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Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R vs Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 2 + 0 road tests and 4 + 12 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport PS2 ZP is ahead, 73–66

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Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
Tire AMichelin

Pilot Sport Cup 2 R

Summer

Tests 62 · 2 tests Owners 67 · 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.

  1. 79

    Dry

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 R +4
    75
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2 RPilot Sport PS2 ZP
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests79≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online8079

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 R: 60% × 78.8 + 40% × 80.4 = 79

    Pilot Sport PS2 ZP: 60% × 72.2 (est.) + 40% × 78.9 = 75

    No road tests of dry for Pilot Sport PS2 ZP. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 49

    Wet

    Pilot Sport PS2 ZP +27
    76
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2 RPilot Sport PS2 ZP
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests45≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online5578

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 R: 60% × 45 + 40% × 54.6 = 49

    Pilot Sport PS2 ZP: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 78.2 = 76

    No road tests of wet for Pilot Sport PS2 ZP. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 73

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 R +3
    70
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2 RPilot Sport PS2 ZP
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online7770

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 R: 60% × 70.5 (est.) + 40% × 76.8 = 73

    Pilot Sport PS2 ZP: 60% × 69.3 (est.) + 40% × 70.1 = 70

    No road tests of comfort for Pilot Sport Cup 2 R or Pilot Sport PS2 ZP. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. 66

    Noise

    Pilot Sport PS2 ZP +3
    69
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2 RPilot Sport PS2 ZP
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6371

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 R: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 63 = 66

    Pilot Sport PS2 ZP: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 70.5 = 69

    No road tests of noise for Pilot Sport Cup 2 R or Pilot Sport PS2 ZP. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 63

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport PS2 ZP +2
    65
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2 RPilot Sport PS2 ZP
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online6164

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 R: 60% × 64 (est.) + 40% × 60.5 = 63

    Pilot Sport PS2 ZP: 60% × 65.2 (est.) + 40% × 64.2 = 65

    No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Sport Cup 2 R. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

    No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Sport PS2 ZP. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  6. 79

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 R +2
    77
    Why this score
    SourcePilot Sport Cup 2 RPilot Sport PS2 ZP
    Reviews found online7977
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 RMichelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP
Relative Score 66 73
Dry 79 75
Wet 49 76
Comfort 73 70
Noise 66 69
Treadwear 63 65
Handling (owners) 79 77

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score

Pilot Sport Cup 2 R

Pilot Sport PS2 ZP

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A 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
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport Cup 2 R review

Tire B Pilot Sport PS2 ZP

Pros

  • Exceptional dry and wet grip with a glued-to-the-road feel
  • Improved ride comfort and lower cabin noise compared to standard run-flats
  • Predictable handling with gentle breakaway characteristics near limits

Cons

  • Stiff or rock-hard ride quality when kept at recommended manufacturer pressures
  • Softer sidewalls can introduce a spongy or wobbly feel during rapid direction changes on certain vehicles
  • Frustrating warranty terms for staggered setups
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport PS2 ZP review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R B · Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP
CategorySummerSummer Max Performance tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available7—
Rim diameters20″ – 21″—

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R

Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP — better wet and noise. Pick the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R if dry and comfort matter most to you. Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 12 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP scores 76 vs 49 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R scores 79 vs 75 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R scores 73 vs 70 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP scores 69 vs 66 on noise.

Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP
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Pilot Sport Cup 2 R or Pilot Sport PS2 ZP?

Which is better in the wet, Pilot Sport Cup 2 R or Pilot Sport PS2 ZP?

Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP, 76 vs 49 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Sport Cup 2 R or Pilot Sport PS2 ZP?

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R, 79 vs 75 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, Pilot Sport Cup 2 R or Pilot Sport PS2 ZP?

Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP, 69 vs 66 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Pilot Sport Cup 2 R or Pilot Sport PS2 ZP?

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R, 73 vs 70 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Pilot Sport Cup 2 R or Pilot Sport PS2 ZP?

Neither, by our numbers: 63 vs 65 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

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.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

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