How is the wear on S-03s?

I had the Sumitomo's on my 330i, and I have S-O2's on my 911.

The S-O2's (previous generation) are pretty sticky, even more so than the Sumitomo tires were. Since I am going to replace the tires soon, I will go with the S-O3's on the Porsche because wear is not a concern of mine.

I bet the Sumitomo's will last about 30% longer than the S-O3's, but they are less grippy. They are also only about 65% the cost.

If you track your car, or autocross, and ultimate grip is essential, get the SO-3's.

If you drive hard, fast, and enjoy taking corners on the street (no track use), I would get the Sumitomo's in a second. They are an excellent tire with few rivals. I never reached the limit of my Sumitomo's on the street (you shouldn't be doing that anyway).

Personally, I think the S-O3's are overkill for the street.

JST,

You bring up a good point - dedicated wheels/tires for the track events:

At some point you need to cross the line and put that $1000 aside for wheels and tires (I'd get a nice set of used wheels and put some 'R compounds' on them for my money).

Understand that 'R compound' tires will put more stress on your brakes and suspension (less slip)... so you start pouring more money into your car!

Upgrading tires is the easiest/least expensive mechanical improvement you can do for your car.

Attending an autocross or driving school is the best thing you can do as a driver.