Is An Older OE Tyre Better Than Its Off-The-Shelf Replacement?

Car manufacturers lob stacks of money at tyre companies every year to have bespoke versions of existing boots developed for their vehicles. It’s not always clear what changes have been made, but to ensure your performance car handles the way the manufacturer intended, it makes sense to opt for the OE tyre when it’s time for a fresh set.

However, if the base version of the OE tyre that belongs on your car has been superseded, that might leave you with a dilemma. Do you go with the older bespoke option, or the newer, off-the-shelf product?

That’s what Jonathan Benson of Tyre Reviews decided to find out, using a BMW M2 Competition. It left the factory with a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sports specifically developed for the car, but the PSS has since been replaced with the Pilot Sport 4 S.

Benson took the M2 Comp to the Mira test course to put the tyres through their paces and threw the more focused Giti GTR3 into the mix for good measure. As is usually the case in the nuanced world of tyres, the conclusion isn’t entirely simple, so be sure to watch through the whole thing and take in all the geeky details and data.