Top 10 Polaris Slingshot Tires: Find the Best Fitting ones

Nothing beats driving a vehicle with a low center of gravity. In these vehicles, everything seems faster and more responsive. More importantly, the low center of gravity improves the handling greatly and gives the driver the biggest smile on the face. The Polaris Slingshot is just that – a small car/motorcycle that promises exceptional dynamics, and that has a big fun-to-drive factor.

Sure, the Slingshot is far from the only vehicle in this segment – a few examples from KTM, and Ariel also gives a lot of smiles for the buck. However, the Slingshot is unique in its platform – it drives on three wheels, and it also has an aggressive and sporty design. This not only makes driving more fun, but it also makes the Slingshot a unique proposition among the competition.

That said, to extract the best possible performance from your Polaris Slingshot, you’ll need a great set of performance tires. The Slingshot is stable and responsive, yes, but it can be dangerous to drive with bad tires. That’s especially true for the rear wheel, which naturally provides lower levels of traction and grip than two wheels. Push it too hard, and the vehicle can easily spin into a corner.

So, tires are extremely important for vehicles such as the Polaris Slingshot. The problem is, though, that not many products are available in Slingshot’s weird combination of tire dimensions. Some tires only come in size similar to the rear wheel, while others only come in sizes similar to the front wheels. I’ve heard many owners install different tires on both axles just because of this.

You shouldn’t worry about that much, though. I managed to find ten outstanding performance tires for the Polaris Slingshot. All of these tires are from the “high-performance” category, which is best suited to the Slingshot. That being said, some models are placed into even more hardcore categories that provide the driver with even better dynamics.

To help you find just the right tires for your driving needs, I reviewed many performance tires that come in Polaris Slingshot wheels sizes. You can read the short review of each product in the Top 10 best Polaris Slingshot tires list.

Now, if you don’t understand performance tires much, I recommend reading through the buying guide section that’s just after the list of tires. The guide contains information about each type of performance tire and how it affects your driving.

Got it? Great! So, without further ado, let’s see what are the best Polaris Slingshot tires available on the market right now.

Top 10 Polaris Slingshot Tires Available in 2024

1. Continental ExtremeContact Sport

Best Max-Performance Summer Tires for Polaris Slingshot

Right now, the ExtremeContact Sport is the most balanced Polaris Slingshot tire. Continental managed to make this product comfortable and quiet, without sacrificing on the performance front, which is certainly welcome.

On the street, the ExtremeContact Sport gives you a combination of responsive handling with excellent steering precision and extremely high levels of grip and traction. Moreover, high-speed stability is among the best in the category, while braking is simply superb.

The German manufacturer even managed to extract some wet performance from the tire, something that can’t be said for other tires. Add to that a 30,000-mile treadwear warranty, and you have a real max-performance champion.

2. Michelin Pilot Sport 4S

Best Max-Performance Summer Tires for Polaris Slingshot

If it wasn’t for the staggeringly high price of the Pilot Sport 4S, it would’ve probably occupied the first place on this list. Michelin’s max-performance tire is truly a stunning product in almost every sense, and especially when it comes to driving.

Unlike other max-performance tires, the Pilot Sport 4S is comfortable and quiet on the road. Luckily, that doesn’t come at a sacrifice in responsiveness, which is impressive, to say the least.

Also, the tire provides the driver with exceptional handling precision, outstanding cornering grip, excellent traction, and strong braking. High-speed stability is exceptional as well.

Michelin provides a 30,000-mile treadwear warranty on the Pilot Sport 4S, which is impressive for a max-performance tire.

3. Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position

Best Max-Performance Summer Tires for Polaris Slingshot

Bridgestone’s popular max-performance tire doesn’t come with any treadwear warranty, and it can also be less comfortable than the first two products on this list.

Nevertheless, the Potenza S-04 Pole Position is an outstanding tire for Polaris Slingshot owners, especially considering the fact that it costs much less than its premium competitors.

And, the best thing about the S-04 is that it doesn’t sacrifice performance. This tire is outstandingly responsive to the steering input, while also communicating with the driver very well.

Moreover, the cornering grip is outstanding, there is a ton of traction during hard acceleration, and the high-speed stability is outstanding. Bridgestone even managed to extract wet grip and traction, which is impressive.

4. Firestone Firehawk Indy 500

Best Ultra-High-Performance Summer Tires for Polaris Slingshot

The Firehawk Indy 500 is one of the most popular ultra-high-performance summer tires, primarily because it offers great bang for the buck.

On the road, this tire provides the driver with supremely responsive handling, but also very high levels of grip and traction. Sure, if you opt for the premium rivals, you will get even better performance, but the Indy 500 is outstanding for the money. Moreover, this tire works very well in wet conditions.

That being said, the Firehawk Indy 500 has overly firm sidewalls, which make the ride choppy over uneven surfaces.

5. BFGoodrich g-Force Sport COMP-2

Best Ultra-High-Performance Summer Tires for Polaris Slingshot

The g-Force Sport COMP-2 is another excellent budget-friendly ultra-high-performance tire that works very well with the Polaris Slingshot.

In terms of handling, the Sport COMP-2 lags behind the best rivals, but it also costs much less. And, the difference is not that big, anyway.

The g-Force Sport COMP-2 is very responsive and offers the driver a taut and precise steering feel. Grip and traction levels are excellent, both over dry and wet surfaces.

Finally, this tire surprised me with the ride quality, which is very impressive.

6. Yokohama Advan Neova AD08R

Best Extreme-Performance Summer Tires for Polaris Slingshot

Yokohama’s entry into the extreme-performance category is characterized by extremely high levels of grip and traction, strong braking, and exceptional high-speed stability. The tire is also supremely responsive, much more than any other tire on this list.

For those reasons, the Advan Neova AD08R is an outstanding tire for Slingshot owners that go on track days often. The tire consistently outperforms max-performance tires, and it doesn’t cost a fortune. It also works surprisingly well over wet surfaces. 

That being said, the tire doesn’t communicate with the driver as well as other extreme-performance tires.

7. Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS

Best Ultra-High-Performance All-Season Tires for Polaris Slingshot

In my eyes, the Potenza RE980AS offers the most balanced qualities in the ultra-high-performance all-season category.

The tire is supremely responsive, communicates well with the driver, and makes the steering very direct. Grip and traction levels are very good as well, while high-speed stability is outstanding.

Bridgestone provides an excellent 50,000-mile treadwear warranty on the RE980AS.

8. Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+

Best Ultra-High-Performance All-Season Tires for Polaris Slingshot

Michelin’s ultra-high-performance all-season tire feels even more responsive than the RE980AS, especially in tight turns.

The tire also provides the driver with very high levels of grip and traction, excellent wet handling, good snow traction, and outstanding high-speed stability.

Michelin provides a 45,000-mile treadwear warranty on this tire, which is good, but not as impressive as some other products.

9. Continental ExtremeContact DWS06

Best Ultra-High-Performance All-Season Tires for Polaris Slingshot

The DWS06 is an easy recommendation for an ultra-high-performance all-season tire. Its sporty credentials are covered with responsive handling, very high levels of grip and traction, and outstanding high-speed stability.

Moreover, Continental managed to give the ExtremeContact DWS06 outstanding wet traction and braking, and good snow traction. The 50,000-mile treadwear warranty only solidifies the DWS06 as an outstanding product.

10. General G-Max AS-05

Best Ultra-High-Performance All-Season Tires for Polaris Slingshot

The General G-Max AS-05 might be the least-expensive tire on this list, but don’t let that fool you. In terms of handling, I’m a big fan of the G-Max AS-05. The tire is superbly responsive and provides excellent steering feel.

Moreover, the grip and traction are very good over dry surfaces, while the high-speed stability is commendable. I was also surprised by how quiet the tire is. The 50,000-mile treadwear warranty only solidifies the G-Max AS-05 is the best ultra-high-performance all-season budget tire.

What to Look for When Buying the Polaris Slingshot Tires

1. Difference Between Summer and All-Season Tires (Advantages and Disadvantages)

The first thing that you need to make sure that you do right is to make a decision on summer or all-season tires. If I owned the Polaris Slingshot, the answer would be easy – I’d always go for summer tires. However, not every driver has the same needs, so be sure to check all the advantages and disadvantages of each tire type before you choose.

Advantages of All-Season Tires over Summer Tires 

Most tires that you see on vehicles in the U.S. nowadays are all-season tires. The biggest reason why people choose these tires is that they work in almost every weather condition. All-season tires are made from a tread compound that stays hard enough in the summer, and pliable enough in the winter.

That way, these tires provide the driver with reliable traction and grip throughout the year, even when driving over light snow. Sure, they might not be a great choice for very deep snow, ice, or slush, but for most places on Earth, they will work completely fine.

Moreover, all-season tires are almost always made from a hard-wearing rubber material, which lasts for a very long time. Even some performance models, usually made from softer and stickier rubber, come with up to 60,000-mile treadwear warranties, which is mightily impressive.

Durability and treadlife, plus the lower price to buy the products in the first place, make all-season tires a very interesting proposition for potential buyers. And, in terms of budget-friendly options, there is no better choice than all-season tires, primarily thanks to their outstanding treadlife.

Advantages of Summer Tires over All-Season Tires 

With that said, many enthusiast drivers view all-season tires as a compromise on both ends. All-season tires won’t give you the same performance as winter tires in freezing weather. Oh, and the difference is night and day.

It’s the same when you compare them to summer tires. In hot weather, summer tires work much better than all-season tires. The first reason why that’s the case is the rubber compound, which is harder than that of all-season tires.

As a result of that, summer tires feel much more responsive and provide excellent steering feel. On the Polaris Slingshot, this quality alone would make a fantastic difference in how the vehicle feels behind the wheel and how it handles it.

Moreover, summer tires have a stickier tread compound. The rubber material that touches the road here stays glued to the asphalt, especially when the weather is hot. Grip levels in summer tires are much higher, while traction is simply superb. Additionally, summer tires will provide you with much shorter braking distances, and much better high-speed stability.

Besides, summer tires also work better over damp surfaces. The sticky rubber from these tires still has an advantage in grip and traction when compared to all-season tires. That said, summer tires have a less aggressive tread pattern, which makes some extreme-performance models worse in heavy rain.

Still, if you live in areas with constant heat, which you probably are, if you own the Slingshot, I strongly recommend going for summer tires. You probably won’t be driving the Slingshot in the winter anyway, so choosing all-season tires won’t make much difference.

Please note, though, that summer tires have a much shorter treadlife. That’s especially true for performance summer tires, which have a tread compound that wears down rapidly. Even the best summer performance tires will last only up to 30,000-miles between replacements.

2. Different Types of Street Performance Tires

All performance summer tires aren’t created equally. Some models are geared more towards safe and reliable street driving with an accent on precise handling, such as ultra-high-performance summer tires. 

Others, like max-performance and extreme-performance tires, take things up a notch. These tires are even better in the handling department and are definitely better for track use, autocross, or drag races.

But, let’s see what each different tire type brings to the game and how it affects your driving.

Ultra-High-Performance Summer Tires are an Excellent Choice for Street Drivers 

If you mostly spend your driving time on the street, then ultra-high-performance tires are by far the best solution. These tires are specifically designed to give you responsive handling, exceptional steering feel, very high levels of grip and traction, great high-speed stability, and strong braking.

More importantly, most ultra-high-performance tires are tuned for driving over wet and very wet surfaces. These tires work outstandingly well in very heavy rain, even better than all-season tires. For that reason, I think that they are by far the best choice for street driving, and it’s not even close.

Furthermore, ultra-high-performance summer tires can also work on the track without any issue. Sure, you won’t be the fastest, but you will still enjoy reliable grip and traction, responsive handling, and have great fun.

Finally, ultra-high-performance tires last longer than the more aggressive options, which is another quality that’s important to drivers that spend their time with the Slingshot mostly on the street.

Max-Performance Tires Provide an Even More Exhilarating Performance 

Max-performance tires are designed for high-performance vehicles, such as muscle cars with V8 engines, BMW M-Sports vehicles, Mercedes AMG vehicles, etc. That means that you will still mostly use these tires on the street, but they are surely usable on the track as well.

Compared to ultra-high-performance summer tires, max-performance tires provide better results in almost every area. They are even more responsive and improve the steering feel a bit. Moreover, max-performance tires have a larger contact patch, which improves traction, grip, and braking. High-speed stability is also improved.

Now, when it comes to wet driving, there are two sides to the coin. Max-performance tires fair better over damp surfaces and in light rain, primarily thanks to the larger contact patch and stickier rubber. However, they fare worse than ultra-high-performance tires in heavy rain and have worse hydroplaning resistance.

Moreover, max-performance tires have a shorter treadlife than ultra-high-performance tires, and they are also more expensive. That being said, if you want exceptional performance on the street or track, then max-performance tires are the greatest choice.

Extreme-Performance Tires are the Best Choice for Track Use 

As their name suggests, extreme-performance tires offer the most extreme performance out of any other sporty tire. These tires are designed and engineered to give supercar drivers outstanding stability at higher speeds, but also for sports car drivers that want to take handling to the next level.

Extreme-performance tires are superior when it comes to responsiveness. With a set of these tires on your Slingshot, the vehicle will feel like a go-kart. Moreover, you can expect outstandingly high levels of grip and traction and exceptional high-speed stability.

For those reasons, extreme-performance tires are the best choice for track days. With these tires, you will consistently set better lap time than if you opt for max-performance tires. On top of that, you will have more fun behind the wheel.

That said, many amateur drivers will never be able to approach the maximum capabilities of these tires. Extreme-performance models have so much grip that you will not be able to feel the capabilities of the Slingshot, especially if you don’t drive fast enough.

Also, extreme-performance tires don’t work very well over wet surfaces. Driving over damp pavement should be fine, but the tires will definitely suffer over very wet surfaces or puddles of water. This limits the street-driving capabilities of the tires, which overall are better if you opt for max-performance or ultra-high-performance models.

Final Words

The way this world operates gives car enthusiasts many reasons to be happy. Along with many fun-to-drive sports cars, we also have many performance tires to choose from and extract the best from any vehicle.

That said, always make sure that the tires you purchase to suit your driving needs perfectly. Going for track-day tires and using them only on the street is not a smart solution.

Finally, always choose tires from reputable manufacturers. I can’t state this enough, but very cheap performance tires (often Chinese) don’t work as advertised. They are far from the premium alternatives in terms of responsiveness and grip and don’t last nearly as long. Your Polaris Slingshot deserves better, trust me.