Hi All
for early cars the 145R13 Cinturato is fab. In fact Michelin now make a 145R13 XAS as well.
https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/classi ... /elan.htmlPersonally i have had cars on both. I had my Lotus Elite on 155R15 Cinturato CA67, and they were amazing for sucu a tiny foot print, there was loads of grip, but more importantly the handling was wonderful, when you were really pushing hard, there was plenty of warning before it let go. in fsact it never let go because it was beutifully progressive where you could get slight understeer into a corner that you could change to oversteer on the throttle. The whole experience was predictable and controlable. I can't enthuse enough about them. However i was in the most fabulous car ever. phwarr! 1962 Lotus Elite on Webbers and a ZF box. what is not to like.
i also had a hooligan MK5 Cortina with a Zetech engine in it. generally the Ghia Models and Crusader top of the range ones fitted 185/70R13, but i went back to the 165R13 that the base models fitted . I had XAS on the front and the worst tyres i could get on the back and it was hillarious.
I also had XAS on an old Daimler V8. I put some tall thin XAS on there and it was lovely. before it wandered a little at cruising speeds, but the XAS just made it drive in a straight line. This was a car i bought for my wife to drive the kids to school so i just wanted it to be safe
I also have the XVS on my Silver shadow and they are great too. I did also put the XAS on my aunties Alfa Spider, but this was before the Cinturato was back in production, and to be fair if the Cinturato was around at the time i would have fitted them.
the reality is they are both great tyres.
the exciting news is that we do have a new tyre on the way, hopefully in the next month or so and that is going to be the first batch of a 155HR13 Pirelli Cinturato CA67, so it really will be difficult for you guys to choose.
https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/classi ... -ca67.htmlI think, for me, i think the Cinturato is more of a progressive sports car tyre, that gives the most rewarding and progressive handling for someone who want s to chuck a little rear wheel drive sports car from the 50's, 60s and 1970s around some curvy lanes. (I measn the 1970s cars that were actually just a continuation of a 60s car. not the front wheel drive dross.) I think the XAS was an invention for these same cars but the motivation was to make them more suited to modern roads where we are blasting in a straight line on motorways. This is no way a derogatory critisism of either tyre. they both do both these jobs really well on your cars, but they are the subtle differences. the truth is you are spoiled for choice.
we do still have the 165R13 for the +2 Elan and the 175/70R13 CN36 and 185/70R13 CN36 for people who mistakenly think fatter tyres are better. a misguided mistake made by cowards. However if you are down that camp then the CN36 will handle better than any other tyre the wrong size.