Tests 62 · 2 tests Owners 67 · 4 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 6 in The BEST Track Day Tyres for 2024 (dry braking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R vs Nitto NT05 — 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 + 43 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport Cup 2 R is ahead, 66–55
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Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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79
Dry
Pilot Sport Cup 2 R +1465Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 R NT05 Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests 79 ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 80 63 Pilot Sport Cup 2 R: 60% × 78.8 + 40% × 80.4 = 79
NT05: 60% × 65.9 (est.) + 40% × 63.1 = 65
No road tests of dry for NT05. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).
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49
Wet
Pilot Sport Cup 2 R +445Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 R NT05 Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests 45 ≈ 51 (est.) Reviews found online 55 36 Pilot Sport Cup 2 R: 60% × 45 + 40% × 54.6 = 49
NT05: 60% × 50.7 (est.) + 40% × 35.7 = 45
No road tests of wet for NT05. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).
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–
Snow
No comparison36Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 R NT05 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 51 (est.) Reviews found online – 14 NT05: 60% × 51.3 (est.) + 40% × 13.8 = 36
No road tests of snow for NT05. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).
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73
Comfort
Pilot Sport Cup 2 R +1954Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 R NT05 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 77 39 Pilot Sport Cup 2 R: 60% × 70.5 (est.) + 40% × 76.8 = 73
NT05: 60% × 63.8 (est.) + 40% × 38.6 = 54
No road tests of comfort for Pilot Sport Cup 2 R or NT05. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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66
Noise
Pilot Sport Cup 2 R +264Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 R NT05 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 63 58 Pilot Sport Cup 2 R: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 63 = 66
NT05: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 58 = 64
No road tests of noise for Pilot Sport Cup 2 R or NT05. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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63
Treadwear
Pilot Sport Cup 2 R +1152Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 R NT05 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 64 (est.) ≈ 58 (est.) Reviews found online 61 42 Pilot Sport Cup 2 R: 60% × 64 (est.) + 40% × 60.5 = 63
NT05: 60% × 58.4 (est.) + 40% × 42.3 = 52
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 NT05. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).
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79
Handling (owners)
Pilot Sport Cup 2 R +2158Why this score
Source Pilot Sport Cup 2 R NT05 Reviews found online 79 58
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R | Nitto NT05 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 66 | 55 |
| Dry | 79 | 65 |
| Wet | 49 | 45 |
| Snow | – | 36 |
| Comfort | 73 | 54 |
| Noise | 66 | 64 |
| Treadwear | 63 | 52 |
| Handling (owners) | 79 | 58 |
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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
66
/ 100
Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
55
/ 100
NT05
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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
Tire B NT05
Pros
- Exceptional dry traction and cornering grip
- Predictable and progressive handling limits
- Good value and competitive price point for a performance tire
Cons
- Poor performance and traction in heavy rain or wet conditions
- Can be noisy or develop a whistling sound at highway speeds
- May overheat or struggle under extreme track conditions for prolonged sessions
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R | B · Nitto NT05 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 7 | 23 |
| Rim diameters | 20″ – 21″ | 15″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | — | 7.2/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 200 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
| Sizes in common | 0 | 0 |
Which one should you actually buy?
66
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
55
/ 100
Nitto NT05
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R — better handling, comfort and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R scores 79 vs 58 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R scores 73 vs 54 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R scores 79 vs 65 on dry.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R scores 63 vs 52 on treadwear.
Tire A · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R
Tire B · Nitto NT05
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Pilot Sport Cup 2 R or NT05?
Which is better in the wet, Pilot Sport Cup 2 R or NT05?
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R, 49 vs 45 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Sport Cup 2 R or NT05?
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R, 79 vs 65 on our dry score.
Which is quieter, Pilot Sport Cup 2 R or NT05?
Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 64 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Pilot Sport Cup 2 R or NT05?
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R, 73 vs 54 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Pilot Sport Cup 2 R or NT05?
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R, 63 vs 52 on our treadwear score.
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