Tests 75 · 1 test Owners 71 · 11 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 4 in 2022 Track Day Tyre Test (overall ranking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza Race vs Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Potenza Race leads, 71–67 Narrow edge
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Tests 62 · 2 tests Owners 68 · 4 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 6 in The BEST Track Day Tyres for 2024 (dry braking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
77
Dry
Pilot Sport Cup 2 R +279Why this score
Source Potenza Race Pilot Sport Cup 2 R Professional tests (TWG score) 75 78 Reviews found online 79 81 Dry Braking (% of best) 98% 99% Dry Handling (% of best) 100% 100% -
72
Wet
Potenza Race +2349Why this score
Source Potenza Race Pilot Sport Cup 2 R Professional tests (TWG score) 75 45 Reviews found online 69 55 Wet Braking (% of best) 91% 95% Wet Handling (% of best) 100% 93% -
67
Comfort
Pilot Sport Cup 2 R +673Why this score
Source Potenza Race Pilot Sport Cup 2 R Reviews found online 66 77 -
–
Noise
No comparison65Why this score
Source Potenza Race Pilot Sport Cup 2 R Reviews found online – 62 -
63
Treadwear
Level63Why this score
Source Potenza Race Pilot Sport Cup 2 R Reviews found online 61 61 -
78
Handling
Pilot Sport Cup 2 R +179Why this score
Source Potenza Race Pilot Sport Cup 2 R Reviews found online 78 79
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza Race | Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 71 | 67 |
| Dry | 77 | 79 |
| Wet | 72 | 49 |
| Comfort | 67 | 73 |
| Noise | – | 65 |
| Treadwear | 63 | 63 |
| Handling | 78 | 79 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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.
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score
71
/ 100
Potenza Race
67
/ 100
Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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 | Potenza Race | Pilot Sport Cup 2 R | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 98% #2/4 · 2022 Track Day Tyre Test | 99% #2/6 · The BEST Track Day Tyres for 2024 | −0.4 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 100% #2/4 · 2022 Track Day Tyre Test | 100% #2/6 · The BEST Track Day Tyres for 2024 | +0.3 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 100% #1/4 · 2022 Track Day Tyre Test | 33% #3/6 · The BEST Track Day Tyres for 2024 | +66.7 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 91% #2/4 · 2022 Track Day Tyre Test | 95% #4/5 · The BEST Track Day Tyres for 2024 | −3.4 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 100% #1/4 · 2022 Track Day Tyre Test | 93% #5/5 · The BEST Track Day Tyres for 2024 | +6.5 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Potenza Race
Pros
- Exceptional dry grip comparable to top-tier track-day competitors
- Surprisingly capable and confidence-inspiring performance in wet conditions
- High level of steering precision and road feedback
Cons
- Rapid tread wear, particularly under aggressive track use
- High susceptibility to stone pickup during daily driving
- Inconsistent availability of specific sizes
Tire B Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
Pros
- Phenomenal dry grip providing a planted and confident feel on the track
- Optimized design specifically for extracting maximum performance during time attacks
- Superior circuit performance compared to the standard Pilot Sport Cup 2
Cons
- Extremely limited performance longevity, with grip dropping off rapidly after just a few laps
- Poor performance and safety risks in damp to wet conditions due to shallow and narrow tread patterns
- Best suited strictly for single-lap time trials rather than extended track sessions
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza Race | B · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 18 | 7 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 22″ | 20″ – 21″ |
| Tread depth | 7/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 200 A A | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
71
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza Race
67
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
Winner: Bridgestone Potenza Race — better wet. Pick the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R if comfort matters most to you.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Bridgestone Potenza Race scores 72 vs 49 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R scores 73 vs 67 on comfort.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza Race
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
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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.