Fiat Dino Forum (FDF)

I agree with you there Tobi

Here's my tire conundrum.
On a 1967 coupe, the P.O. put on Yokohama a378, 215 70R 14. After slumbering for 10+ years, we drove the car and it seems floaty.
Fresh alignment.
New Konis.

I have a spare set of Michelin XWXs, 205 70R 14, which can be mounted on a spare set of magnesium wheels, for comparison.

Also considering going back to 185s.

Thoughts?

Please have a look at the enclosed test.

The (original) Pirelli CN36 was specifically developed for the Fiat Dino as Fiat was not happy with the performance of the Michelin XAS.

The new CN 36 was developed in cooperation with Porsche Classic and Walter Röhrl and is officially released by Porsche for classic 911 models.

I drive it on my Dino Coupe - great.

The Michelin XWX looks great, but is mediocre on dry roads and bad in the rain. I have it on my Jaguar XJ 1971 - it is known for concentricity and imbalance issues, so my dealer almost refused to mount it for safety concerns.

Great info.
TireRack has the Vredensteins, and the CN 36s are available elsewhere. I'm leaning toward going back to the original 185 size.

Been wondering about what size is "original" for the 1968 2L coupe? Was it the 185 or 205? And is the 205 the better size for the 2 liter coupe?

Fiat developed the CN36 in 205/70 14 together with Pirelli specifically for the Dino cars, but as the 2000 were developed in a rush (18 months!), the tire was not ready for serial launch, so Fiat was obliged to select one existing tire, so they choose the Michelin XAS in 185 R14 (185 / 80 14).

The Michelin had the advantage to cope with the (then) very high top speed, but did not provide the best possible dynamic properties.

Late 2000 coupes were already equipped with the CN36, which was later the only serial tire released for the Dino 2400.

Today, the modern CN 36 was developed in cooperation with Porsche Classic, it is technically the best classic tire on the market (the Dunlop Sport Classic has a modern design), and it is simply original.

Thanks for the answer! For people who have had both the 185 and the 205 in the CN36's, what are the handling differences? And have people used the Vredstein Sprint Classic in either of those sizes?