handle the torque and weight. Happy customer.
My Pilot Super Sports were down to the wear bars, so it was time to replace them with the new champs, PS4S… oh wait, unlike you lucky Amerikaners Michelin doesn¿t sell them in Singapore in “family car” 245/40-18 size! So between Michelin PS4, Pirelli PZ4 and springing for 19-inch wheels, I decided to try out the Pirellis. Got the ¿sport tread¿ version that looks like a bowling score sheet.Versus the PSS, the PZ4 rides more comfortably and seemingly quieter – sounding like the wind rushing past an airplane. The steering effort is much lower too. Standing on the tire to clean the car’s roof (yes, it’s a minivan) partly reveals why – the sidewall is squishier and the tread blocks more squirmy than the PSS. There’s also less rolling resistance than the “Gallic shrug” PSS, and versus the PS4 there¿s a much more generous rim protector which I¿ve already ¿kerb tested¿ once. No rim damage.Of course, we don’t buy max performance summer tires just for straight-line cushiness. How does all this cosseting translate into changing direction? It depends. Up to seven-tenths, it feels sharp and controlled with plenty of grip and linear reactions. But… on my tall car, pushing beyond that asks questions the PZ4s hesitate to answer. The sidewalls flex quite a lot to let that round-shouldered outside tread pattern touch the road, and that allows the contact patch to move around so fast transitions into cornering mode feel lurchy – especially in S bends. The ultimate grip also ends earlier than the PSS, even when those were almost fully worn down. Wet grip seems fine under normal driving, but heeding the Tire Rack test comments means I¿ve not tried exploring the limits in the rain.Verdict so far: The PSS made everyone feel like a hero right up to its grip limits. The PZ4 normally feels comfortable and faithful, but starts to lose linearity and composure when pushed harder unless steering inputs are delicate and measured. Back to driving sensitivity classes for me, then.
Tried these on my 21 inch staggered setup. Previous tires where cheaper Contis with 340 threadwear which lasted 13k miles. This set lasted 8K miles. However, the performance in that span was amazing. The tires are the quietest I have experinced, my car was silent at 80MPH (except for wind noise). Traction and steering response was great. Definitely a top notch tire. Just be aware they do not last long compared to other tires but I expected that going in.
Bought these tires to replace the oem run flats,from the same manufacturer. These this are like driving a different car. They have a comfortable ride, great dry traction, are quiet, and have fantastic steering response. They have a lighter feel than the Michelin pilot super sports I have mounted on my track wheels. They do suffer a little in wet conditions. Nothing dangerous or unsettling, more that you can break the rear end loose when wet if you accelerate hard. I paid less than $100 per tire after rebate. At they price they can’t be beat. The Michelins I was cross shopping were almost twice the price. I’m not sure I would use these on the track, but they are a great street tire.
My only complaint on these Pirellis is that they look a bit stretched onto my 8 inch rims. They’re fun to break loose in the corners being that they grab back up smoothly; even so, I don’t feel that they are in any way lacking in traction for straight launches.
These tires replaced Sumitomo HTR ZIII that I had used up on the race track (Willow Springs). I haven’t taken these to the race track, but I have pushed them on canyon roads. Initial impressions are that these are significantly quieter and smoother. They have a comparable, very good amount of grip, and they handle much better and break away more progressively. I don’t understand how, but they allow me to rotate the (front wheel drive) car much better than my old tires. However, these tires have terrible precision and responsiveness compared to the Sumitomos. My car used to dart around immediately upon moving the steering wheel and land exactly where I aimed it, but now it lumbers over with some hesitation. I’m guessing softer sidewalls cause the tradeoff between a quiet, smooth ride and a lack of responsiveness. These are better for commuting, and the ultimate grip is there and easy to find, but I miss how agile my car used to feel. Living in Los Angeles I don’t worry about rain/snow, but if it’s below 55 degrees in the morning I can feel vibrations at highway speed for maybe a mile until the tires warm up. It makes me think they’re serious about not driving them at under 45 degrees.
I have 23000 miles on them and they are still at 7/32. Awesome tire in wet, great in dry. Somehow lots of road noise and not the smoothest ride but still not that bad. I would love to buy another set but i just can’t justify putting more money than the michelin ps4s.