The pros/The cons?

I did an indicated 105 once in traffic that was averaging 85mph on the NJ turnpike, just to see if it could do it. Felt like it had significantly more go left in it.
 
Top speed is so much relevant in a Fiat X1/9. After you rev the engine for a quick start at the green light and goes rooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar, second, roaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-a-a-ar, double clutch in third, ro-ro-roaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar, up to fourth and... you are feeling like 200 mph when you finally pass that school bus.
 
My 2013 GTI speedo goes to 180 and my son's boring Accord goes to 160...what a waste of speedo sweep!

What is top speed ratings for the usual trash tires we run on our Fiats?
The 185-60/13 Achilles and Federals are H rated (130 mph). My car originally came with Michelin XAS 145-13s that were also H rated. Shortly after I bought my car, Fiat started shipping them with S (112 mph) rated Pirellis. My friend's X came with those and they were not very sticky. I currently have V rated tires on my car but they were bought ~1995. Nothing like having a blown engine and a brand new set of tires for 20+ years.
 
When they went to P3s and other lower grade tires handling took a turn for the worse.

Loved the XAS, they dealt well with cars that had significant geometry change due to lean with its asymmetric tread.
 
Top speed is so much relevant in a Fiat X1/9. After you rev the engine for a quick start at the green light and goes rooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar, second, roaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-a-a-ar, double clutch in third, ro-ro-roaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar, up to fourth and... you are feeling like 200 mph when you finally pass that school bus.

That's very funny. With header/turbo muffler and twin IDFs I don't even have to pass the school bus to feel like I'm going a million miles an hour.
For us street squids, it's all about the experience, not the actual numbers. I'd like to get my X on a dyno but almost feel like asking the dyno shop if their rig will read accurately under 100 hp!
 
What is top speed ratings for the usual trash tires we run on our Fiats?

One problem with a car like the X is some folks have to deal with long term storage. I have seen 10+ year old tires on some cars. Tires that are unused begin to dry rot, crack, and generally get weaker and weaker with time. For long term maintenance, don't let your tires get over 5 years old (maybe 7 if you have ideal storage conditions), regardless of mileage. And when it comes to handling, if you have a dry set of tires, it's more like riding on greased asphalt, and can be rather unsafe, especially trying to stop.
 
When they went to P3s and other lower grade tires handling took a turn for the worse.

Loved the XAS, they dealt well with cars that had significant geometry change due to lean with its asymmetric tread.
I still use one as a spare. Being tube type, they hold air for a very long time.
 
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I bought a Corvette last year that had been stored in a garage for 15 years. It had new (when parked) TA Radials that looked perfect - no sidewall cracking or anything like that. I would drive the car around the neighborhood while getting it dialed in and the tires seemed fine. Over the past month, though, while being parked in my garage two of the tires have completely fallen apart. I used to push my luck driving cars with tires that I knew were cracked and ancient but held air. I plan to be more cautious now.
 
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Our Miata came with what looked like ‘new’ tires. Driving the car was positively scary, initially I thought Miatas were shite handling cars but it really was the old, rock hard tires.

This didn’t used to be quite the case when tires were made of real rubber versus modern low emissions material making up the carcass.
 
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