A Good Mixture

At Porsche, a team of tire specialists ensures that every new model gets exactly the tire it needs. And only that tire gets the N-specification quality rating.

Twenty-four seconds. That sounds like just a moment. But on the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife, or north loop, it’s an eternity. They call the round 20.8-kilometer track the “Green Hell.” Every new Porsche model is sent there to be pushed to its limit. If you can do it twenty-four seconds faster than anyone else, you might just end up in heaven. The French Carrera Cup driver Kévin Estre did just that. On April 16 of last year, he completed the course in a Porsche 911 GT3 RS in only 6:56.4 minutes. Until then, no aspirated-engine Porsche has done it faster. The car helped him do it, and he the car. “Without progress in the tires, however, this record lap wouldn’t have been possible,” says Jan Frank, specialist for driving dynamics and performance for GT street vehicles. “The influence wielded by the tires is considerable.” Their contribution on the lap of the Nordschleife was worth four to six seconds—despite the fact that the new Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tire isn’t even a special manufacture—it’s available to any customer.

Whether a sports car with a rear engine or a four-door with a front engine: when it comes to the development of a new model, the tire is one of the strategic components. It contributes to shaping the character of the car and is responsible for implementing the driving dynamic typical of every Porsche, without neglecting comfort or safety. “A tire is always a compromise of various characteristics, but also an important element in the overall work of art that’s the chassis,” explains Michael Haupt, a specialist in the strategic tire development department.