Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R vs Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Potenza RE 71RS is ahead, 75–68

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Tire AMichelin

Pilot Sport Cup 2 R

Summer Trackday and Competition tires

Tests 65 · 2 tests Owners 69 · 3 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 6 in The BEST Track Day Tyres for 2024 (dry braking)

Potenza RE 71RS

Summer Trackday and Competition tires

Tests 79 · 3 tests Owners 72 · 450 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 3 in 2025 AutoView Extreme Performance Tyre Test (dry braking)

“Track tire fitment Just got some new Bridgestone Potenza RE-71rs in 245/40r18. I did my research on this subreddit and it seems like that will fit without rubbing/camber bolts. Does anyone know if the RE-71rs’ run wide cause they measure a full inch wider than the stock PS4s’, I’m just wondering now if I’ll need camber bolts. I’d prefer not, just want to throw them on and go. For reference they are being mounted onto a 18x8.5 +45 Enkei TS-V wheel. If anyone could offer insight cause I just can’t understand how they would fit but maybe I’m just over thinking it. Stock suspension by the way. I searched the sub and didn’t see anything with exact matching specs, only bigger and different tires. Tl;dr Will 245/40r18 Bridgestone Potenza RE-71rs’ fit on an 18x8.5 +45 wheel without clearance issues/adding other modifications (camber bolts) on our car? Thanks for any help! Read more”

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 81

    Dry

    Potenza RE 71RS +1
    82
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2 RPotenza RE 71RS
    Professional tests (TWG score)8175
    Reviews found online8191
    Dry Braking (% of best)99%100%
    Dry Handling (% of best)100%100%
    Dry Handling Long Run (% of best)97%100%
  2. 49

    Wet

    Potenza RE 71RS +31
    80
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2 RPotenza RE 71RS
    Professional tests (TWG score)4888
    Reviews found online5068
    Wet Braking (% of best)85%100%
    Wet Handling (% of best)93%100%
  3. 73

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 R +8
    65
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2 RPotenza RE 71RS
    Professional tests (TWG score)–71
    Reviews found online7655
  4. 65

    Noise

    Level
    65
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2 RPotenza RE 71RS
    Professional tests (TWG score)–67
    Reviews found online6363
  5. 67

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 R +6
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2 RPotenza RE 71RS
    Reviews found online6758
  6. 80

    Handling

    Potenza RE 71RS +5
    85
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2 RPotenza RE 71RS
    Reviews found online8085
Scores at a glance
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R vs Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryMichelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 RBridgestone Potenza RE 71RS
Relative Score 68 75
Dry 81 82
Wet 49 80
Comfort 73 65
Noise 65 65
Treadwear 67 61
Handling 80 85

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Pilot Sport Cup 2 R

Potenza RE 71RS

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryPilot Sport Cup 2 RPotenza RE 71RSΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 99% #2/6 · The BEST Track Day Tyres for 2024 100% #1/3 · 2025 AutoView Extreme Performance Tyre Test −1.5 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 100% #2/6 · The BEST Track Day Tyres for 2024 100% #1/3 · 2025 AutoView Extreme Performance Tyre Test −0.3 Different tests
Dry Handling Long Run Dry 97% #4/6 · The BEST Track Day Tyres for 2024 100% #1/7 · 2025 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test −2.6 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 33% #3/6 · The BEST Track Day Tyres for 2024 100% #1/7 · 2025 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test −66.7 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 85% #5/5 · 2026 AutoBild Track Day Tyre Test 100% #1/4 · 2022 TireRack Extreme Performance Summer Tire Test R17 −15.0 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 93% #4/5 · 2026 AutoBild Track Day Tyre Test 100% #1/7 · 2025 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test −6.7 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Pilot Sport Cup 2 R

Pros

  • Tremendous dry grip and track performance
  • Provides an extremely planted and confident feel
  • Superior evolution of the standard Cup 2 for track enthusiasts

Cons

  • Very limited wet weather capability requiring extreme caution in damp conditions
  • Extremely shallow and narrow tread pattern poor for water dissipation
  • Short lifespan, best reserved for single-lap timed tests or dedicated circuit use
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport Cup 2 R review

Tire B Potenza RE 71RS

Pros

  • Outstanding dry grip and rapid warm-up characteristics.
  • Highly predictable and communicative at the limit, allowing for easy recovery.
  • Improved on-road refinement, noise levels, and comfort compared to its predecessor.

Cons

  • Rapid tread wear, especially when used aggressively on track or heavy vehicles.
  • Tendency to become 'greasy' or lose peak grip during extended track sessions.
  • Stiff sidewalls can make mounting the tires onto rims difficult.
All owner themes in the Potenza RE 71RS review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS

Positive

The community regards the Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS as an exceptionally sticky and high-performing extreme performance tire, often sought after for track use and spirited driving. Users frequently discuss clearance sales, sizing and fitment nuances (noting they tend to run wide), and their limited tread life given their 200-treadwear rating. Overall, users are very enthusiastic about their grip and handling capabilities.

r/CarTrackDays ·2 upvotes ·2025-02-17

“Need heat cycle advice I recently got a screaming deal on some Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS for my daily driver. It usually doesn't see track time but I figured it would be fun to try it out for the cost. The tires were cheap because they had a 2021 production date. In the past to heat cycle a tire, I've just driven on the highway a couple of hours and let the tire sit for 24 hours. The hurdle is, It's winter and too cold to really make an impact. To add to that, I doubt I will have clean enough roads for that tire. My track does have winter lapping when it is clean and dry, but it still may be cold. Any suggestions on how to get a heat cycle on these tires in cold temperatures? Read more”

r/MechanicAdvice ·1 upvote ·2021-08-02

“Mileage-expectancy of Bridgestone Potenza RE-71Rs? (200-rated, I think?) Forgive me I'm getting the terminology wrong, but I just bought a super dynamite NA Miata that has had a TON of incredible suspension work (mostly Flyin' Miata stuff) and the stickiest tires I have ever experienced by FAR: Potenza RE-71Rs. (Forget full measurements but they're on 15 x 7.5" inch wheels, 6UL's by 949 Racing.) And I think their life is pretty much over. I love them but I don't want to track the car; I want to drive it two hours into the country every other weekend. I want to drive through the mountains with great . . . spiritedness . . . but I don't need track-focused tires. I'd much rather have something slightly less grippy in exchange for longer tread life. The previous owner (who I've stayed in touch with) recommenced I get "300-rated" tires instead of "200-rated" tires. I don't really know what that means or how many miles I can expect from such a tire. I'm contemplating getting the Continental Extreme Contacts, but I just don't know enough about tires to know what they're like or how much ACTUAL mileage I can get----I also dont' understand 200 vs. 300 tires. Please help?”

Top themes
#exceptional grip performance#track and autocross use#tire sizing and fitment#treadwear and mileage#closeout and clearance sales#cold and wet limitations

Based on 8 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R B · Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS
CategorySummer Trackday and Competition tiresSummer Trackday and Competition tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / Crossover—
Sizes available—10
Rim diameters—15″ – 19″
Tread depth—7/32″
UTQG—200 A A
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R

Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS

Winner: Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS — better wet and handling. Pick the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R if comfort and treadwear matter most to you.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS scores 80 vs 49 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R scores 73 vs 65 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R scores 67 vs 61 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS scores 85 vs 80 on handling.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
Tire B · Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS

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How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

75

Leads

Potenza RE 71RS

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