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Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R Test Results

Tyre Reviews tests: 5 Tested 2020 to 2026 3 publications

Tested 7 times by independent publications, the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R has taken 1 test wins with an average finish of 2nd. Its strongest discipline is Dry Braking, beating 74% of the field across 5 tests; its weakest is Wet Handling, at 20% across 5 tests.

  • 7Independent tests
  • 1Test wins
  • 4Podium finishes
  • 2ndAverage finish
  • 51%Field beaten on average
  • 3Publications
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R

7 tests, 2020 to 2026

0%50%100%2020202420252026Average 51%Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R VS Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport RS VS Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R (2020): P1 of 3, Beat 100% of the fieldThe BEST Track Day Tyres for 2024 (2024): P2 of 6, Beat 40% of the fieldMichelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R vs Hoosier TrackAttack Pro vs Bridgestone Potenza RE71 RS (2025): P2 of 3, Beat 50% of the fieldThe FASTEST Track Tyres In The World Tested (2025): P2 of 4, Beat 67% of the field2026 AutoBild Track Day Tyre Test (2026): P4 of 5, Beat 0% of the field
Share of the field beaten in each test, oldest to newest. Hover or tap a point for the test.
  • Test win
  • Second
  • Third
  • Average 51%
The latest test

Michelin Range Test - CrossClimate 3, 3 Sport, Primacy 5, Pilot Sport 5 and Cup 2 Not rankedSummer

The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R is the most track focused tyre in this range and it does that job better than anything else here. Its place in this test is to mark the far end of the spectrum rather than to compete with the road tyres, and the wet data shows exactly how far from a road brief it sits. On a suitably capable car on a dry circuit it is superb; anywhere else it is a long way outside what it was designed for.

Strong: Dry Braking, Dry Handling Weak: Wet Braking, Wet Handling, Straight Aqua, Curved Aquaplaning, Rolling Resistance

Record by discipline

Where the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R finished in each measured discipline, across every test that measured it against at least two other tyres. Field beaten is the share of the other tyres it outranked in that measurement.

Discipline Tests Avg finish Field beaten Firsts
Dry
Dry Braking Strong 5 P2 of 5 74% 1
Dry Handling 6 P2.5 of 4.7 55% 2
Dry Handling Long Run 3 P3.3 of 5.3 47% -
Dry Handling - Autocross 1 P3 of 3 0% -
Subj. Dry Handling 2 P1.5 of 3.5 83% 1
Wet
Wet Braking 5 P3.8 of 4.8 32% -
Wet Handling Weak 5 P4 of 4.8 20% -
Subj. Wet Handling 1 P3 of 4 33% -
Straight Aqua 2 P3 of 4.5 50% 1
Curved Aquaplaning 1 P5 of 5 0% -
Comfort
Tyre Weight 1 P2 of 3 50% -
Value
Rolling Resistance 2 P3.5 of 4.5 33% -

Head-to-head record

Overall finishing position against the tyres that have most often shared a test with the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R. Only tyres tested alongside it at least three times are listed.

Rival Shared tests Ahead Behind Level Finished ahead
Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS 3 shared: 0 ahead, 3 behind Compare with P Zero Trofeo RS 3 0 3 - 0%
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 3 shared: 0 ahead, 1 behind Compare with Pilot Sport Cup 2 3 0 1 2 0%

Performance Analysis

Drawn from 7 tests. Updated September 29, 2026.

Across seven independent summer tests, the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R repeatedly shows itself as a dry-track specialist with consistently front-running overall results (average overall position 1.9) and strong recognition (Test winner in 2020, plus Highly recommended and Recommended awards in 2025). The dominant pattern is very high outright dry performance and sharp driver-facing dynamics: it won dry handling in the 2026 Michelin Range Test (1st/5 in-class) and topped both dry braking and dry handling to take the overall win in the 2020 three-way track tyre test (1st/3 in both disciplines). Testers frequently underline this focus, calling it “the peak... as a pure dry circuit experience” and praising that its “steering response and steering feel were the sharpest of anything here”, with “incredible dry braking”.

The main caveat is that wet safety margins are often well behind its peer group for a road-legal tyre, especially in more road-tyre-oriented comparisons. In the 2026 Michelin Range Test it was last in-class in wet braking, wet handling and both aquaplaning measures (e.g. wet braking 5th/5, +47.9% from best), and testers described it as “by far the longest wet braking distance” and “the slowest wet handling lap”. A second recurring exception is durability/consistency under extended hard running: multiple write-ups flag pick-up and drop-off (“performance drops after the first lap... heavy pick-up builds up”), with long-run pace only mid-pack in some track tyre group tests (e.g. 4th/6 long run in the 2024 track day test; 4th/7 long run in the 2026 Auto Bild track test).

Performance Strengths

Performance Weaknesses

Every test, newest first 7

Strong = top two of the field in that measurement. Weak = bottom two.

2026 2 tests
Not ranked Summer

Michelin Range Test - CrossClimate 3, 3 Sport, Primacy 5, Pilot Sport 5 and Cup 2

Tyre Reviews 225/40 R18 Tested by Tyre Reviews

The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R is the most track focused tyre in this range and it does that job better than anything else here. Its place in this test is to mark the far end of the spectrum rather than to compete with the road tyres, and the wet data shows exactly how far from a road brief it sits. On a suitably capable car on a dry circuit it is superb; anywhere else it is a long way outside what it was designed for.

StrongDry BrakingDry Handling WeakWet BrakingWet HandlingStraight AquaCurved AquaplaningRolling Resistance

P4 of 5 Beat 0% of the field

2026 AutoBild Track Day Tyre Test

Auto Bild 275/35 R19 gut (Good)

The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R was originally developed for the BMW M4 CSL, and on the M2 it does not feel fully at home. The compound is noticeably harder than the competition, which gives it the lightest set weight in the test at 47.8 kg but costs outright grip. On the hot lap it manages good initial pace, but the feel is less precise than the Pirelli or Vitour, with occasional understeer at the limit. The long run is its weakest area - performance drops after the first lap and heavy pick-up builds up, causing increasing movement at both axles. In the wet the harder compound and less effective water clearance leave it behind most of the field in both handling and braking, with the ABS struggling on the initial brake application. It is the most expensive set in the test by a wide margin, which makes the lack of a grip advantage hard to justify.

StrongDry Braking WeakWet Braking WinnerPirelli P Zero Trofeo RS

2025 2 tests
P2 of 4 Beat 67% of the field

The FASTEST Track Tyres In The World Tested

Tyre Reviews 235/35 R19 Tested by Tyre Reviews Recommended

The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R finished 2nd overall. In the dry it was towards the back on the stopwatch, but it still scored 2nd in subjective dry handling, so it felt better than the lap time suggests. In the wet it was mixed: straight-line aquaplaning speed was 2nd, but it was 4th in wet handling and only 3rd in wet braking, and the subjective wet score was also in the lower half. Rolling resistance was fine, not that it matters.

StrongSubj. Dry HandlingWet BrakingStraight AquaRolling Resistance WeakDry BrakingDry HandlingWet HandlingSubj. Wet Handling WinnerPirelli P Zero Trofeo RS

P2 of 3 Beat 50% of the field

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R vs Hoosier TrackAttack Pro vs Bridgestone Potenza RE71 RS

Tyre Reviews 275/35 R19 Tested by Tyre Reviews Highly Rec.

The Cup 2 R is the OE tyre, and as expected, it felt like the purest driving experience. It had loads of grip, the M3s front and rear worked beautifully together, the steering was fast, but it was also super easy to drive. It was my favourite subjectively, and it does give you the best all round driveability of the three tyres, this is an OE tyre performing as it should.

StrongDry Handling Long RunSubj. Dry Handling WeakDry HandlingDry Handling - Autocross WinnerHoosier TrackAttack Pro

2024 1 test
P2 of 6 Beat 40% of the field

The BEST Track Day Tyres for 2024

Auto Bild Sportscars 335/30 R21

The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R (N0) was a formidable contender in dry conditions, delivering blistering single-lap pace and precise handling. Drivers praised the Cup 2 R's immediate turn-in response and its ability to generate high levels of grip. The tyre's feedback was excellent, allowing drivers to push the limits with confidence. However, some testers noted that the Cup 2 R could be more sensitive to surface imperfections and temperature changes than its competitors, requiring a more precise driving style to extract maximum performance. In wet conditions, the Cup 2 R struggled to match the grip and control of the Pirelli offerings, with a lower aquaplaning threshold and a more abrupt breakaway character.

StrongDry BrakingDry Handling WeakWet BrakingWet Handling WinnerPirelli P Zero Trofeo RS

2020 2 tests

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