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Head-to-head Updated

Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R vs Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 6 + 6 road tests and 4 + 23 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport Cup 2 leads, 67–65 Narrow edge

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Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R
Tire APirelli

P Zero Trofeo R

Summer

± 6

Tests 64 · 6 tests Owners 64 · 4 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2022 Sport Auto UHP, UUHP and Semi Slick Tyre Test (dry handling)

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport Cup 2

Summer

± 6

Tests 66 · 6 tests Owners 65 · 23 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2020 UHP, UUHP and Track Day Tyre Test (dry braking)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

Key facts

  • In 3 tests that measured dry braking for both, P Zero Trofeo R won 2 and Pilot Sport Cup 2 won 1 (average 98% vs 97% of the best).
  • In 3 tests that measured dry handling for both, P Zero Trofeo R won 2 and Pilot Sport Cup 2 won 0 (average 100% vs 100% of the best).
  • In 3 tests that measured wet braking for both, P Zero Trofeo R won 0 and Pilot Sport Cup 2 won 3 (average 82% vs 86% of the best).
  • In 3 tests that measured wet handling for both, P Zero Trofeo R won 1 and Pilot Sport Cup 2 won 2 (average 90% vs 92% of the best).
  1. 81

    Dry

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 +2
    83
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero Trofeo RPilot Sport Cup 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 6 tests8584
    Reviews found online7482
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 2–198%97%
    Dry Handling (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 2–0100%100%

    P Zero Trofeo R: 60% × 84.9 + 40% × 73.9 = 81

    Pilot Sport Cup 2: 60% × 84.1 + 40% × 81.9 = 83

  2. 49

    Wet

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 +6
    55
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero Trofeo RPilot Sport Cup 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 6 tests4352
    Reviews found online5960
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–285%94%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–382%86%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 1–290%92%

    P Zero Trofeo R: 60% × 43 + 40% × 58.7 = 49

    Pilot Sport Cup 2: 60% × 51.6 + 40% × 60.2 = 55

  3. 63

    Comfort

    P Zero Trofeo R +4
    59
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero Trofeo RPilot Sport Cup 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 67 (est.)49
    Reviews found online6066

    P Zero Trofeo R: 40% × 67.4 (est.) + 60% × 59.6 = 63

    Pilot Sport Cup 2: 40% × 48.5 + 60% × 65.7 = 59

    No road tests of comfort for P Zero Trofeo R. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. 65

    Noise

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 +4
    69
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero Trofeo RPilot Sport Cup 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 3 tests6371
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–193%96%

    P Zero Trofeo R: 60% × 63.4 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 65

    Pilot Sport Cup 2: 60% × 71 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 69

    No owner ratings of noise for P Zero Trofeo R or Pilot Sport Cup 2. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  5. 61

    Treadwear

    P Zero Trofeo R +5
    56
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero Trofeo RPilot Sport Cup 2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)≈ 60 (est.)
    Reviews found online5750

    P Zero Trofeo R: 60% × 62.9 (est.) + 40% × 56.9 = 61

    Pilot Sport Cup 2: 60% × 60.5 (est.) + 40% × 49.9 = 56

    No road tests of treadwear for P Zero Trofeo R. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

    No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Sport Cup 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  6. 72

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 +8
    80
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero Trofeo RPilot Sport Cup 2
    Reviews found online7280
  7. 48

    Efficiency

    Pilot Sport Cup 2 +11
    59
    Why this score
    SourceP Zero Trofeo RPilot Sport Cup 2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 3 tests4859
    Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–186%93%
Scores at a glance
CategoryPirelli P Zero Trofeo RMichelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
Relative Score 65 67
Dry 81 83
Wet 49 55
Comfort 63 59
Noise 65 69
Treadwear 61 56
Handling (owners) 72 80
Efficiency 48 59

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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Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 6

P Zero Trofeo R

± 6

Pilot Sport Cup 2

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

In the overall rankings of 3 tests that ran both, Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R finished ahead 1 times and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 2 times.

DisciplineCategoryP Zero Trofeo RPilot Sport Cup 2ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 98% 97% +1.6 2–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19
Dry Handling Dry 100% 100% +0.4 2–0 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 85% 94% −8.5 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19
Wet Braking Wet 82% 86% −4.0 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19
Wet Handling Wet 90% 92% −1.4 1–2 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19
Noise Noise 93% 96% −3.0 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 86% 93% −7.0 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Price Cost 49% 36% +13.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19
Overall Ranking Overall #4/9 #2/9 – 1–2 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2018 Sport Auto 19 inch UHP and Track Day Tyre Test · 245/35 R19

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A P Zero Trofeo R

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip and track performance
  • Outperforms competitors like the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 in lap times
  • Maintains structural integrity and performance under hard driving on track

Cons

  • Extremely short tread life and fast wear, especially on the street
  • Poor wet performance and lack of feedback in wet conditions
  • Requires proper heat management (needs to be hot) for optimum performance
All owner themes in the P Zero Trofeo R review

Tire B Pilot Sport Cup 2

Pros

  • Phenomenal grip and stability in dry conditions
  • Exceptional steering precision and driver feedback
  • Strong, robust sidewalls providing great agility and balance

Cons

  • Rapid tread wear and short lifespan
  • High purchase price
  • Requires significant heat to achieve optimal grip, making them less ideal for cold or short road trips
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport Cup 2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R B · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available118
Rim diameters19″18″ – 21″
Tread depth5/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure50 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2

Narrow edge: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 — better efficiency, handling and wet. Pick the Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R if treadwear and comfort matter most to you.

Pick tire B You want lower fuel or energy use

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 scores 59 vs 48 on efficiency.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 scores 80 vs 72 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 scores 55 vs 49 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R scores 61 vs 56 on treadwear.

Tire A · Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
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P Zero Trofeo R or Pilot Sport Cup 2?

Which is better in the wet, P Zero Trofeo R or Pilot Sport Cup 2?

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, 55 vs 49 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, P Zero Trofeo R or Pilot Sport Cup 2?

Neither, by our numbers: 81 vs 83 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, P Zero Trofeo R or Pilot Sport Cup 2?

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, 69 vs 65 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, P Zero Trofeo R or Pilot Sport Cup 2?

Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R, 63 vs 59 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, P Zero Trofeo R or Pilot Sport Cup 2?

Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R, 61 vs 56 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, P Zero Trofeo R or Pilot Sport Cup 2?

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, 59 vs 48 on our efficiency 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