Porsche and Michelin’s new PSS5 tyre can slash *10 seconds* from a GT3 RS's wet lap

Good news for 911 GT3 RS owners: Porsche and Michelin have developed a new tyre that’ll last longer on a wet track day and go significantly faster while you’re there. Like, 10 seconds faster. That’s not an increase, that’s a different motorsport category.

It’s called the Michelin Pilot Sport S 5, and has been arduously tested and designed to be optimal in very sub-optimal conditions, like wet days and when the track’s freezing. So… basically Britain all year round, then.

“We are responding to demand from our particularly performance-focused customers that have expressed a desire to spend more time on track during spring and autumn,” said Porsche GT boss Andreas Preuninger. “The new tyres significantly increase the annual usage period of the GT3 RS.”

Anything that lets you explore the ‘performance envelope’ of the GT3 RS for much longer (read: go nuts all day) is, like we said, good, albeit technical news. So technical the Bergmeister himself – Mr Jörg Bergmeister – helped fine tune the PSS5 to aquaplane less. Or in Porsche lexicon, “raise the threshold at which the tyre starts to lose contact with the road”, and you start to lose contact with your nerves, no doubt.

There’s more tread depth, special grooves, and of course a bespoke rubber and silica compound to both get it up to temp quicker, and then stay there for longer.

Oh right, the ‘go-faster’ bit. “On a wet, 2.8km technically demanding ‘3bis’ circuit at the Michelin Development Centre, lap times set by Michelin test drivers with the 911 GT3 RS were more than 10 seconds faster than those achieved with the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 NO tyres fitted,” said Porsche. Yeesh.

Get in touch with your local Manthey dealer who’ll sort you out with a set so you can let other cars feel like they’re in a lower racing series.