Pirelli is the official tire supplier of Formula 1, the OEM tire on most Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and other supercars, and a fixture on high-end European sedans. The brand is mostly known for performance and luxury — but the lineup is broader than that reputation suggests.
P Zero family — flagship performance
The P Zero is the line that built Pirelli's modern reputation. Several variants:
- P Zero (PZ4) — current flagship summer performance
- P Zero PZ4 Sport — track-capable variant
- P Zero All Season — performance all-season
- P Zero Winter — high-performance winter for supercars
The standard P Zero is the OEM tire on dozens of high-performance cars. Used P Zeros frequently come off lease-return performance cars with 5-7/32 of tread remaining — an excellent buy for owners of similar vehicles.
Cinturato line — touring and luxury
Pirelli's touring family, more comfort-oriented:
- Cinturato P7 — premium touring all-season
- Cinturato P7 All Season Plus — long-mileage all-season
- Cinturato Strada — emphasizes ride quality
The P7 All Season Plus is a strong competitor to the Michelin Defender 2 and Continental PureContact — long mileage, premium ride, often priced slightly below those competitors.
Scorpion line — SUV and crossover
Pirelli's family for SUVs:
- Scorpion Verde All Season Plus II — premium SUV all-season
- Scorpion ATR — all-terrain
- Scorpion Winter — SUV winter
The Scorpion Verde is common OEM on European SUVs (BMW X, Audi Q, Porsche Cayenne, etc.). Used in those sizes is a strong value.
Where Pirelli stands
Premium tier, especially strong in performance. The brand carries a slight price premium for its racing pedigree, but performance is competitive with Michelin and Bridgestone at the top. Touring lines are less differentiated — solid but not category-leading.
OEM markings on Pirellis
Pirelli does an enormous amount of OEM business, and many tires carry manufacturer-specific markings on the sidewall:
- N0/N1/N2 — Porsche
- MO/MOE — Mercedes (MOE is extended mobility / run-flat)
- AO — Audi
- * (star) — BMW
- F (or HN) — Ferrari, on supercars
- K1 — Ferrari race-fit
If your car needs an OEM-spec Pirelli, the marking matters. The wrong code (or no code) means a slightly different compound or construction than your car was engineered for.
Buying used Pirellis
Lease-return luxury and performance cars frequently shed Pirellis with significant tread remaining. They're a strong used buy in the right sizes (typically 18-21 inch performance fitments). Check the DOT date code — performance tires get used hard and the casing reflects that more than touring tires do.
Pirelli is the tire for cars that were engineered with one in mind. Use the OEM markings to make sure you're getting the right version.