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From Mazda Miata's to Porsche 911s, any sports car under 3,5000 lbs can be perfected with the right set of treads under it.

So, you own or need tires for a car that's under 3,500 lbs? The advantage of your lightweight sports car is tremendous, even if the power is far less than others, such as in a Toyota MR2 or Mini Cooper S. There are tons of tires for your needs, and oh boy, do we mark all the boxes with this one! Let's just say the research wasn't skimped on... To have the right, no—the best tire for your situation and vehicle is beyond important. Oftentimes, we find this is the first upgrade pros recommend. After all, if you don't have a good grip, what's the point of being so lightweight, to begin with?

From track to daily driving to inclement weather, this list will offer unsponsored and unbiased answers to an even spread of brands, types, and fitment of needs. The goal here is to make sure you're safe in your Ford Focus ST, Subaru BRZ, or even your Porsche 911. Speaking of the Focus ST, we figured it would be a good middle-ground for lightweight cars' tire sizes by which to compare standard prices for individual tires (using discounttire.com and others). Frankly, you deserve to be able to take that little beast to the utmost maximum, however you drive. The only thing holding you back is your ability to stick to the asphalt!

If the name of this tire is familiar it's because the Michelin Pilot Sport (PAX, not the slightly more reasonable 4S) is the tire used by Bugatti to allow the Chiron Super Sport to reach over 300 mph. These ones are not cheap! In fact, they use the same technology Michelin developed to help NASA land the space shuttle. They are used in hot and fast competitions and don't do well in weather or wetness, and frankly, almost cost too much for most people to be fine with.

The people who would benefit from these are those who have cars worth spending a certain amount on, super and even hypercar owners who want to really pull out all the stops to get record lap times, win races, or just experience the best their car has to offer. They aren't tires that will hold up well for a long time, but they will offer a great clean track grip for the more performance-minded sport's drivers.

Related: Tire Test: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S Vs Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport

Depending on the size you need, the g-Forces by BFGoodrich are relatively affordable for what they are: performance rubbers for the common man to keep on year-round. The "COMP-2" denotes that they're for competition, an ultra-high-performance specifically made for sport coupes and muscle cars, "2" meaning

The idea is that they are better for forward and backward "G-force," AKA braking and accelerating, but they don't slack on turning. The tread compound is specifically made to be capable on the track without being dangerous on the snow or in the rain and is even hydroplane-resistant. For such an affordable tire it does check a lot of boxes in our book!

Notice the name again? Any Michelin Pilot Sports are not to be slept on! A/S, as you may know, means "all-season" and "4," in this case, stands for four seasons. As we step away from the pure performance we can spend a lot less. On the average BMW M2, for example, the set would cost $900 for the set, not bad but not cheap! Best of all is the treadwear rating: 500! This means it takes 5x longer than a 100 treadwear rating to wear out on a government-issued test run.

The name of the game is long-lasting and snow-capable without sacrificing too much track performance. Michelin still considers these "ultra-performance" despite the price drop from their Pilot Sport 4S's. As far as driving on wet and dry tracks go, this does just dandy in the book of most drivers who aren't trying to set records but still want a fighting chance at the podium.

Related: This Is The Best Feature Of The BMW M2 CS​​​​​​​

These are, as the name implies, great for their maximum contact patch thanks to their design. They're all-weather tires that come with a 50,000 warranty and yet are able to grip in the cold thanks to a silica-enhanced rubber mixture. To use some more science-y words: Interlocking X-sipes and a nylon cap ply increase responsiveness for performance. Basically less side-to-side movement, better stability.

While they won't get you out of your driveway after a blizzard, they will be fine for grocery-getting without too much concern about your baby spinning out. In the lineup, these sit right in the middle of almost all on this list: not high-end, not the best all-season, not the most expensive, but very great for those who live north enough for snow and end up racing more on the street than just the track.

Any tire with names like "Potenza" and "Pole Position" can't be for chumps, right? Correct! These may be less expensive but that's because they're summer-only tires built for the track. The rubber is made for heat and strain instead of longevity or adaptability, so they really nail track performance, and are the tires you would bring in your trunk to put on at the track itself.

While, yes, you can keep these on your daily driver we wouldn't recommend it. If, however, these are for the type of car that you keep covered up and only drive on warm weekends or sporty road trips then this is exactly the tire you would want to be affixed to your ride. The evidence of the nature of these tires is clear by looking at the tread. It's what's known as interlocking tread blocks and it's one of the secrets of precision driving; continuous, uninterrupted contact in the form of straight, directional treads.

These tires aren't ones you put on the track. In fact, they might just be the ones you take off to go to the track, but if you decided to race in them you would still have a very good fighting chance. The first goal of this tire was to make your lightweight car drivable all year, the second was to make your car fast and responsive.

By "driveable" we mean that it's made for maximum grip in rain and light snow without becoming chopping blocks after one summer (unless you drive like a maniac). "Outer block lateral siping" is the fancy term for "dry-weather cornering ability" and "variable tension control nylon belt" is meant to mean "comfortable." This isn't a tire you should be able to hear when it hits bumps, unlike those made with more stiffness and structure. All that for just $135 on the ol' ST, making this the second cheapest tire to consider.

Related: This Is How Pirelli Became The Most Popular Tire Maker In The World

Okay so we've seen 4S and A/T 4's, but what the heck is this "Cup 2" doing here, and why is it more expensive than the 4S by almost $100 per tire? Well, my good friend, the answer lies, as usual, in the quality. The Cup 2's don't even come in an ST size, but if the rims and wheel wells were a few centimeters wider they would cost this much at the cheapest. That's because the Cup 2's aren't made for wet... at all.

That's right, zero accommodation exists for cold, wet, or snowy road conditions and, as you can see, these things have massive smooth space; a sign of a high-quality pure sports tire made for 100% pro performance, massive contact patches, and no compromise when it comes to great durability! Yes, even with what Michelin terms "Michelin’s Variable Contact Patch 3.0 Technology" that will put more rubber to the asphalt when you need it, these tires are built for many, many tough laps, in part this can be contributed to the large, flat tread that resists wearing, opposite of a finely-treaded snow tire.

Like the Cup 2's, this tire is made to give you a sunny-weather racing edge! Yes, they each come in at a mere $15 less than the Cup 2's but they do come in more sizes and could... maybe be persuaded to work off-track on good days, and wouldn't do poorly on a road trip if you can stomach the slightly-quicker wear, a compromise necessary for its other features.

For one, this tire has that nice, continuous tread so useful for precise racing. As a bonus, it is designed to handle some water at reasonable speeds. The best thing is that these tires can perform well without being too loud! A lot of high-end racing rubbers are designed to be stiff and aggressive, allowing for certain squeals and other kinetic energy that comes out in the form of sound that is rarely heard on any track or fast-paced cruises. Teslas, though not light, and quieter cars can stand to benefit from this, especially if it's something you're sensitive to.

There are two Hankooks in this realm, both of which are popular in the world of ricers for one reason: they hold up to excessive camber. These tires aren't gonna win races, but they will stand up to being "stanced-out like a roundabout" longer than any other. This is done with harder rubber and more powerful sidewalls. Yes, they both come out to $166. One is the V12 EVO2 K120 which is great for wet and dry summer driving, but most notably has a "Y" speed rating; 186 mph.

Perhaps the better pick for the $166, depending on your needs, is the VENTUS S1 NOBLE2 H452. It ties with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 4's with a grand 500 treadwear rating which opens it up to a 50,000-mile warranty and is thus better for the stance-inclined, and it's all-season! The emphasis here is endurance and quietness (if your camber is more proper). A "W" rating means you shouldn't surpass 168 mph, but if you can keep it under that then you have a performance-capable affordable tire that checks a lot of boxes.

Related: MINI JCW GP Is A Snow Bullet When Armed With Model-Specific Hankook Winter Tires

We would be remiss if we didn't include one of the biggest names in racing tires: Toyo. Though they are also from Japan, Toyo Tires isn't made by or affiliated with Toyota in any way. It was named for Toyo Boseki, the founder of Toyo Rubber Industrial in 1945. The Proxes Sport is their gateway tire, made to fit the likes of the Focus ST we presented it. Normally an expensive tire, these have well-designed racing heritage also have an A/S option, both rated "Y" (186 mph).

Essentially, they're good to race tires that work great for daily driving. They sit in the m middle of many of the above tires, but like a good car, they have those unspoken advantages that only appear to you when you drive. If you wanted to paint the words on your tires white for that super-sporty look, this would be the tires to do it on!

Now, yes we missed some great tires... there are a lot of brands and uses out there! If nothing else, you learned what to look for and can easily pick yours. As far as choosing the right brand, we can't easily say. The same parent company that made the Ferrari 488 also produced the Dodge Dart (both owned by Fiat when they were developed circa 2013). If somehow we didn't hit all the points, check out forums for your specific car for sage advice.

Wyatt is from Utah and likes to bike, ski, and drive too fast. He's written articles on motorcycles and cars for years, and especially likes Japanese cars and off-road vehicles. He has been featured in DriveTribe more than once and some of his content has had over 6.5 million views. He loves Formula 1, Formula Drift, the Baja 1000, and World Rally Cross!