91
/ 100
Objective (60%)
84/100
6 professional tests
User signal (40%)
94/100
1,988 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R vs Michelin Pilot Super Sport — Compared (September 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
VS
92
/ 100
Objective (60%)
76/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
93/100
2,080 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictToo close to call: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R and Michelin Pilot Super Sport are within 2 points overall. Michelin Pilot Super Sport is stronger on wet and dry.
Read full
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made via links on this page.
Category breakdown
6 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Score (0–100)
Pilot Super Sport leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 R | Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 92 | 99 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 95 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 100 | 94 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) | 99% | 100% |
| Dry Handling (% of best) | 100% | 100% |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Pilot Super Sport leads by 7
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 R | Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 76 | 88 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 89 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 45 | 83 |
| Wet Braking (% of best) | 85% | 94% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) | 100% | 97% |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport Cup 2 R leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 R | Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 87 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 95 | 81 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 R | Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 80 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 60 | 82 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport Cup 2 R leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 R | Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 95 | 86 |
| DriverReviews owners | – | 88 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R | Michelin Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 91 | 92 |
| Dry | 94 | 98 |
| Wet | 83 | 90 |
| Comfort | 94 | 93 |
| Noise | 92 | 92 |
| Treadwear | 90 | 90 |
| Handling | 96 | 95 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Personalize
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score
91
/ 100
Tire A
92
/ 100
Tire B
Test data
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.
| Discipline | Category | Tire A | Tire B | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 99% #2/6 · The BEST Track Day Tyres for 2024 | 100% #1/3 · OE vs Aftermarket - Is the tyre your vehicle came with always the best tyre? | -1.5 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 100% #3/3 · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R vs Hoosier TrackAttack Pro vs Bridgestone Potenza RE71 RS | 100% #2/3 · OE vs Aftermarket - Is the tyre your vehicle came with always the best tyre? | +0.3 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 20% #5/5 · 2026 AutoBild Track Day Tyre Test | 50% #2/3 · OE vs Aftermarket - Is the tyre your vehicle came with always the best tyre? | -30 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 85% #2/2 · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 VS Cup 2 R - Tested | 94% #2/3 · OE vs Aftermarket - Is the tyre your vehicle came with always the best tyre? | -9 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 100% #5/7 · Michelin Range Test - CrossClimate 3, 3 Sport, Primacy 5, Pilot Sport 5 and Cup 2 | 97% #2/3 · OE vs Aftermarket - Is the tyre your vehicle came with always the best tyre? | +2.6 | Different tests |
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R is a specialized, track-focused tire that offers exceptional dry-weather grip and steering precision for high-performance vehicles. While it excels in competitive driving and track-day environments, users emphasize that it is not suitable for daily driving, particularly due to its rapid tread wear, poor wet-weather performance, and lack of cold-temperature capability.
Pros
- Unrivaled dry-weather traction and cornering grip
- Precise steering response and communicative feedback
- Excellent performance consistency during track sessions
- Superior stability at high speeds
Cons
- Extremely short tread life and rapid wear
- Significant safety risks in wet or cold conditions
- High purchase price and high cost-per-mile
- Increased road noise and harsh ride quality
Observations
- Performance is highly dependent on vehicle-specific alignment settings; improper camber can lead to premature shoulder wear.
- Users note that the tire requires significant heat to reach optimal operating temperatures, making it feel 'sketchy' or stiff during short street trips.
- The tire is frequently cited as a 'one-trick pony' for track-day enthusiasts, with many users recommending the Pilot Sport 4S as a more practical alternative for street-driven vehicles.
The Michelin Pilot Super Sport is widely regarded as a benchmark ultra-high-performance summer tire, praised for its exceptional dry grip, steering precision, and confidence-inspiring handling. While it excels in warm, spirited driving conditions, users note that its performance diminishes significantly in cold temperatures or heavy standing water, and some report increased road noise compared to touring-oriented tires.
Pros
- Exceptional dry traction and cornering grip
- High level of steering feedback and responsiveness
- Strong wet weather performance for a summer-focused tire
- Impressive tread life relative to its performance category
- Significant ride quality improvement over OEM run-flat tires
Cons
- Noticeable loss of grip in cold temperatures (below 10-15°C)
- Increased road noise reported by some users
- Higher price point compared to competitors
- Reduced performance in standing water as tread depth decreases
Observations
- Users transitioning from factory run-flat tires on BMW and other luxury vehicles report a transformative improvement in ride comfort and steering feel.
- High-horsepower vehicle owners note that while the tire offers excellent grip, it can still struggle to put power down in cold or damp conditions.
- Some users on 18-inch and smaller setups report that the stiff sidewalls can lead to a harsher ride on uneven or broken road surfaces.
Community buzz
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
Positive
Michelin Pilot Super Sport
The Michelin Pilot Super Sport is widely praised by the automotive community for its exceptional dry and wet grip, precise handling, and overall performance as a high-performance summer tire. While some users note limitations in cold or snowy weather and occasional concerns regarding tread life or aging cracks, most enthusiasts consider them a benchmark daily driver and street performance tire.
r/cars
·40 upvotes ·2017-07-04
“They weren't kidding about Michelin Pilot Super Sports. They're way grippier than the Continental ExtremeContact DW tires that were rated #2 after the Super Sports on tirerack.com. I had a 2009 GTI with 225 width ExtremeContacts and now I have a 2016 with 235 width Super Sports. The difference is not subtle. Now, both have been gently upgraded to the Pilot Sport 4 S, and the ExtremeContact Sport. The only two max performance summer tires with a tread life warranty. 30k miles on square stance cars where you rotate them properly, and 15k on staggered.”
r/GolfGTI
·3 upvotes ·2018-03-23
“12k on two consecutive sets of PSS. Stage 2 MK6 (285whp/325wtq), drive fairly aggressively, an odd track day or two here and there, full suspension but run aggressive alignment settings. No abnormaly quick wear in any one spot, they just look like racing slicks when I’m done. If you can afford it, they are well worth the $$. Other tires may come close in performance, but for daily use, can’t beat the comfort of the PSS”
r/ft86
·2 upvotes ·2016-04-18
“As someone who lapped the car until I destroyed the OEM tires, and then lapped a set of PSS until I destroyed those too. The PSS are stickier than stock for sure, but they arent really sticky when it comes to tires for the track. They overheat and get greasy if you drive them hard, and they will slip at just slightly higher speeds. TL;DR: they are better than stock, but they arent a track sticky tire by any means so tail happy is still a thing.”
r/Cartalk
·2 upvotes ·2025-05-25
“Had this on my E90, as well. Alignment was good, wheel balance on road force machine was good. Turned out i had over 0.250" of runout on both rear wheels. Took me two sets of 255/35/18 PSS's and me watching them balance the tires to figure it out... bought new wheels, never went to a Tirediscounters since.”
Top themes
#exceptional dry and wet grip#handling and cornering performance#tread life and longevity#comparison to ps4s#cold weather and snow limitations#road noise and ride comfort
Based on 60 community posts
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R | B · Michelin Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Trackday and Competition tires | Summer Max Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
91
/ 100
Michelin
92
/ 100
Michelin
Too close to call: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R and Michelin Pilot Super Sport are within 2 points overall. Michelin Pilot Super Sport is stronger on wet and dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 90 vs 83 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 98 vs 94 on dry.
Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Super Sport
More comparisons
Also compared with
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R also compared with
Michelin Pilot Super Sport also compared with
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.