don't drive in the wet unless caught in it so can't answer wet question dry handling is really good. itend to do "spirited" driving.
Best Tires for the Porsche Cayman
Porsche Cayman drivers have left 24 tire reviews on Tire Reviews, covering 88,197 miles of real world driving. Every tire they rated is ranked below, so you can see what actually works on this car. The numbers include 1 Cayman variants, listed further down.
- 24owner reviews
- 88,197 milescovered on them
- 21different tires rated
- 78%average tire score
The quick answer
| Season | Owners' pick | Owner rating | Our category test |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 9.2 Current version: Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 | 79% from 3 reviews | Best Summer Tires |
Highest weighted owner score from Porsche Cayman drivers. Full rankings and the evidence behind them below.
The best rated tires for the Porsche Cayman
Rated only by drivers of this car. Each tire needs at least 3 reviews from the Porsche Cayman to be ranked; the order weights a tire's score by how many reviews back it, so one glowing review cannot top a table.
Summer tires
The highest rated tire in the Summer category for the Porsche Cayman is the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 - 79% from 3 owner reviews across 11,000 miles. The current tire in that line is now the Michelin Pilot Sport S 5.
| # | Tire | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed | TR Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2
Replaced by Michelin Pilot Sport S 5
|
79% | 3 | 11,000 miles | 9.2 |
Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best Summer Tires →
TR Score is the tire's overall Tire Reviews rating out of 10, built from independent test results and every owner review of that tire - not just the reviews from this car. The owner rating column is this car only.
The best rated tires that fit the Porsche Cayman
The rankings above can only speak for tires a Porsche Cayman driver has already reviewed. These are the highest rated tires we hold that are actually manufactured in the sizes these drivers run - 265/35 R19, 265/40 R18, 225/45 R17 and 235/35 R19 - whether or not anyone here has fitted them yet. They are ranked on the TR Score, which is built from independent test results and every owner review of that tire.
Summer tires
Our highest rated tire in the Summer category, in this car's sizes, is the Continental SportContact 7, at 9.7 out of 10.
| # | Tire | TR Score | Made in | Porsche Cayman reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Continental SportContact 7
|
9.7 | 265/35 R19, 265/40 R18, 235/35 R19 | 1 |
| 2 |
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
|
9.7 | 225/45 R17, 235/35 R19 | Be the first → |
| 3 |
Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo
|
9.5 | All your sizes | Be the first → |
| 4 |
Continental PremiumContact 7
|
9.5 | 225/45 R17 | Be the first → |
| 5 |
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
|
9.4 | All your sizes | 1 |
| 6 |
Hankook Ventus Evo
|
9.4 | All your sizes | Be the first → |
Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best Summer Tires →
Winter tires
No Porsche Cayman driver has reviewed a tire in the Winter category yet. Of the ones made in this car's sizes, the Pirelli P Zero Winter 2 is our highest rated, at 9.8 out of 10.
| # | Tire | TR Score | Made in | Porsche Cayman reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Pirelli P Zero Winter 2
|
9.8 | 265/35 R19, 235/35 R19 | Be the first → |
| 2 |
Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4
|
9.6 | 265/35 R19, 235/35 R19 | Be the first → |
| 3 |
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
|
9.5 | 265/35 R19, 235/35 R19 | Be the first → |
| 4 |
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
|
9.5 | 225/45 R17, 235/35 R19 | Be the first → |
| 5 |
Michelin Alpin 7
|
9.5 | 225/45 R17 | Be the first → |
| 6 |
Bridgestone Blizzak 6
|
9.4 | 265/35 R19, 225/45 R17, 235/35 R19 | Be the first → |
Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best Winter Tires → Test winner: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
All Season tires
No Porsche Cayman driver has reviewed a tire in the All Season category yet. Of the ones made in this car's sizes, the Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF3 is our highest rated, at 9.6 out of 10.
| # | Tire | TR Score | Made in | Porsche Cayman reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF3
|
9.6 | 225/45 R17, 235/35 R19 | Be the first → |
| 2 |
Michelin CrossClimate 3 Sport
|
9.6 | 235/35 R19 | Be the first → |
| 3 |
Continental AllSeasonContact 2
|
9.5 | 225/45 R17, 235/35 R19 | Be the first → |
| 4 |
BFGoodrich Advantage All Season
|
9.5 | 225/45 R17, 235/35 R19 | Be the first → |
| 5 |
Michelin CrossClimate 3
|
9.5 | 225/45 R17 | Be the first → |
| 6 |
Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4
|
9.4 | All your sizes | Be the first → |
Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best All Season Tires → Test winner: Goodyear Vector All Season 4
All Weather tires
No Porsche Cayman driver has reviewed a tire in the All Weather category yet. Of the ones made in this car's sizes, the Vredestein Quatrac is our highest rated, at 9.5 out of 10.
| # | Tire | TR Score | Made in | Porsche Cayman reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Vredestein Quatrac
|
9.5 | 225/45 R17 | Be the first → |
| 2 |
Vredestein Quatrac Pro EV
|
8.3 | 225/45 R17 | Be the first → |
| 3 |
Vredestein Quatrac Pro+
|
8.1 | 225/45 R17, 235/35 R19 | Be the first → |
Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best All Weather Tires →
Fitment comes from each tire's manufactured size list, and the sizes are the ones drivers reported when they reviewed. Check the size, load index and speed rating on your own doorplate before buying - a size a previous owner ran is not always the size your car left the factory on.
Every tire reviewed on the Porsche Cayman
The complete record, including discontinued tires and tires with too few reviews to rank, ordered by the amount of evidence. A further 19 tires have a single review each; they count toward the totals but are not listed.
| Tire | Season | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 Replaced by Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 | Summer | 79% | 3 | 11,000 miles |
| Bridgestone Potenza Sport Replaced by Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo | Summer | 87% | 2 | 3,200 miles |
Tire sizes Porsche Cayman drivers run
The sizes fitted in the reviews on this page. Each one links to the top rated tires in that size, across every car.
Porsche Cayman variants, reviewed separately
These trims and body styles have pages of their own. Their reviews are already counted in the rankings above.
What Porsche Cayman drivers say
The most recent owner reviews from this car, in their own words.
The Continental SportContact 7 suits my 987 Cayman very well. With Koni Sport dampers, Cayman R springs and upgraded brake pads, the car turns in sharply, holds its line and remains balanced.
Compared with the Michelin PS4S I have experienced, the SC7 has a firmer sidewall, more immediate response and greater mid-corner stability, with a tiny bit more dry grip. The Potenza Sport EVO still feels sharper and stiffer, but the SC7 breaks away a bit more progressively and is easier to catch on a rwd car. Wet grip is very strong and hydroplaning resistance is excellent. Ride quality is comparable to the PS4S, while wear is acceptable for this level of performance.
The set on my Porsche Cayman 3.4 GTS (981) were purchased on eBay from a dealer in Germany. Turns out that the OEM wheel & tire set was evidently new / old stock, with manufacturing dates of 2014 (purchased in 2024). Initially I was circumspect about driving hard on the tires, but they were 'as new' and have performed brilliantly on road and track. On the limit the car begins to move around but in a friendly manner, without drama even at high speeds. Wear has been very good. I have staggered sizes (265/35x20 Rears) and these are probably 80% worn in comparison to the fronts at 50%. This is to be expected as it's a rear drive car with 350+ bhp. I'm now wondering about what to fit next. Michelin PS4S is the defacto choice for most Porsches of this vintage (2016 model year). The car came on newish Pirelli P Zero's which didn't last well on track. I want to try the Michelin's but would hate to lose the on-limit feel of the Eagles. It would be interesting to make a comparison of the Eagle F1 Assy 2 and the later Assy 5 or 6. I've tried to do this on the comparator but it doesn't seem to be possible.
Tires last about 5 track days over the course of 7 months and 1,842 miles. Overall, they give you about 5 good laps before they become greasy, but are still very manageable after laps 6-7. They do become slower though. Fastest lap needs to be achieved early on in the session. Second half will not yield a personal best, even if you are driving faster/better.
Top tire! as good as the Michelin cup 2, but with more km and more resistant on the circuit, Be careful when cold it requires more warm-up time! than Michelin it is also their advantage of less rapid wear for Dunlop.
Tire wall is weak
I have had bad experience with P Zero tires that fitted to Porsche Cayman718, BMW 630i GT, Mini Cooper S JCW, Mercedes C 350e.
While my replace with a French tire have worked wonderfully
Distributor in Thailand was so bad
Have not returned my inquiries at all.
I have had bad experience with P Zero tires that fitted to Porsche Cayman718, BMW 630i GT, Mini Cooper S JCW, Mercedes C 350e.
While my replace with a French tire have worked wonderfully
Distributor in Thailand was so bad
Have not returned my inquiries at all.
Used them on my Cayman from new to legal thread thickness. Definitely NOT a UHP tire from a grip perspective, as you can easily overheat it on a normal twisty mountain road. When warmed-up the grip is almost ok, steering feeling is also good, but when pushing after a while you loose confidence, feeling and grip.
Tested once on track and it is absolutely the wrong tire, as soon becoming unpredictable (spinning at same speed, same corner at second lap).
You can buy it for a normal everiday usage of the car, if in you size this is the Kumho offer, as this is a very cheap tire. Avoid it for sporty road or track usage.
By far this is the best tire I've ever owned, so far. I drove my Cayman only on mountain twisty roads, as that was my "sunday car" and fitting those tires completely changed my car. With Potenza Sport you get a semi-slick tire looking like a "normal" UHP everyday tire which you can run silently on a motorway or enjoy in the worst (or best) racing scenario. I couldn't believe such a sporty (steering feeling is amazing), grippy (no matter whether tire is cold, warm or overheated, it GRIPS!) and yet comfortable tire coud exist on earth!
Outstanding UUHP tire. Sharp on the steering with excellent feedback in both the dry and wet. Grip is exceptional once warmed up (takes a few miles to build temperature) and the performance on a wet road is incredible.
Downsides are the tire has high road noise and transmits sudden shocks into the chassis rather than absorbing in the tire, not too bad if you have decent damping but something to be aware of if you value comfort and noise. Very much a "sporty" tire for everyday driving without being too track focussed (ie normal road driving gets enough heat into the tire to "switch on" the grip)
Cannot comment on wear as only put 2k miles on, but good to see tread depth and the small about of sipes go all the way to the base of the tire which suggest performance should stay reasonably consistent over the life of the tire. Tire wear seems average for a UUHP tire based on current wear rates.
Downsides are the tire has high road noise and transmits sudden shocks into the chassis rather than absorbing in the tire, not too bad if you have decent damping but something to be aware of if you value comfort and noise. Very much a "sporty" tire for everyday driving without being too track focussed (ie normal road driving gets enough heat into the tire to "switch on" the grip)
Cannot comment on wear as only put 2k miles on, but good to see tread depth and the small about of sipes go all the way to the base of the tire which suggest performance should stay reasonably consistent over the life of the tire. Tire wear seems average for a UUHP tire based on current wear rates.
Bought a used 2009 Cayman S and the dealer must have installed these tires in the rear (265).
They are OK on dry surface. This would be all I care, because I don't go out with my sports car in the rain; but it can and does happen seldom that I get caught in it. The first time I was coming off a ramp to get into a 4 lane highway and I was in 3rd gear taking it easy (70 kms/hr); I hit the gas gently and I found myself almost 90 degrees sideways. Managed to recover. I had the car in sport mode and all driving aids off. The second time I was going up a short hill road and this time the car was in normal mode and -remembering the downright scary moment- all driving aids were on and I was driving at about 40 kms/hr. Well, the car still got itself sideway (this time about 45 degrees or so) and I managed to recover again, however I could tell you how many ripples there are in the concrete wall I almost pasted the car into.
I would definitely not recommend this tire, unless you are into drifting when wet. And don't care for your life, that of the others and even less so, your car. I'm installing Michelin PS4 in a month.
Drive a Porsche Cayman?
Review your tires and help the next owner choose. It takes about five minutes, and every review on this page came from a driver who took them.
Where this data comes from
Every rating on this page was submitted by a driver through the review form on this site, naming the car, the tire, the size and the distance covered. Reviews are checked by hand before publication, and the page rebuilds automatically as new ones arrive.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 using independent test results and the full body of owner reviews, so you can check a car-specific ranking against the wider evidence.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.