Pirelli P Zero rated
70% while driving a Jaguar XKR
Driving on
a combination of roads for 2000
spirited miles
On the upside lots of grip, rollover a penny and I could tell you whether it is heads or tails, it's the Jaguar specified OEM tyre for the early XKR and it does a good job. That is assuming the P Zero itself is the same as 25 years back, tech moves on and OEM tyres aren't necessarily the same as the same model aftermarket ones.
On the downside road noise is loud enough to be distracting, it's about as comfortable as a hobnailed clog, seems to take some time to warm up and whilst cornering grip seems to be very good in the wet I'm less convinced about it's grip in acceleration. Wet roads result in lots of traction control under heavyish acceleration. Though no issues with braking.
On the major downside... I cannot detect any advance warning that the limit of grip is approaching or reached. No squeal or feel, just grip, grip, grip, hedge.
I'm currently running mine at the comfort setting of 28 psi as the XKR just doesn't feel like a GT car at normal recommended pressures. Ride is too harsh otherwise, tramlining too frequent to be an enjoyable. Though at 28psi I worry about potholes with those 20" rims on.
I've just bought some 18" rims so will try something else on those, save the 20s and the Pzeros for a track day or two and put them back in when the weather warms up a bit. It is afterall a summer tyre.
Note however that I live in rural Wales, so dry days come about one afternoon per year, the roads are often potholed and I probably haven't got the best out of the tyres in relatively cold conditions. However on motorway runs where you merely want an easy life the tramlining is an annoying issue. Reducing the pressure helps but doesn't eliminate this. You'd be hard pushed to reach the tyre's limits on back roads so long as they're warm, though on the sort of twisty A roads which epitomise much of Wales finding the limits results in a trip to the body shop after being assaulted by the undergrowth.
So thus far it seems like a strange fit for a Grand Tourer but will add a review in the supposed summer to see whether it's merely not mong friendly.