Porsche and Michelin Develop New Tire for Carrera GT

Posted on October 13, 2024
Supercars
Porsche and Michelin Develop New Tire for Carrera GT

Production of the Porsche Carrera GT ceased nearly 20 years ago, but Porsche is continuing its efforts to make its millennial supercar even better.

Porsche announced Thursday that it has developed new tires for the Carrera GT in collaboration with Michelin. According to Porsche, the tire is a variant of the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 and incorporates recent technological developments to improve performance on both dry and wet pavement.

To make the new tire a better all-rounder than the previous Carrera GT's rubber, Michelin used two different rubber compounds. According to Michelin, the inner shoulder and tread blocks use a compound with a high silica content that favors grip in wet conditions. The outer shoulder and outer tread blocks use a compound with industrial soot that provides superior performance in dry conditions.

The tires were tested at the Nürburgring Nordschleife by former Porsche factory racing driver Jorg Bergmeister.

“The new tires not only make the Carrera GT faster, but also make it easier for the driver to steer the car with gusto,” Bergmeister said in a statement.

Porsche also claims that the stopping distance from 62 mph has been improved by up to 8 feet and the stopping distance from 124 mph is 39 feet shorter than before. This is significant for a car that, when new, boasted a 0-62 mph time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 205 mph. This was accomplished by a 5.7-liter V10 engine producing 605 hp and 435 lb-ft of torque to propel the 3,043-pound chassis.

Porsche produced only 1,270 cars from 2003 to 2006. Although it has been a long time since production ended, this is not the first time Porsche has commissioned new tires for the Carrera GT; in 2013, Porsche offered the newly developed Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires to replace the original Pilot Sport PS2 rubbers.

More recently, Porsche had to offer new tires to Carrera GT owners for another reason: as part of a fix for a suspension-related recall announced in April 2023, the automaker announced earlier this month that it would offer owners a set of tires at no cost.

You may also like

Nissan Exterra may be revived to compete with Toyota 4Runner
Nissan Exterra may be revived to compete with Toyota 4Runner

The Nissan Xterra trademark has been renewed, hinting at a possible revival of the rugged SUV.On December 23, 2024, Nissan filed an application in the...

Jan 03

Why the Nissan GT-R is called Godzilla
Why the Nissan GT-R is called Godzilla

The Nissan GT-R's “Godzilla” nickname, which has been embraced by car enthusiasts in the United States, has its origins in Australia. As Nissan's ...

Dec 25

Ford Receives Patent for Steer-by-Wire System
Ford Receives Patent for Steer-by-Wire System

Ford is following other automakers in developing a steer-by-wire system, a recently discovered patent application reveals.The application in question ...

Dec 29


Trending

2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid unveiled for the first time
2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid unveiled for the first time

Subaru has long offered hybrid versions of the Forester in other markets, but an electrified version of the popular compact crossover has finally arri...

Dec 26

Jay Leno rebuilds engine for Chrysler Turbine Car
Jay Leno rebuilds engine for Chrysler Turbine Car

In the 1960s, Chrysler built one of the few cars with an aircraft-type turbine engine. When that turbine was in need of a rebuild, where could it be b...

Jan 05

Ford Receives Patent for Steer-by-Wire System
Ford Receives Patent for Steer-by-Wire System

Ford is following other automakers in developing a steer-by-wire system, a recently discovered patent application reveals.The application in question ...

Dec 29