Puzz1

I've been researching replacement tires and I've zeroed in on the Michelin Pilot A/S 3 N-Spec in the 275/40R20 size. Readily available on Tire Rack. However, my local tire guy who typically matches Tire Rack pricing can't get these tires from his distributor and is concerned that it might be limited production; not popular, hard to get if I get a flat, etc., etc.

Has anyone experienced issues with supply for this tire? I did note that they don't appear on the Michelin website which I thought was strange.

Thanks!

RED HORSE

N spec tires are Porsche approved. My experience is occasionally all the N spec tires are reserved for Porsche dealers. Usually I havne't had any problems buying them from Tire Rack

superswiss

Why N-spec? As mentioned above N-spec are specific for Porsche vehicles. Audi has their own specs, AO, RO1 and RO2, but there probably isn't a specific Audi spec for this tire, so just go with the standard spec.

KnappAttack

If you get a flat you fix it. Only issue would be a sidewall puncture, in that case, order one from Tire Rack.

I can tell ya the N-Spec Michelin is the VERY best tire I've run on the 8.
Second best is the Goodyear Sport all season. I'm sure it can be had anywhere.

Gary Knox

When I purchased the 'new to us' '13 A8 early this month to replace the '07 A8, the OE Pirelli PZero Nero tires were at about 5-5/32nds (24K on the car) and very noisy. . I promptly replaced all four with the 275/40 X 20 Michelin Pilot A/S 3 N-spec tires. I've had these tires (different sizes) on my MB Sl55AMG, and my BMW 840Ci. for about 2 years, and am delighted with them on all three cars. Had a few chances to check (and enjoy) their stickiness when I drove the 'tail of the dragon' fairly aggressively in the 840Ci from the TN side over and down the NC side in the spring of '17. They are fairly quiet, and very good in wet. I don't use them for snow, as those other two cars hibernate, and i have rims with snow tires for the A8.

I'm confident you'll be pleased with them if you decide to go this route. The guy who does my tire mounting has them on both his cars, and openly states they are 'the best overall tire out there'.

N-spec simply means the tire has been evaluated/tested by Porsche and it met their requirements for their cars. My guess, having owned P-cars for 15 years is that the focus was on high speed and handling performance.

Gary--

superswiss

Manufacturer's specs can mean several things. They are actually created by Porsche etc working with the tire manufacturers. It can mean changes to the compound, internal construction, tread pattern and kinda important the initial tread depth. I haven't specifically looked at the N-spec, but the Ferrari spec tires start at 7/32" while most other specs generally start around 10/32". The latter makes new tires a bit skirmish until they wear down a bit, so especially on sport car specs, a lower initial tread depth makes the tire more responsive when new, but it results in less mileage until the tire needs to be replaced again.