Full review

This is a review of the Pirelli P Zero tire.

The P Zero is a high-performance summer tire, which can be found in many performance cars, like Ferrari’s and Ford Mustang. In this review we will go though different features, tests and user reviews on Pirelli P Zero.

Don’t have time to read everything? Here’s a quick summary of our review as well as pros & cons listed.

Nevertheless, before you jump into concluding whether to buy or not, learn about P Zero. This review will highlight what this tire is made for, conditions of use, and use price. 

Keep reading to know more about the P Zero from Pirelli.

Overview

Introduced in 2007, the P Zero has been one of Pirelli’s outstanding tires. It sits at number 26 among tires of its category. But don’t get it twisted; there is more to this tire. The Pirelli P Zero is a max-performance summer tire for super-fast cars. 

It’s designed to be driven in dry conditions and moderate weather; not ice, snow, or near-freezing temperatures. It is built for powerful sports cars, coupes, and high-performance luxury sedans. 

The P Zero comes as a factory tire in high-performance cars like Ferrari 599 GTB, Audi R8, Ford Mustang, Ford Focus ST, Porsche 9114s, etc. All is in a bid for these cars to show their performance right from the factory. Affordable? Yes. But many do not see it as a low-budget tire.

Performance

Wet 

The P Zero performs moderately in wet conditions. On wet highway roads, you can scale through hydroplaning at low speeds. There will be some imbalances here and there. You may experience a loss of traction, but it’s cool. For others, forget about traction in an FWD sports vehicle when it rains.

Some users have noted that the tire did well on wet roads. Though it’s not the best tire in wet conditions, it helped cut through hydroplanes at around 40mph. If the tire is able to cut through hydroplane at low speeds or get wet traction, it’s because of the circumferential groove. 

Other Pirelli P Zero reviews stated that the tire is dangerous in the rain as they hydroplane aggressively on anything above 60mph. And on the highway, they don’t cut through standing water no matter how little it is. Others noted that the P Zero handled puddles ok. 

So, in summary, in wet conditions, the P Zero performance is unpredictable. However, it was never designed for such conditions, so it’s understandable. So if you live in areas with frequent rain, this is not an excellent tire option.

Dry

Even though it’s not the absolute best, the P Zero demonstrates its strength in dry conditions. That is what it’s intended for anyway. Thanks to its silica tread and black compound that ensures the tire delivers in the first few miles and throughout its life.

Road grip on a dry road is impressive and keeps drivers connected to the road all through.  This is possible because of the tire’s lateral grooves that allow dry traction. Many user reviews state that the tire is an excellent choice for driving spiritedly in dry conditions. 

Snow

Though the P Zero can move through light snow when driven carefully, driving it on snow or icy roads is a wrong move. This tire was designed to be driven in normal driving conditions. Inclement weather won’t allow these tires to perform well. We recommend avoiding using this – or any other summer tire – on snow.

Braking distance

According to Tirerack’s tests,  dry braking distance is admirably swift. However, it’s not as fast as the Michelin pilot super sports and the Bridgestone Potenza S-04 pole position. Under wet conditions, The tires respond averagely. However,  Tirerack’s tests notes that Bridgestone Potenza S-04 pole position and the Michelin pilot super sports outperform the P zero here.

Handling

Feel

In wet conditions, the steering feel is moderate but not like the Michelin Pilot Supersport. Balance is fair; the tire loses a bit of traction and causes the tire to bounce. Thus, putting the Continental ExtremeContact DW far above the P Zero.

On dry pavements, tires hug the road and enable drivers to move firmly with so much confidence. Thanks to the steel belts enhanced with polyamide cord inside the tire that strengthens the thread, improving high-speed capability and handling. Nonetheless, the Michelin Pilot Supersport is a better option.

Another strength of the P Zero is the exceptional acceleration it gives drivers commuting daily and confidence on the wheel.

Sharpness

According to users’ reviews, in wet conditions, the tires may slide when cutting corners. And sometimes, it feels like the tire wants to come off their vehicles. But going through bends is swift with the Pero Z in dry conditions though few users complained of not holding well in turns. 

However, results from tiretrack.com road test states that the Michelin Pilot Supersport has better cornering traction and stability than the P zero in both wet and dry conditions. 

While the P Zero can handle light bumps, it comes with a price. First, it causes discomfort to car occupants since it bounces over any bump it hits. Secondly, the tires are likely to wear quickly in such situations. The Michelin Pilot Supersport could cut through light bumps, but on larger bumps, it sends a signal to the driver. Thus placing the continental on top of the list here.

Here, the Continental ExtremeContact DW can handle harsher bumps yet maintain road balance and durable tread life.

In overall handling, the Michelin Pilot Super Sports and Bridgestone Potenza S-04 pole position top the Pirelli P Zero. 

Noise and comfort

Users complained the tires are noisy on wet roads, but that’s understandable since it’s a summer tire. The P Zero from Pirelli is quiet on dry roads. However, they tend to shout at high speeds, especially on asphalt roads. With the noise mainly starting from the rear tires. 

But if you want total quietness on the go, opt for the sizes constructed using the Pirelli noise-canceling system. Here, the manufacturer includes a sound-absorbing foam to the tire’s inner liner to prevent noise inside the car. However, for overall noise comfort, the Continental ExtremeContact DW tops in the group of tires tested with a reasonable noise impact. 

The tire is comfortable in dry and favorable conditions. Thanks to the unique nanocomposites under the tread that helps combine sport handling with road comfort. But in harsh weather and across bumps, be ready for body exercise. 

Tirerack’s tests results show the Continental ExtremeContact and Michelin pilot super sports may be your best summer performance tire here. They provide better ride quality than the P Zero.  Because even in wet and dry conditions, they cut through bumps while maintaining vehicle stability.

Durability

The P Zero does not come with a treadwear warranty, which many users found annoying. Most Pirelli P Zero tire reviews noted that the tire barely reached 12,000 miles. But that’s expected from a max-performance tire. Because in a bid to enhance road grip, P Zero was made with very soft rubber. 

The soft rubber helps with road traction but does not last, usually within 5000 to 10,000 miles. Very few got up to 15k or 20k miles. Tire wear mostly starts from the rear tire even when driven under normal driving conditions. 

Many noted that they are aware that max performance Summer tires wear quickly. But for the P Zero, it is too extreme. If the tire lasts up to 12k miles, it is due to the unique nanocomposites in the compounds under the tread that help prevent case damage. To many users, the reason Pirelli didn’t give a treadwear warranty is that they know the tire has a short life span.

Price

The P Zero starts at $153 and can go as high as $554, which is somewhat high for many considering its durability.  Though it’s a high-performance tire that delivers incredibly, many users stated that the price is not worth the tire compared with its durability. 

If you get up to 12k mile or more from this tire, then you’re lucky. Because even people that drive in normal driving conditions still complain of uneven tread wear. As stated earlier, fast tire wear is due to the soft rubber compound used in the tire.

Recommendation

The P Zero is a good summer performance tire. However, you’ll only enjoy it when used for its intended purpose. Pay no attention to users who complained about the tire not performing in snow or ice – it was never designed for such driving conditions. 

Although the tires perform well in dry conditions, many users say the price is not worth the quality. A tiring costing that much should record a good number of miles. But here is the P Zero struggling to hit 12k miles.

Users also noted that even if the tire wears fast because of the soft rubber used to enhance grip. The best Pirelli could have done is slash down the price. While some users were pleased with its dry performance, many didn’t recommend the tire because of its wear. Thus, giving it a recommendation score of 5.2 out of 10.

Tirerack’s test results praise the tire for its balanced handling, especially on dry pavements. But hoped to see more improvement in tread durability and tread noise. They noted that, while the tire is somewhat capable, it cannot match the capabilities of newer tires like the Continental ExtremeContact and Michelin Pilot Super Sports. 

The Michelin and Continental are great tire options for the P Zero. They offer better traction in both dry and wet conditions with durable tread life. There are, however, discrepancies in tire price. The Cross-Continental Extreme contact DW starts at $269, while the Michelin pilot super sports tires cost $201 per tire. 

Conclusion

P Zero is a great max performance summer tire from Pirelli. It promises a smooth daily commute for drivers of super-fast cars. However, the recommendation was a little above average. Yes, many noted that the tire performs well only in dry conditions, which it was designed for anyway. 

But, what affected the recommendation score was the tire’s short life span–it struggles to reach 12k miles.  If you want a summer tire that can handle dry and other conditions with durable tread life, try the Continental ExtremeContact DW or Michelin Pilot Super sports tire. 

In summary,  the P Zero is a great tire. But if you want a performance tire that will serve you for long, the P Zero is not the right choice.