For decades, Porsche has worked alongside top-tier tyre manufacturers to develop precision-engineered solutions that extract the best out of their machines. With the Pilot Sport S 5, Michelin has created a road-legal track tyre tailored for the 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3 RS, addressing a key demand from die-hard track-goers who want to spend more time on the circuit even when the weather refuses to cooperate.  

Andreas Preuninger, Director of GT Vehicles at Porsche, encapsulates the tyre’s importance: “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 autumn. The new tyres significantly increase the annual usage period of the GT3 RS.”  

The Pilot Sport S 5 sits alongside the ultra-high-performance (UHP) Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R. The latter thrives in dry, high-temperature conditions, while the Pilot Sport S 5 is designed to dominate circuits made treacherous by rain and cold.  

Since 2022, Michelin test drivers have been rigorously fine-tuning the Pilot Sport S 5 at the Michelin Development Centre in Ladoux, France. Porsche’s brand ambassador and veteran works driver, Jörg Bergmeister, played a key role in its final calibration, helping to achieve a balance between maximum grip and driver confidence.  

A major focus of the development was optimising aquaplaning resistance. The tread pattern has been carefully engineered with four large central grooves, each 7.4 millimetres deep, to efficiently channel water away.

The increased negative tread ratio allows for a significantly higher volume of water dispersion, improving stability and raising the aquaplaning threshold. Mathieu Greco, a tyre developer at Michelin, explains: “The tyre improves vehicle stability and raises the threshold at which the tyre starts to lose contact with the road.”  

A high-silica rubber compound enhances wet grip while also ensuring the tyre reaches optimal operating temperature faster. Where traditional Porsche-approved UHP tyres peak between 15 and 30 degrees Celsius, the Pilot Sport S 5 is at its best between 5 and 15 degrees Celsius, right in the sweet spot for those chilly, rain-soaked track days.

Bergmeister himself is impressed, noting, “The Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 gets up to temperature very quickly. In wet conditions and low ambient temperatures, it offers outstanding levels of control and predictability when changing direction.”  

While the Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 excels in damp conditions, it also remains impressively competent when things dry up. Porsche engineers put it through its paces at both the Nürburgring and Portimão in warm, dry weather, ensuring that the tyre maintains high performance outside its core wet-weather remit. Various tread designs were tested extensively to achieve the perfect balance between front and rear axle grip, making the tyre versatile enough for both hardcore track enthusiasts and those who want to daily drive their GT3 RS in less-than-ideal weather conditions.  

One of the tyre’s biggest strengths is its wear resistance. On a wet, 2.8-kilometre technical circuit at the Michelin Development Centre, the Pilot Sport S 5 slashed lap times by over 10 seconds compared to the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 N0.

Despite its track-focused credentials, the Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 is fully approved for road use, meeting all legal requirements for rolling resistance and noise levels.

For now, the tyre will be available exclusively for the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, with sizes of 275/35 ZR 20 for the front axle and 335/30 ZR 21 for the rear. Distribution will be handled by Manthey, Porsche’s Nürburgring-based performance specialist.  

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Better still, Singapore will be a key part of this new development. Renowned french tyre company Michelin is testing this new prototype technology locally, in partnership with DHL Express.

One of the biggest woes of motoring in Singapore is getting an unlucky puncture due to loose or sharp objects on the road. Unnecessary punctures can even lead to scenarios such as losing control of the vehicle or having to stop by the road shoulder due to a flat tyre.

Michelin, which aims to start marketing these futuristic puncture-proof tyres in 2024, is confident that motorists who use such tyres in the near future need not worry about these potential road hazards.

A teaser image of prototype tyres was shared on Facebook, fitted to a DHL Express delivery van. From the image, we can see that the tyres are puncture-proof because they are made with a grooved structure with slits running from the centre to the outer tyre wall, and do not use air to form their general structure.

This isn’t the first time Michelin has leaked prototypes of such tyres. Back in 2019, Michelin debuted a similar prototype tyre at a trade event in Montreal, Canada. Since then, Michelin must have tested these new compounds in various real-life conditions, and in different parts of the world during its development.

To make these tyres more environmentally friendly too, Michelin also said it will begin using recycled plastic materials in its new tyres starting in 2024. The biggest advantage these tyres have is that without the worry of punctures, these tyres can be used to their maximum lifespan, increasing overall longevity.

Michelin even conducted research between 2012 and 2015 and found that 20 per cent of all tyres scrapped annually were those that unfortunately fell ill to punctures or had uneven wear due to incorrect air pressure figures. 

So, would you make the switch to these new tyres? 

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(Photo Credits: The Straits Times)