I've been very happy with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus on my XKR 2000 and XKR 2008. They're the best tyre I've found so far for normal use.

According to Michelin they're meant to last 40k miles. I haven't got there yet but looking at the wear so far I have no cause to doubt it.

If your priority is hardcore performance (i.e. racing or slalom events), then get Pirelli P-Zeros, as they do grip better than A/S Plus's at the raggedy edge. The price for that small difference in grip is high though: You should only ever drive in the dry (Stopping on P-Zeros in even slight wet can be like walking on ice). Also be prepared to sacrifice more money, noise, comfort, and be prepared to have to buy new tyres every 8-10k miles.

For anything else the Michelins are a much better than P-Zeros in every way (lower cost, about 4x the longevity, much lower noise level, significantly improved comfort esp. over pot holes, and much better/safer grip in wet/winter conditions). They also cope perfectly well with 'spirited' driving.

Submitted by rahess@comcast.net on Tue, 10/01/2013 - 17:56

I have Michelin Pilot Sport A/S front and back on my 2001 XK8 Convertible. The front tires are in good shape but the rear tires are down to the wear bars. I am told the A/S tires are no longer available and A/S 3 is the latest version of this tire. Can I keep the A/S tires on the front and put A/S 3 tires on the rear?

Richard Hess

Submitted by stevejag@sbcgl… on Sat, 02/09/2013 - 13:09

Stu,

What you seem to describe is something that COULD happen with any tire. It happens way less than it used to in years past, but it happens. Tire technology just gets better and better.

Your tire and alignment guy SHOULD be able to pin the pull down to one offending tire. At the very least, if he can say it's the tires confidently, he should be able to determine which one. At that point, Costco can make good on that tire and all should be happy.

So I wouldn't write off Michelin tires so fast. I used to use Pilot Sports on our XJR, but the last two sets have been the all season Pilot Sport A/S version. Recently put Michelin MXV4's [H rated] on our Volvo V70 Cross-Country. A good set of Michelin's will treat you right.

Good luck!

Submitted by stu@stuaplin.com on Sat, 02/09/2013 - 12:48

Would like to know more specifically what the problem was and with which tires Nettie.
I bought new Michelin Pilot Sport 245/50 ZR17 for our 1998 XK8 at Costco (just under $1000 as I recall) and they pulled to the left. Two different highly recommended alignment shops told me after exhaustive switching and checking adjustments etc. the tires are to blame! They claim the car is perfectly aligned. The pull is not great but it is enough to make my back ache on a fairly short trip. So Costco does not carry another tire in the approved rating so they have offered me a full refund upon returning the Michelin 245/50 ZR17's. That is quite nice of them but I am now trying to find out:
1) has anyone else had this problem with Michelin? and
2) what is the next best tire to go with within reasonable cost?
The Pirelli's that were on the car (which did not pull to the left) were too noisy and hard (maybe old?) and had several repair plugs from road debris so I got rid of them. (maybe that was a mistake) To replace them would be too costly - well over $1500.
I am leaning toward the Dulop SP sport 5000 Asymmetrical (Ultra High Performance All Season) for a total cost of $588 plus $60 shipping from TireRack.com Any experience with these people, anybody?
What is better than that?

Submitted by irvnjcbs@hotmail.com on Thu, 12/13/2012 - 06:43

Hello Neil. After reading here I changed tires of my car but they are not working well for my car. I am not very happy with the results. Tires often create one or the other problem.

Submitted by irvnjcbs@hotmail.com on Thu, 12/13/2012 - 06:41

Hello Neil. After reading here I changed tires of my car but they are not working well for my car. I am not very happy with the results. Tires often create one or the other problem.

Submitted by talburkett@gmail.com on Fri, 03/09/2012 - 20:20

I've run Goodrich G Sports on both my XK8 and my 928 Porsche. Superior traction, excellent cornering, and good price point, BUT they are high performance SUMMER TIRES. They are not great in the ice and snow. 15-20,000 miles without a problem.

Submitted by glynnkerr@yahoo.com on Fri, 03/09/2012 - 20:13

After buying my '98 XK8 with badly worn Pirelli P-Zeros six years ago, I changed to Falkens on advice from a tire store. They proved to be an excellent balance of grip and longevity, and lasted 12,000 miles (I don't drive particularly slowly, especially on the twisties, as my wife will confirm). When it came time to replace them, it turned out they were no longer available, but was recommended I switch to BF Goodrich g-Force Super Sports (245 & 255 /45 ZR18 fr/rr). These had even better reports, and 3,000 miles on, I would recommend them to anyone.

Never heard of an XK8 VDP though - are you sure this isn't an XJ8?

Submitted by glynnkerr@yahoo.com on Fri, 03/09/2012 - 20:04

After buying my '98 XK8 with badly worn Pirelli P-Zeros six years ago, I changed to Falkens on advice from a tire store. They proved to be an excellent balance of grip and longevity, and lasted 12,000 miles (I don't drive particularly slowly, especially on the twisties, as my wife will confirm). When it came time to replace them, it turned out they were no longer available, but was recommended I switch to BF Goodrich g-Force Super Sports (245 & 255 /45 ZR18 fr/rr). These had even better reports, and 3,000 miles on, I would recommend them to anyone.

Never heard of an XK8 VDP though - are you sure this isn't an XJ8?