Cup Tyres

What are cup tyres?

Cup tyres are road-legal high-performance tyres with minimal tread, developed for maximum dry grip on track. Typical examples are the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R, Pirelli Trofeo R and Yokohama Advan AD09. They are semi-slicks: far less tread than a normal road tyre, but still approved for public roads.

Grip characteristics

In the dry, cup tyres are often one to three seconds a lap quicker than ordinary sports tyres, because more rubber meets the asphalt and the compound is softer and stickier. In the wet they are clearly worse, as the shallow tread raises the aquaplaning risk. Cup tyres also need heat: on a cold surface they simply do not grip.

Advantages and drawbacks

The advantage is obvious: you drive to the circuit on them and get top-level grip once you are there. The drawbacks are faster wear, higher cost, less comfort and weaker performance in the rain. For daily driving they make little economic sense, which is why many track drivers keep them as a second summer set.

Cup tyres in the ESC programme

Many ESC track day Porsche models leave the factory on cup tyres such as the Pilot Sport Cup 2, so you feel straight away what this tyre does that a normal sports tyre cannot. Take a look at the fleet. Book a track day on cup tyres.