Pirelli P Zero System Sizes & review

31
581
bf goodrich gforce comp2as

The P Zero System is Pirelli’s Max Performance Summer tire system offering the possibility of selecting from two different tire designs tuned to be used separately or in unison depending on the type of car, driving conditions and driving style. Designed to heighten performance in the dry and especially in the wet, P Zero System tires were originally developed for some of the world’s fastest cars, such as Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Porsche. 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 System tires, like all summer tires, is not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice.

The P Zero System’s two different options include the P Zero Asimmetrico and P Zero Direzionale. P Zero Asimmetrico all-position or rear-axle tires feature an asymmetrical tread design to focus on transmitting torque to the road with specialized features enhancing cornering power. P Zero Direzionale front position tires feature a directional tread design to focus on hydroplaning resistance and wet surface road holding for cars fitted with wide section width front tires. Both tires’ internal structure features twin steel belts reinforced with nylon cap plies on top of a rayon casing to blend responsive handling with high-speed durability.

Configuration Options:

Asymmetric Front and Rear

This configuration is particularly suited where dry surface performance outweighs the demand for resistance to hydroplaning during high-speed road and/or track use. This configuration is well suited to cars with medium to narrow section front tires and is a must for front-engine front-wheel and four-wheel drive cars.

Directional Front and Asymmetrical Rear

This configuration is particularly suited to mid- or rear-engine cars, front engine or rear-drive axle cars with wide wheels and tires for high-speed use in variable wet and dry conditions.

31 COMMENTS

  1. Bought a set of 4 from tirerack special closeout price ($81/tire)! an amazing deal but keep in mind they were a set of 4 Dirrezionale not the actual “system” where 2 (usually front) tires are direzzionale and the rears are asymetrical. I have only had the tires on my car for a few days and I must say the improvement over the Firestone Firehawks wide oval indy 500s i had before is vast. they are much quieter and more comfortable, though there is some noise as highway speed but nothing bothersome whatsoever the only way to avoid most tire noise is to look into “grand touring” tires. But for a Max Summer performance tire they are quiet and comfortable. Quite soft over bumps and pot holes not punishing at all. Also the thing that stands out the most about these is the grip…. it is a challenge to get the car to loose grip be it in the wet or dry. These tires are exceptional as far as grip and cornering. Though stability is a bit questionable as it does wobble just a bit under hard cornering ( but that’s probably attributed to my 45 wall size tire).If you can get these on a closeout sale or something similar they will be well worth it. though I don’t know if i would pay $200+ per tire, at this price point i would go with Michelin Pilot Sports.

  2. Very goog because this car requires an unusual size. It is also staggered so it has two different sizes tires.Larger and wider in the rear giving it that low profile look as well as it being a modified race car for the most part(5.5 liter) almost 400 HP, it is very low to the ground in front. Tires need to be replaced every 7500-1000 miles.The noise inside is quiet with these tires even thoiugh it has a roaring engine. I would be glad to find another option so ican get the tires i really want even if they are noth the exact size it states in the owners manual.

  3. I have Pirelli P-Zeros on both my Ferrari and on my Bentley. Both vehicles perform exceptionally well. The Bentley is my daily driver and the Ferrari sees duty only in dry summer driving. Still, these tires are both quiet and high performance.

  4. Traveler’s, if you love responds, quiet, safety, and grip, then you will be astonished by the qualities in the compound formula in the Pirelli Pzero System. (Note- System style Pzero could be fazed out.) I have driven hard and normal. The best information I can pass on are two stories. First, while travelling in the midwest, I covered nearly 400 miles at 80 MPH thru hard and normal rain and occasional ruted HWY. The tires never faulted. The handling and hydroplaning resistance was outstanding. As for a true test, canyon driving the best! Travelling thru the canyons of eastern Oregon, the tires surpassed even the computer warnings, that is, I had exceding traction control system limits. Not even, the lighter sportscars could maintain the pace I set. The car can only rise as far as it’s tires. After putting 19,000 on this set, I’m still have 7/32 left. I have heard complaints about tread life in some reviews. I have found pocket racers reviews are poor information for sportcar lovers. I would definitely purchase another set, that is, if Pirelli maintains this series.PS = The tires, across the face, wear incredibly even.

  5. These tires were great performance on my 2000 XK8 coupe. Great cornering and grip. Certainly the best performance tires I’ve ever owned. That said, the downside of these tires, apart from price, is the following: a) Noise – I have a coupe. The noise probably doesn’t matter with a convertible, cause they are noisy anyways. But in the coupe, the noise level got to be a problem, particularly as they got older. b) “Falling” into grooves. The tires are so sticky when hot that they sometimes “fall” into the grooves in the highway made by the heavy trucks. You can be driving along and suddenly the car just “slides” over a bit. The pliable tire surface sort of slips into the bottom of the truck grooves if the groove is deep enough. It took me awhile to figure out what was causing this, but I tested it enough on roads like I-80 (heavily traveled by trucks cause there are no tolls) – the right hand land has the grooves, the left does not. It was a reproducible effect. Not dangerous or anything, just a little disconcerting when it happens. My wife even noticed it. c) Wet concrete – I experienced enough hydroplaning with these tires to get concerned whenever it was raining – but slowing down, particularly when you can see accumulated water made them managable. But my Michelin Pilot A/S tires didn’t do this. d) Snow – forget it – these are not all-season, they aren’t designed for snow. Price and tread are traded for performance enhancements. Summation: GREAT PERFORMANCE tires, best I’ve had – but the tradeoffs in noise and “wobble” made me choose Michelin Pilot A/S to replace them. If you have a convertible, the noise won’t be a problem.

  6. An outstanding blend of noise and road comfort combined with high performance that is hard to equal in just about any other max performance tire. The closest to it is Pirelli’s own PZero Rosso, which wears even faster (despite having a higher UTQG). Both axles fitted with Asymmetric, since Quattro AWD. For a heavy, powerful, near-luxury sedan, I appreciate the supple driving dynamics as much as the cornering and braking performance. We fitted Michelin Pilot Super Sports to our A-4 2.0 S-Line, in nearly the same size (235/40-18 versus 255/40-18). In comparison, the PSS have higher limits, react immediately to control inputs, and have a slightly harsher ride — perfect for a car with sport suspension. Still, I love the silky ride the PZeros deliver on this larger, standard suspension Audi sedan. I can see why Jaguar (previously) fitted them as OEM on several of their performance models.You’ll note that we live (and drive) in Vermont. No one up here is foolish enough to run either the PZero or PSS in the winter months. These are tucked away in the garage from late-October until right about now (May). The Pirelli Winter 240 Sottozero Serie II has been a revelation: a true performance winter tire that actually works in bitter cold, in snow, and on icy roads. But that’s for another review….

  7. Tires were originally installed by the dealer (N3 spec model for Porsche). Rears lasted 14,000 miles which included 2 DE events, and was longer than the Porsche dealer expected given the track time. I found the traction was fantastic, very predictable on the track. When driving on the track in the wet they were predictable, and when combined with the AWD on the car I was able to do fairly agressive driving on a wet, and slick surface. I found the car to have essentially infinite grip on the street, I dont think there is any way to max out these tires in any safe way on the street. They seem a bit noisy, but not noticeably so. I have noticed no tram-lining problems with these tires or this car.As they wore down I noticed very little loss of traction, except in the rain with strong crosswinds, then the car felt a bit light. Definitely buying again because the car has a tire/wheel warrantee that requires the N-Spec tire, and these were good enough that Ill pay for these tires to keep that warrantee. Will be moving to track tires for future DE events to extend the life of my street tires.

  8. I have used this tire for about 4 track days (Watkins Glen) and 2 autocross days, in addition to a few thousand miles of on the street driving in NY city. I could not be happier with the chioce. On the track the tires give great feedback and hold up to aggressive driving. The performance envelope is huge and I have tracked them in hot weather and rainy weather without any issues. On the street they offer comfort and low noise. Highly recommended over cheaper brands.

  9. Although I have only driven on these for a short time they perform superbly in the Naples driving conditions. Great traction through curves at around 140 Kph. Smooth ride with no feelings of loosing traction even at 200+Kph. I compared them to the Goodyear F1s and the local tire dealer said the sidewalls would hold up much better in Naples on the Pirellis (I had destroyed a Michelin Pilot earlier that day on a pothole)

  10. Terrific performance. I have a heavy car and the tires make it feel like it is glued to the road. I would bet my life on this tire. Unfortunately, the tracking gets fatiguing. The car constantly wants to follow every crack in the road. Noise is another issue. I am driving an XJR and you have no idea that there is a world outside the windows, but the road noise still gets through. The wear is what I expected from such a tire. Like a Jag dont buy them if you cant afford them!

  11. Unbelievably poor tire wear! 7k miles of average driving and the rears are bald! Otherwise a very predictable tire when pushed. Pathetic in snow, but on par for a performance tire…looking for a longer wearing substitution..if there is such a beast!

  12. The tire is for performance not day-to-day city and higway driving. It rides rough and darts left and right in the truck tire depressions in highways. You must drive your car with these tires. Cornering is great and stoping is great. I an an average driver that wants a nice ride and good performance. These tires dont provide the ride I want. They are useless in the snow.

  13. I will never buy these tires again (or any Pirelli tire for that matter). After 10,000 miles, the inner sidewall of one tire completely collapsed without warning…very, very unsafe! These tires are horrible in the rain and snow and the treadwear is terrible. The only positive thing I can say about them is that they do perform fairly well in dry conditions.

  14. Got only 11,500 miles out of this tire before having to replace them. They developed cracks and later blistering to inner sidewall, rendering them useless. Very dangerous and it was lucky that my mechanic noticed this during routine car service. Otherwise, I may not be here to write up this review. Also, when tire had to be changed, it was also getting close to tread depth marker, so not much life left. Very disappointing tire. Used to get alot of wheelspin/ traction problem; with the huge amount of torque this vehicle possesses. ESP lights would flicker constantly with full throttle launches.

  15. When you are driving certain cars, there is a well defined performance expectation. When driving a 370 horsepower XJR with all of its handling capabilities, you think you have one of the best handling vehicles in the world. Jaguar/Ford could not have taken their tire research too seriously or perhaps Pirelli almost gave these tires away for use on the Jaguar line. I have owned several rear wheel drive beasts such as 1 1968 Chevelle SS, 7 Mustang GTs (1986-1996), 1 Camaro SS (2001), and 1 Olds 442 which would be able to outperform this tire in heavy rain, drizzle, flurries, or snowstorms. Even when comparing apple to apple such as the other Jaguars I owned, the Dunlops on my XJ-6 and Continentals on the XJS-12 were outstanding in comparison. In any weather they had better responsiveness, treadwear, resistance to punctures, and ride quality. This is by far, the worst tire I have ever driven on and it is strange that it happens to be original equipment on the best car I have ever owned. Try the Dunlops, Bridgestone Potenza, or Goodyear F1 and just act like you never heard of Pirelli.

  16. With over 420whp, these tires are the ultimate in dry traction for a highway compound. Excellent cornering tractionM very predictable. Much better wet traction than expected. They do have a tendancy to tramline, and are fairly noisy and rough, but what do you expect from a 35-series tire. Treadlife was brief, but again better than expected.

  17. First, let me explain WHERE my opinion is coming from. I drive a 4200 lb supercharged rocketship as hard as traffic and road conditions will allow. And when there is no traffic, all ——– breaks loose andIm the one with the ten foot grin. My motto: faster is funner and I dont care that “you have no friends at 180 mph” (and mountain roads are better) The term “spirited” driving habits just didntsay quite enough. Now you know what I expect from a “performance” tire, we can continue on the “same page”.These PZeros will take whatever you dish out with very little noise or loss of traction on warm dry roads. Thats what they were designed and perfected for. If you are silly enough toexpect these tires to perform in heavy rain or snow, I feel no compassion for your lack of reading comprehension. PZeros handle well on “wet” roads with no standing water, but do not have the tread design to dissipate any standing water. If performance was the only issue, I would replace them with the same. However, the set I got for my Jaguar XJR had some problems without-of-roundness and balance. Tire Rack reluctantly replaced 3 of the tires before they even hit the ground. They were as much as .130″ (thats a little over 1/8″ for fractional folks)out-of-round and required over 8 oz.. of weight.I should have returned the 4th tire for the same reasons but Tire Rack informed me they “rarely” replace more than 2 tires at a time, and wouldnt replace all 4? They lost a long time multi-settire purchaser because of it. At $25 a pop for mounting and balancing (every tire, every time) it can definitely add to the expense. And the bottom line is: $1200 for tires, $195 for mounting and”attempted” balancing for a set of premium tires that never quit vibrating, is a bit too much! And this is with a brand new set of forged alloy wheels. The mounting tech even checked the wheels separately to rule out wheel untrueness.

  18. These tires are the best i have ever used. I even consider myself a crazy drive and these tires still lasted 35000 miles. Cornering at 80mph and on a closed track (Of Course) going 160+. These tires can take anything… you just cant beat the price, 1200 for 35000 miles is a great bargain. I am having a new set put on asap

  19. I have found the faster I drive through potholes these tires have performed excellant. I have found at low speed these tires do not handle potholes as well. I had one get torn up and the other ruined due to a damaged rim. These tires have really taken a beating from the pothole infested streets of LA. I am very satisfied with these tires and will definitely buy them again.

  20. ive been running P Zeros for the past 7 years now, both on a 72 E-type and also on a 2000 XKR (18″), totalling well over 150k miles and love them… The handling is terrific. Obviously, with a 140 treadwear they will not last very long, between 5 and 10k miles depending on how many autocross and track days i do… Wet traction is really good, Ive run them on track and autoX in wet condition with great result.as long as Pirelli makes them… they will be on my cars !

  21. I am on my 3rd set of Pirelli P-Zeros. I drive 90% street, 10% track. These tires are an awesome combination Street/track tire. However, this increased grip comes at the expense of lower milage over their lifetime. With good tread depth this tire is also good in the wet. I burn a set of rear tires every 5K miles, but that is combined with 4-5 hard track days. This is a great tire that has fantastic cornering characteristics and a quiet ride. If you want the highest performance without going to a DOT R rated tire, this is it IMHO. I have noticed that grip is reduced when the tread gets to the wear bars, but I think that may be typical of many tires.

  22. Attention Jag XJR owners. Im here to recommend the Kuhmo ASX. My tire rating number is for the P Zeros. But first, I bought this car used with the P Zeros. In my estimation, the p zeros kill the car. They may be great on a track, but for 98% of the time they were awful in that they wander all over, crash over RR tracks, pot holes jar the steering column, not like a LUXURY ultra high perforance car. Im writing to strongly recommend that you also consider the Kuhmo ASX all season ultra high performance as the best overall solution. You need to go up in sidewall to 255 45 18, and they fit, no rubbing, but then again you could use more sidewall for better ride and to protect the rims. The car is completely transformed into a smooth riding, quiet, tracks straight, doesnt crash over bumps, dont need to slow down for anything, look great but the taller sidewall does soften the look just a smidgen. The handling on public roads is outstanding with no compromise, hydroplaning resistance is very good, snow ok to get you home anyway. I have over 10,000 miles on them and dont really see any wear yet. Read the Kuhmo Reviews. They perform the best up to the last mile. I sometimes drive it hard on the off ramps and at very high speeds sometimes. Perfectly planted and secure. This is the hot insiders tip for XJR owners. The Kuhmo ASX is the answer for 4 out of 5 owners out there. At $ 133 each, they are also the lowest price, but perform with the best, really, a true bargain. They look really great on the car. I get compliments all the time. This XJR is now truly a Luxury High Performance rocket, as intended. I would rate the Kuhmo ASX a 9.5.

  23. This is my SECOND set of tires. At a cost of almost $1,800.00 a set, these tires should last at least 20,000 miles. The noise level is bad. I have even hydroplaned on the freeway but was saved by the DCS system. Dry traction is very good. If you want a better tire buy the Michelin pilot 2’s I did, and am glad I did! These tires came as OEM for my XKR. I wished that I would have replaced them with the Michelins the first time.

  24. These tires are the best handling, grippiest tires I have ever used. They are durable and solidly built. While they are a bit noisy, the cornering in my Jag belies the size of the car and they perform just as well when it is wet with no threat of losing traction. As for wear, they are not worse than any other high performance tire. One thing I have noticed with the Pirellis, especially compared to Michelin, is that they grip throughout the entire life of the tread, whereas with the Michelins would lose traction even though they had some rubber left. Definite buy if you grip is what you want.

  25. i’ve had two sets of these tires on the XKR and i would say that they’re the stickiest tires on the market. it’s not a problem to go about 90 miles an hour on an on-ramp in the dry, and still have lots of sticky left in them. I did have a flat once, and didn’t notice it, and drove on a flat tire at highway speeds for about ten miles. the sidewalls on these tries are so durable that the tire was absolutely toast, but the rim on the car didn’t have a mark, wasn’t bent or anything. these tires are great!

  26. Installed these on the rear wheels of a 1990 Porsche Carrera2. Soft tires like these don’t last long on a 911, and the rears wear out first. I’ve had several sets of PZero tires and that’s all I’ll use on this car. They’re a great performance tire, and now with the standard performance rim being 18 or 19 inches, the cost of 16 inch tires is reasonable. In 1990, 16 inch rims were state of the art for street sports cars! And Tire Rack always has the Porsche recommended tire compositions in stock. That’s what “N3” indicates, and it’s easy to kept all tires matched.

  27. This tire is the ultimate example of a tire that takes track performance yet makes them daily driver useable. These tires are fantastic. While some will criticize wear, you don’t buy these tires for their wear mileage. Absolutely buying these amazing tires again. Please don’t tell me they don’t make them or have discontinued my size…..

  28. Very goog because this car requires an unusual size. It is also staggered so it has two different sizes tires.Larger and wider in the rear giving it that low profile look as well as it being a modified race car for the most part(5.5 liter) almost 400 HP, it is very low to the ground in front. Tires need to be replaced every 7500-1000 miles.The noise inside is quiet with these tires even thoiugh it has a roaring engine. I would be glad to find another option so ican get the tires i really want even if they are noth the exact size it states in the owners manual.

  29. Wow! I like these tires. TR delivered early to local dealer who mounted them. Difference from previous BFG tires was significant- better feel, much better cornering, quieter. They feel a little “heavier” due to softer compound and that is not a dig at them, just different. I’m looking forward to a road trip to further evaluate in different conditions.

  30. My car is a Backdraft racing Cobra 427ci. w/565HP in a car that only weighs 1900 lbs. I have 255 40ZR 18s directional up front and 335 30R 18s asimmetico in back. These tires keep my car glued to the road even with this high power to weight ratio. Turn in is fantastic and grip through the corner is the best ride is what I would expect for a performance tire and suspension. Road noise is not an issue for me in an open roadster with loud side pipes. Wear is yet to be determined. As of now I would definitely buy again.

  31. I’ve only experienced driving this set of tires on dry and sometimes dusty roads, US 101, state and county roads, some with lots of farm and harvesting equipment. Traction and handling are excellent. Ride over potholes is somewhat rude which is to be expected. Tires look aggressive and great on the car.

Leave a Reply to 2005 Mercedes-Benz C55 Sedan Cancel reply

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here