85
/ 100
Objective (60%)
71/100
8 professional tests
User signal (40%)
94/100
2,005 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 vs Nitto NT 01 — 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
Tire B
Nitto
Nitto NT 01
66
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
74/100
9 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 — better wet, comfort and treadwear. Pick the Nitto NT 01 if dry matters most to you.
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)
NT 01 leads by 8
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | NT 01 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 78 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 94 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 94 | 94 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport Cup 2 leads by 37
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | NT 01 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 77 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 55 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 60 | 46 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport Cup 2 leads by 21
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | NT 01 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 50 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 76 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 74 | 46 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | NT 01 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 56 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport Cup 2 leads by 17
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | NT 01 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 65 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 59 | 73 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport Cup 2 leads by 13
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Sport Cup 2 | NT 01 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 93 | 83 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 | Nitto NT 01 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 85 | 66 |
| Dry | 86 | 94 |
| Wet | 83 | 46 |
| Comfort | 67 | 46 |
| Noise | 70 | – |
| Treadwear | 90 | 73 |
| Handling | 96 | 83 |
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
85
/ 100
Tire A
66
/ 100
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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 is widely regarded as a premier track-focused tire that offers exceptional dry-weather grip and steering precision for high-performance vehicles. While it provides surprising levels of feedback and stability for a semi-slick, users emphasize that it is not a traditional daily driver tire, as it requires significant heat to reach optimal performance and suffers from rapid tread wear and compromised wet-weather safety.
Pros
- Exceptional dry-weather traction and cornering grip
- High levels of steering feedback and communicative handling
- Predictable and progressive breakaway characteristics at the limit
- Strong, stiff sidewalls that enhance stability during spirited driving
- Surprisingly capable on track for a street-legal tire
Cons
- Very short tread life and rapid wear
- Poor performance in cold temperatures and standing water
- Requires significant heat to reach optimal operating grip
- High price point relative to longevity
- Tendency to pick up and throw road debris due to sticky compound
Observations
- Users with high-horsepower, rear-wheel-drive sports cars (e.g., Corvette, M2, GT3) report the most significant benefits in traction, though they also experience the fastest wear.
- Drivers of lighter vehicles (e.g., Mazda MX-5) note that the tire's stiff sidewall significantly improves steering precision compared to standard performance tires.
- Some users on AWD platforms noted that the tire's performance is highly dependent on proper tire pressure management to avoid overheating during track sessions.
The Nitto NT01 is widely regarded as a high-value, track-focused semi-slick tire that excels in dry conditions, offering impressive longevity compared to its competitors. While it provides exceptional grip and consistent performance for track enthusiasts, users must exercise extreme caution in wet conditions due to a significant risk of hydroplaning.
Pros
- Exceptional dry traction and grip levels
- Outstanding tread life and durability for a track-oriented tire
- Quick warm-up times, even on heavier vehicles
- High value-for-money proposition for track day participants
Cons
- Severe hydroplaning risk in standing water or heavy rain
- High levels of road noise
- Poor traction on painted road markings, especially when wet
- Limited communication/feedback compared to top-tier racing slicks
Observations
- Lightweight FWD vehicles, such as modified MINIs, benefit from rapid heat-up and high confidence during hillclimbs and circuit use.
- Heavy, high-torque vehicles (approx. 2 tons) report that the tires handle power well, though they may experience heat saturation after 6-7 consecutive laps.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 | B · Nitto NT 01 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Trackday and Competition tires | — |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | — |
| Sizes available | — | 17 |
| Rim diameters | — | 14″ – 19″ |
| Tread depth | — | 6.3/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 100 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 51 psi |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
85
/ 100
Michelin
66
/ 100
Nitto
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 — better wet, comfort and treadwear. Pick the Nitto NT 01 if dry matters most to you.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 scores 83 vs 46 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 scores 67 vs 46 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 scores 90 vs 73 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 scores 96 vs 83 on handling.
Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
Tire B · Nitto NT 01
More comparisons
Also compared with
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 also compared with
Nitto NT 01 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.