Unique and rare question: what tyres?

[Diesel_vert]

TL;DR - You don't need all-season tyres in Australia.

Thanks for all the info! Definitely helps me do a bit more research. If I’m honest, my daily driving is pretty tame so my main considerations are not to die in the rain/cold in country Vic, then probably road noise. Of course when I give it the beans occasionally I want to feel good. Also, I want to make sure something goes on the R that’s spiritually fitting.

The Michelin Pilot Sport are a summer tyre, no? Or maybe that was the point of the post up above; that in Oz/Vic All Seasons aren’t as necessary as they are in the US.

Thanks again for the info!
Will dive into research today.

On balance, you are not likely to experience wintry conditions (I am referring here to the northern states of your home country) that will justify the fitment of all-season tyres in the vast majority of areas in Australia.

No such thing as all seasons here. They are pretty much all "summer" tyres.

Yes, the range of all-season tyres in Australia is very limited.

Typically you're just looking for tyres that operate well in the wet and there's plenty of "summer" tyres that have good road holding in the wet.

Agreed.

Ambient temps here don't get so low that you start to need different compounds.

Agreed.

I actually think it's partly "marketing" in the US to make everyone buy 2 sets of tyres - one summer and one winter. Though in locations where there's snow I understand that it's necessary.

Not intended as a reply, just putting this out there for the benefit of all:

As the ambient temperature approaches freezing, the tread compound on a summer tyre starts to harden and become brittle, which reduces grip. The tread pattern also tends to be shallower with bigger tread blocks and a higher proportion of the tread being in contact with the road, further reducing traction on icy or snowy road surfaces.

In contrast, the tread compound on winter tyres remains soft and flexible, allowing it to provide grip at freezing temperatures. The tread pattern tends to be deeper with smaller and more flexible tread blocks and features more aggressive sipes, allowing it to bite into the snow and generate traction.

Youtube video demonstrating the contrast in performance between summer and winter tyres.

On the flipside, the soft, deep and flexible tread compound and tread pattern characteristics may cause winter tyres to be overworked when driven in warm and dry weather, resulting in reduced performance.

An all-season tyre has a wider operating temperature, allowing it to be driven in high or low ambient temperatures, but the conflicting performance criteria for summer and winter tyres means that the tread compound and tread pattern on an all-season tyre is more of a compromise, and consequently does not provide as much grip or traction in warm or freezing conditions as a summer tyre or a winter tyre would respectively (jack-of-all trades, master of none).

Unlike summer tyres however, it does mean that a vehicle fitted with all-season tyres will be able to accelerate, corner and stop somewhat adequately in icy or snowy conditions without needing to buy and fit a separate set of winter tyres.

In these conditions, all-season tyres are more likely to get you to where you need, as opposed to summer tyres leaving you stranded on the side of the road, or more likely, in a ditch.

This is relevant for motorists in a country like the US or Canada, where there are no uniform regulations mandating the fitment of winter tyres, but frequently experience snowfall and temperatures below freezing during winter.

In contrast, for many parts of Continental Europe, it is a mandatory requirement for motorists to fit winter tyres during designated periods (typically between November and March, but varies according to country), so these motorists will have two sets of tyres - one for winter, and one for the rest of the year. This partly explains the small market for all-season tyres there.

Hence why the North American market is dominated by all-season tyres, and why Australia isn't.