Michelin Cup 2 Variants

[RugbyBro]

I'll keep this as a rolling summary of what we've discussed in the thread - it's a work in progress and I'll add as we all continue to learn. Thank you to all who have and continue to participate!

There are currently many variations of Cup 2s on the market which can be quite confusing given the age of the Cup 2 moniker and plethora of manufacturer spec tires floating around. To make things simple: they can generally be broken down into two categories: Older 180tw and Newer 240tw. Cup 2 Rs are their own category and will be discussed briefly at the end. They will generally be labeled as such:

265/35ZR19 (98Y) XL connect BSW
275/35ZR19 (100Y) XL * connect BSW
285/30ZR20 (99Y) XL MO1 BSW
295/30ZR20 (101Y) XL N1 BSW

So far these are the variants that are available in F8X friendly / optimal sizes:

180tw: These are the original Cup 2s, old gen material and construction. Most reviews for Cup 2s out in the wild are for this generation
Cup 2
Cup 2 * (M4 GTS)
Cup 2 MO / MO1 (AMG GT)
Cup 2 N0 (Porsche spec)
Cup 2 GM (Camaro / Corvette)
Cup 2 FOR (Ford GT350, GT500)

240tw: These are the new gen Cup 2s, newer compounds and construction. Better than the old 180tw. Not a whole lot of reviews on these yet - Michelin was a bit slick in rolling these out, so many are probably not aware that the tire has been updated
Cup 2 Connect
Cup 2 Connect * (M2CS, G8X & M5CS) - Note there are currently 245, 265, & 275 19in tires. The 265 is designed as a REAR tire for the M2CS and not a front tire. These are meant to be paired 245/265 and 275/285 (20in rear). If you are looking for a 19in 265 front, there is a regular Cup 2 Connect in 265/35R19

140tw: These are really intended as a track only tire. While there are a couple sizes that fit F8X, they are really aimed at the Porsche / AMG / Supercar market.
Cup 2 R
Cup 2 R N0 (GT3 RS)
Cup 2 R MO1 (AMG GT)
Cup 2 R K1 (Ferrari)

So what does this all mean? It means that the current best offering amongst non-R Cup 2s are the 240tw tires. If you have the 763M wheel sizing & stagger, you can fit the latest G8X * Cup 2 Connects - these tires are a huge contributor to G8X's immense on track performance. If you don't have 763M specs or you want to play with different sizes, there are a plethora of regular Cup 2 Connect sizes in which you can still take advantage of the updated compounds and construction and better tw rating.

OP:

Looks like I’ll very likely be going the Cup 2 route for this year for summer/track/autox. Not my preferred route but it’s the most efficient option in front of me for various reasons. So I’m looking at Cup 2s and there seem to be 3 variants that fit F8X:

1. Regular Cup 2
2. M4 GTS Cup 2
3. Mercedes Cup 2

Anyone have experience with any of these specific variants, or know what the differences between them are supposed to be? I also know there are Cup 2 Connects out there as well, but going the regular Cup 2 route is a cheaper solution for this seasons tires.

Long term I’ll be running my 18in TA 16s with a more dedicated setup, but for now they are going to have my daily tires (PAS4s) on them.

[jdhiro]

I put the GTS variant on my CS because I like the star

[RugbyBro]

Originally Posted by jdhiro

I put the GTS variant on my CS because I like the star

20x10 tire selection is killing me

[Wanted_M]

Originally Posted by RugbyBro

Looks like I’ll very likely be going the Cup 2 route for this year for summer/track/autox. Not my preferred route but it’s the most efficient option in front of me for various reasons. So I’m looking at Cup 2s and there seem to be 3 variants that fit F8X:

1. Regular Cup 2
2. M4 GTS Cup 2
3. Mercedes Cup 2

Anyone have experience with any of these specific variants, or know what the differences between them are supposed to be? I also know there are Cup 2 Connects out there as well, but going the regular Cup 2 route is a cheaper solution for this seasons tires.

Long term I’ll be running my 18in TA 16s with a more dedicated setup, but for now they are going to have my daily tires (PAS4s) on them.

Don't forget N spec for P cars. I'm running MO on my CS and so far so good, lots of grip.

[RugbyBro]

Originally Posted by Wanted_M

Don't forget N spec for P cars. I'm running MO on my CS and so far so good, lots of grip.

Oh interesting, I didn't see them on Discount Tire or Tire Rack - do they make / are you running them in 265/35/R19 F & 285/30R20 R?

[tropicatango]

Originally Posted by Wanted_M

Don't forget N spec for P cars. I'm running MO on my CS and so far so good, lots of grip.

good to hear i just bought a set of 255/35/19 front and 275/35/19 michelin cup 2, MO is the only option in those size, can't wait to try them and compare to my goodyear supercar 3 that just went off the car

[Wanted_M]

Originally Posted by RugbyBro

Oh interesting, I didn't see them on Discount Tire or Tire Rack - do they make / are you running them in 265/35/R19 F & 285/30R20 R?

Yes Cup2 MO rating on the sizes you mentioned F/R, MO are wider than BMW star. (Star tread width is 9.1 vs MO 9.5) I want to try GY 3R in the future (9.6).

[Wanted_M]

Originally Posted by RugbyBro

Oh interesting, I didn't see them on Discount Tire or Tire Rack - do they make / are you running them in 265/35/R19 F & 285/30R20 R?

You know its weird, I went on tire rack and I swore Cup2's made an N tire but looks like a 305 and nothing on 255 or 265.. Sorry man I must be loosing my marbles

[RugbyBro]

Originally Posted by Wanted_M

You know its weird, I went on tire rack and I swore Cup2's made an N tire but looks like a 305 and nothing on 255 or 265.. Sorry man I must be loosing my marbles

No worries! Yeah unfortunately the 10in rear of a certain set of OE wheels doesn’t allow for much tire choice - is 10.5in width too much to ask for! 285/30R20 is a bit of an odd size amongst 200tw or below tires - I’ve noticed that 20in tires typically cater more to Porsche and Corvette fitment with wider tread and bigger sidewall. Right now it’s looking like I’ll grab a GTS star spec set

[hellokitty]

I've ran both the regular Cup 2 and Star spec Cup 2 in the same size.

The regular cup 2s were GARBAGE. Poor traction, unpredictable behavior, etc.

Here is a good video of why the star spec is superior….

Edit: The star spec tire was 2 seconds faster around a dry track just to give you some perspective. The video explains what changes BMW M made to the star spec tire to give it additional dry grip. There is an additional dry grip strip compound added on to the center of the tire compared to non star spec tires.

[swagon]

Originally Posted by hellokitty

I've ran both the regular Cup 2 and Star spec Cup 2 in the same size.

The regular cup 2s were GARBAGE. Poor traction, unpredictable behavior, etc.

Here is a good video of why the star spec is superior….

Edit: The star spec tire was 2 seconds faster around a dry track just to give you some perspective. The video explains what changes BMW M made to the star spec tire to give it additional dry grip. There is an additional dry grip strip compound added on to the center of the tire compared to non star spec tires.

I'd definitely be looking into running G8x-spec tyres, depending on the wheels you've got RugbyBro

They have 275/35-19 on a 9.5" rim and 285/30-20 on a 10.5" in the back.

[CanAutM3]

My top pic would be to go with the G8X spec PSC2. Michelin have made significant changes to the PSC2 without much advertisement. So much so, I wonder why they have not rebranded the tire, except for the “Connect” nomenclature. The G8X spec PSC2 is leap and bounds better than the F8X spec PSC2 (CS/GTS). If I would have kept my CS, it is likely the tire I would have used. If you stick with the F8X spec, be wary, there are two 265/35R19. One is the front for the F82 and the other is the rear for the F87. You have to pick the right one: you don’t want a rear tire in front. The drawback is that you’d have to run a staggered 19” front and 20” rear staggered setup for either star spec combo.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by hellokitty

I've ran both the regular Cup 2 and Star spec Cup 2 in the same size.

The regular cup 2s were GARBAGE. Poor traction, unpredictable behavior, etc.

Here is a good video of why the star spec is superior….

Edit: The star spec tire was 2 seconds faster around a dry track just to give you some perspective. The video explains what changes BMW M made to the star spec tire to give it additional dry grip. There is an additional dry grip strip compound added on to the center of the tire compared to non star spec tires.

While I am a big advocate for using proper OE spec tires, it has to be said that BMW have made massive tire development investment for the G8X. So much so, that I believe the tires are the most important contributor to the track performance improvement of the G8X over the F8X we see in reviews, as they are always tested with stock tires. Not often will you see a 2 second lap time improvement between generic and OE spec tires.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by jdhiro

I put the GTS variant on my CS because I like the star

The GTS spec PSC2 is the same as the CS spec PSC2

[hellokitty]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

While I am a big advocate for using proper OE spec tires, it has to be said that BMW have made massive tire development investment for the G8X. So much so, that I believe the tires are the most important contributor to the track performance improvement of the G8X over the F8X. Not often will you see a 2 second lap time improvement between generic and OE spec tires.

Yes, in the video, the lead development manager at Michelin said BMW spent 2.5 years and tested 30 different star tire configurations before finalizing the star spec PS4S tire used on the G8X

[RugbyBro]

Originally Posted by hellokitty

Here is a good video of why the star spec is superior….

Edit: The star spec tire was 2 seconds faster around a dry track just to give you some perspective. The video explains what changes BMW M made to the star spec tire to give it additional dry grip. There is an additional dry grip strip compound added on to the center of the tire compared to non star spec tires.

Originally Posted by swagon

I'd definitely be looking into running G8x-spec tyres, depending on the wheels you've got RugbyBro

They have 275/35-19 on a 9.5" rim and 285/30-20 on a 10.5" in the back.

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

My top pic would be to go with the G8X spec PSC2. Michelin have made significant changes to the PSC2 without much advertisement. So much so, I wonder why they have not rebranded the tire, except for the “Connect” nomenclature. The G8X spec PSC2 is leap and bounds better than the F8X spec PSC2 (CS/GTS). If I would have kept my CS, it is likely the tire I would have used.

I would love to run G8X * tires but the only issue with that is I’ll have a 19x9in front so 275 isn’t ideal. Wheels specs are 19x9 F and 20x10 R which is a bit limiting for F8X - by comparison my 18x10 square set is much easier to find tire options for. Do any of you guys know of any material/discussion on the G8X * Cup 2 Connect vs a regular Cup 2 Connect? I can get the necessary 265/285 fitment in regular Connects.

[ash4390]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

My top pic would be to go with the G8X spec PSC2. Michelin have made significant changes to the PSC2 without much advertisement. So much so, I wonder why they have not rebranded the tire, except for the “Connect” nomenclature. The G8X spec PSC2 is leap and bounds better than the F8X spec PSC2 (CS/GTS). If I would have kept my CS, it is likely the tire I would have used. If you stick with the F8X spec, be wary, there are two 265/35R19. One is the front for the F82 and the other is the rear for the F87. You have to pick the right one: you don’t want a rear tire in front. The drawback is that you’d have to run a staggered 19” front and 20” rear staggered setup for either star spec combo.

Is there any way to know exactly which PSC2 is G8X Spec? I was just going to order the GTS/CS spec...

[Wanted_M]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

The GTS spec PSC2 is the same as the CS spec PSC2

Welcome back sir, do you think the 275/35 will fit properly on front CS wheel?
I'm running close to -2.5* camber.

[hellokitty]

Originally Posted by ash4390

Is there any way to know exactly which PSC2 is G8X Spec? I was just going to order the GTS/CS spec...

Go to Tirerack and enter 2021 BMW M3/M4 as your car then sort my Michelin and look at the Star Spec tires (PS4S or Cup 2 Connect). Those are it.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by ash4390

Is there any way to know exactly which PSC2 is G8X Spec? I was just going to order the GTS/CS spec...

Best way is to use the Manufacturer PN (MSPN)

G8X:
275/35ZR19 MSPN 13676 (or 88406 for the Connect option)
285/30ZR20 MSPN 51267 (or 53157 for the Connect option)

F82CS/GTS
265/35ZR19 MSPN 10325
285/30ZR20 MSPN 37028

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by Wanted_M

Welcome back sir, do you think the 275/35 will fit properly on front CS wheel?
I'm running close to -2.5* camber.

I've never left

Ideally, it would be to fit the front G8X spec PSC2 on a 9.5"/10.5" wide wheels to match the G8X wheel widths for which the tires were optimized. But according to the Michelin website, the 9"/10" widths of the F8X are within acceptable range.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by hellokitty

Go to Tirerack and enter 2021 BMW M3/M4 as your car then sort my Michelin and look at the Star Spec tires (PS4S or Cup 2 Connect). Those are it.

You just need to ensure it mentions "Original Equipment", as the TireRack website will show all possible fitments, even non-OE ones.