Best Summer Performance Tires – Our Top Tire Picks Summer 2024

The heat is on and summer is in full swing. It’s a season of lazy days and poolside hangs, vacations and—most importantly—taking to the open road. But if you want to make your weekend ride a joy ride, you need the right summer tires (aka performance tires).

Whether you’re taking your sports car out for a highway cruise or a day at the track, or even an actual competition, these tires are the best way to unlock your ride’s pulse-pounding performance.

By the way, we’re not talking about great tires for summer road trips or off-road camping adventures, although we have some killer tires for both endless summer highway journeys and the unforgiving trails to and from your campsite. No, we’re talking about sweat-inducing summer thrill ride performance tires.

Whether you’re facing down the urban jungle, a delicious curve of the PCH or turn six at Laguna Seca, we’ve got the perfect summer tires to heat up the streets this summer.

If you’re looking for the best all-season tires for your summer adventures, we’ve rounded up a few of the best all-season tire options that will see you through many road trips to come.

CHOOSING THE BEST TIRES FOR SUMMER

Now when it comes to choosing the right summer tires for your souped up sedan, coupe, tuner or whatever high-powered ride you drive, there are an endless amount of options.

(If you’re planning to actually compete in regional or even national races, you might want to peruse some of our best-selling competition tires.)

But if you’re on the hunt for rubber that will give you goosebumps whether you’re going for a weekend cruise or an amateur track day, we’ve got some of the hottest summer/performance tires out there for you.

Michelin Pilot Sport 4S

You know we’re not messing around when we start out with one of the leading track-ready tires from perhaps the biggest name in the industry.

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is summer tire royalty, and with good reason. The PS4S from Michelin can take on the pavement and the closed course with equal ease. Its asymmetrical tread design and cutting-edge rubber compound deliver on every single level of performance.

Faster lap times? Easy. Lightning fast steering response? Done. Grip that won’t slip even when those summer storms start to drip? You got it.

The Pilot Sport 4S even boasts a luxuriously comfortable ride not normally found on a track-worthy summer performance tire. Add in its up to 30,000-mile warranty, and you can see why this UHP tire offering gets first mention on our list of the best summer performance tires.

Bridgestone Potenza Sport

The Bridgestone Potenza Sport is designed to impress and deliver drivers amazing confidence in wet and high speed conditions. This ultra-high-performance tire utilizes specially engineered geometry to maintain contact pressure with the driving surface (for better handling) while simultaneously channeling water away.

But it’s not only impressive in rain; the dry handling on the Potenza Sport pairs beautifully with its nice, quiet ride that helps you enjoy your victory laps at the track. The next gen ultra-high silica compound offers extreme performance on both wet and dry roads. A tuned tread sequencing minimizes cabin noise.

On top of this, traction and wear is wonderfully balanced via 3D sipe tech to help deliver consistent grip throughout the life of the tire.

Bridgestone backs this tire with their 90-Day Buy & Try Guarantee, so if you’re not satisfied, you can return for a full refund or exchange.

Nitto NT555 G2

This next pick is for you if you want on-tap trackday traction that doesn’t set back your budget for the next six months. That tire is the Nitto NT555 G2. We love this tire for so many reasons, starting with its aggressive directional tread pattern and futuristic looking tread block design.

Wide shoulder blocks and dual solid center ribs ensure takeoff power and cornering control. Meanwhile, its summer-time rubber mixture packs the perfect balance of high-speed, high-heat grip with wet-weather tango-ready goodness.

Nitto cut their teeth in the tuner and drag racing scene, so you know that they’re not messing around. Add in the fact that they designed the G2 to pair perfectly with the NT555RII drag racing radial, and you can see how this summer tire is designed to tame raw horsepower at high speeds.

Whether you’re ripping through quarter miles or taking the scenic route and really throwing your ride into those turns, the G2 is the tire for you.

Pirelli P Zero

Pulse-pounding performance from the heart of Milan? Must be the Pirelli P Zero.

The OE tire du jour of some of the biggest names in luxury performance automotive manufacturing, the P Zero may as well be Italian for peak performance and maxed out luxury.

With its race-ready tread design and space-age rubber compound, the P Zero delivers thrilling performance in spades. Whether you’re trying to nab the fastest lap or be the first person at the office in the morning, you want the P Zero’s razor sharp steering and powerful acceleration.

Want a little piece of mind (not to mention a boost in steering response)? That’s where the run-flat tech comes in. And if you want to maintain your vehicle’s lux ride, this tire is the one for you. Thanks to its optimal tread design and Pirelli’s proprietary Noise Canceling System (PNCS), the P Zero can jam without rattling you to death or giving you a constant roar.

In short, this summer tire is ready to go from the country club to the track, helping you dominate in absolute comfort.

Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02

Dynamic with superior wet and dry handling and braking, the ExtremeContact Sport 02 scores high points in track-proven performance.

Did we mention its exceptional treadlife?

This ultra-high performance passenger summer tire is designed specifically for sports cars, coupes, sedans and muscle cars. It also works wonderfully with your EV!

No wonder it’s the preferred tire of ROUSH Performance, BMW Performance Driving School and the AMG Driving Academy.

Its two-ply polyester casing is supported by two steel belts with polyamide reinforcement ply for reliably strong, high speed stability and driving. Wet conditions and boosted treadwear are achieved via a specialized summer only +Silane tread compound with molded ribbed asymmetric design sporting SportPlus Technology.

Even more amazing: it includes a rare 30,000-mile warranty and Continental’s Total Confidence Plan warranty which includes a 60-day customer satisfaction trial, flat tire roadside assistance, road hazard coverage and emergency trip coverage.

Yokohama ADVAN Apex

You can seize the season properly with the Yokohama ADVAN Apex, an ultra-high-performance summer tire with an asymmetrical tread design, high-grade micro silica compound and extra wide outside rib for driving thrills.

The micro silica compound works with the rounded rib design for extended tread life and four circumferential grooves allow for wet and dry grip for miles to come.

Boosted wet and dry traction are wonderfully married with high speed stability, unmatched cornering control and sharp steering response. Its strong sidewall and rigid construction made with optimized groove angles yields a quiet, comfortable ride, too.

Even more amazingly, it includes a 25,000-mile warranty (12,500 miles for staggered fitments).

Don’t forget to check out Treadwell when you’re browsing for new tires. While our selection of some of the top summer tires covers a huge range of performance and fitment, our tire guide, Treadwell, can help ensure that you find the perfect tires for your driving style and your vehicle’s needs!

While you’re spec’ing out new rubber, be sure to take a look at our supply of aftermarket rims. You might think of wheels as simply jewelry for your car (and some of them really are that stylish), but the truth is a set of aftermarket rims can power up your ride’s performance and style in equal measure.

If you want to make your roadster, coupe, sports car, tuner or even high-powered luxury ride faster at takeoffs, lighter in the corners and more powerful in every way, then the right set of wheels matched with a set of the ideal summer tires is the way to go.

When you want to give yourself an edge, whether it’s at the track or on your commute, there’s no better way than with a set of the right summer tires (and ideally, the best set of aftermarket rims). Either way, you’re in the right spot to save on upgrades to your ride.

And whether you’re getting new tires or wheels, be sure to buy and book online to wait less time in-store!

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