Porsche 911 GT3 RS’s Custom Michelin Tires Cut 10-Seconds From Wet Lap Times

The new rubber will be available exclusively through Porsche Centers across the United States

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The current Porsche 911 GT3 RS is one of the quickest road-legal sports cars around a circuit, but even Porsche realizes the weather doesn’t always cooperate with track days. As such, it’s partnered with Michelin to launch a new wet weather tire for the GT3 RS that promises to extend the “track-day season” and provide better tread life than other tires offered for the car.

The tires in question are the new Michelin Pilot Sport S 5. These tires are already being used by several other OEMs for their high-performance models, but the ones for the 911 GT3 RS have been specifically developed for Porsches with cool and wet weather in mind. They join three other tires that Michelin sells for the GT3 RS, including winter tires and the ultra-high-performance Pilot Sport Cup 2 R for dry conditions.

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Porsche started co-developing the special Pilot Sport S 5 compound with Michelin in 2022. The finished rubber has 7.4 mm of tread depth and four large central grooves to expel as much water as possible. The tires also have a higher proportion of silica than is normal, allowing them to operate optimally at temperatures between 40 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

The difference between these tires and the dry weather-focused Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires is significant. Indeed, around a wet 1.7-mile circuit at the Michelin Development Circuit, GT3 RSs with the new Pilot Sport S 5 tires were more than 10 seconds per lap quicker.

Like the other tires offered for the track-focused 911, these new Michelins measure 275/35 ZR 20 at the front and 335/30 ZR 21 at the rear. They will be available exclusively through Porsche Centers in the US, but pricing and availability details have yet to be announced.

“We are responding to demand from our particularly performance-focused customers who have expressed a desire to spend more time on track during spring and fall,” Director of GT vehicles at Porsche, Andreas Preuninger said. “The new tires significantly increase the annual operating window of the 911 GT3 RS.”

Several other tires from different brands have been developed for the 911 GT3 RS. For example, Pirelli offers its P Zero Trofeo RS tires for the car, while Goodyear has developed special Eagle F1 SuperSport R and F1 SuperSport RS tires for the hardcore Porsche.