That test report posted from the Pirelli website Cinturato.net, if used to make any kind of judgement on tires for a Pagoda, can lead to very erroneous conclusions...such as all Michelin tires are the same, or all Blockley tires are the same because I read it in a test report on ONE tire model/size...
It is a test of tires on a performance car, a Porsche 911, for performance cars. The Pagoda is not, and was not ever, a performance car. The Porsche was designed from the ground up for performance; if it used any part or designs "from the parts bin", it was from earlier performance cars. The Pagoda was not designed as such, and used parts from common sedans. Cars like the W111 and W108.
One of the tires in the test, the Pirelli CN36 is quite specifically, a summer performance tire. You cannot even STORE the tire in cold temperatures, much less use it at those temperatures. Other tires in that test such as the Vredestein Sprint Classic and the Michelin XWX are also performance tires. The Blockley makes no such claim, though all the tires in that older test are V-rated. Here's more information on that "summer tire" thing about Pirelli:
Note: Tires exposed to temperatures of 20 degrees F (-7 degrees C) or lower must be permitted to gradually return to temperatures of at least 40 degrees F (5 degrees C) for at least 24 hours before they are flexed in any manner, such as by adjusting inflation pressures, mounting them on wheels, or using them to support, roll or drive a vehicle.
Flexing of the specialized rubber compounds used in High Performance Summer tires during cold weather use can result in irreversible compound cracking. Pirelli's warranty does not cover tires that develop compound cracking due to use in ambient temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) because it occurs as a result of improper use or storage.
The tires in that test were 205/70VR15. Not for our car. Not the correct size, not the correct profile. The Pirelli CN36 is NOT available in a 185HR14. Michelin's tire in our size is the MXV, not the XWX. The Sprint Classic of course, comes in our size. Blockley also makes both a BW and WW tire in our size, but it is NOT the same tire as in the test.
If you want good information on any tire applicable for our car, ask someone who owns or has owned them. Don't rely on an older test report on a Porsche, about tires you cannot get for our cars, in sizes that are not appropriate. A number of our members here have the Vredestein Sprint Classics. A smaller number, including myself have had the Coker Phoenix. I retired those from age and now have the Blockley. Not long after I had the car restored, I got rid of the Pirellis I had in the 205/70-14 size and went with the appropriate Coker Phoenix.
Both the Coker Phoenix and the Blockley in our appropriate size were developed for or with a German Mercedes club(s). Coker told us that many years ago when they first developed that tire. Blockley says today, "...being produced by Blockley Tyre Co. at the express request of one of the German Mercedes Clubs, who needed something better than the Michelin they all had, and at a price that was basically not a rip off, and the end result was the list price of the Michelin being lowered after the Blockley was available...
When the first Coker Phoenix came out, I believe they neglected to add the rub strip; that oversight was corrected and by the time I got my tires more than 15 years ago, they had them. The tires looked great and performed exactly as I would expect them to. They aged out, and were replaced with Blockley. I have nothing but great things to say about the Blockley. One of my caveats was that I wanted WW. That's how the car was delivered and I think in my opinion it looks best with them. That made a limited choice set even smaller. I have dismissed adding a vulcanized WW band onto and existing BW tire, since that would immediately remove the manufacturer of the tire from any kind of warranty or liability. I've had tread separation and tire failures in the past, and wouldn't look forward to trying to explain that I modified a tire to the manufacturer and expect them to replace it if it failed...
When I first reported on my happiness with the Coker Phoenix here, years ago, it was met with a number of snarky comments. Almost all of those comments were made by people who didn't have Coker Phoenix tires, thus were in no real position to make a comment. What they were really upset about was the cost; and now its about 50% higher than it was when I bought them.
If you want opinions on any specific tire for our car ask someone who has them.
I should also mention something about my own experience with what are called "performance tires". One of the things that makes a tire a performance tire is its stickiness or grip. When you make a tire perform, and make it sticky, what you give up on is tread life. The original tires on my 1979 BMW 320i were Continental TS771, in the 185/70HR13 size. After four years and 40,000 miles, it was time for a change, and I wanted "more performance"; so I read the test reports at that time, and bought a set of BF Goodrich Comp T/A, same size. I cannot tell you if they "performed" any better than the Conti, but at 12,000 miles they started to get a bit unbalanced due to excessive tread wear. By 15,000 they were useless. I replaced with Michelin XVX since Conti no longer made the TS771. I had those when the car hit 100K.
More recently, my aunt (who used to own my Pagoda) had two SLKs. A 2011, and a 2016 SLK350. The former was a two year lease, the latter a three year lease. When it came time to turn in the 2016, the OEM tires, which were 225/45ZR17 MO Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. MO=Mercedes Only, had worn out in the front. Couldn't turn the car in w/o replacement. Less than 15,000 miles on the car, quite literally driven by a little old lady to church on Sundays. She was 90 years old at the time of turn in. $700 to replace the pair of tires to turn in. Had we turned it in w/o replacement it would have been at the dealer price which was over $1,000 for the same two.
So, be careful when selecting "summer only" or performance tires, if you are expecting any kind of life out of the tires.
