03YellowZ06

Hey guys,

I am looking to buy a new set of tires for my Z in a few weeks. I have been researching various brands of tires in the stock rim size. I am looking into getting a set of Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta 2X 275/40/17 and 2X 295/35/18. I know these are not exactly stock sizes, but do you see any issue with the size difference affecting the stability control calculations? I did read several threads about this, just curious as several members have reported no issues. The other choice is the Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport which due come in stock sizes. What do you guys think about this? I'm also open to other suggestions within that price range.

racebum

use the nt05

it's also a 275/295 but the 275 is short and the 295 is tall for their casted sizes

the re760 is a hard tire with less traction than the OE...not by a lot but by a little

no idea about the other tires you mention. i have never seen anyone who's concerned about performance use that tire

03YellowZ06

The NT05 are a very popular choice from what I have seen. However, the wet performance seems to be an issue with these tires along with wearing very fast. The tires I originally posted about are very popular in Europe and have received great remarks from those that have tried them. It seems we are limited in what we can buy with stock rims....

doublec4

I have the Vredestein tires but in a 18 / 19 combo front back. I went too far off from the stock ratio and my stability control turned itself off.

racebum

extremely limited.

the best wet performer for the stock wheels is the conti DW, but, it's also 275/295 and is sized more traditional than the nt05

the re760 is just so lackluster i have a hard time recommending it. it also sucks in the wet by the way. it's a crusier tire designed for a guy who never pushes the limits of the car

the nt05 is popular mostly because of the fit and dry traction. average treadlife is 15-18k miles which is 2-3 years worth of driving for the average guy

the DW would go more miles and be faster in the wet, but, it has kind of a chubby front casing in that 275

the really ideal route is to move to the michelin pss in 265 35 18 and 295 30 19 or 305 30 19 depending on how wide your rear wheels are. i did this last year and the height calcs on 265 35 18 and 295 30 19 in the pss are nearly identical to oem. within a couple revs per mile. the tires wear great, are insanely fast in the wet and very quick in the dry. steering response is also 10/10 for a street tire

ztheusa

I have this setup on my Z06. They are fantastic, you will love them. They aren't some cheap junk from Korea, but built in the Netherlands by a company with huge history.

troyguitar

Best new setup for all-weather (except for snow) performance is the new Michelin A/S 3 in 255/40/17 and 285/35/18.

They tested better than most summer tires both dry and wet and have 500 treadwear rating and the ability to work at freezing temperatures too. They are like $800 right now.

racebum

a tire with a 500 utqg you says tests "better"

how exactly is "better" defined?

i couldn't even imagine using a tire that hard on a camery

if the OP went that size actual performers like the hankook r3's come into play

the 255 front starts getting a bit narrow on a 9.5" wheel though

racebum

you ever do an 800ft skidpad with a G meter to see where the grip fell?

to date i've never seen anyone use this tire at an autocross, drag strip, road course or any other performance outing on any car

i've never driven them personally.

very little factual test data exists, especially on our cars or similar cars, m3, 370z etc

i know they are an old compound and have been around for...well... a long time

troyguitar

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=177

vs

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=174

RS3's are autocross tires but would indeed offer more dry grip on the street and give up performance to the AS3 in every other metric (price, longevity, and cold/wet performance).

striper

I have the Vredesteins and I find them to be a fantastic tire. Great all around tire. Fantastic tire in the wet, quiet and smooth, they are wearing great, and stick very well when pushed hard. I love them. They are top-rated tire in Europe. In a comparison test in a German magazine, their overall performance against many of the other top tires mentioned, they were rated #1. All that and their prices are very reasonable. I've had PS2's before so I can speak from experience. I'd definetely buy them again. Other people on the forum who've used them have had similar opinions. There have been members who've tracked them, too.

racebum

1. the links don't work

2. why would someone own a z06 if they were willing to use a 500 treadwear tire? you would get outhandled by civics on good rubber

cold tires are snow/ice tires period. no all season tire has good cold grip, they just don't have the silica content. as for rain. the DW would be the king on stock z06 wheels and the pss will outrun their own as3 in the wet if we're going to other wheels. the pss also will rip hard in the dry and push past 1g with ease. steering response is also stellar

beings you never run a sports car tire past 4 years old i can't even fathom why someone would even consider a utqg 500 tire

if you drive your car in the snow and ice or freezing temps you use two sets of wheels. there is simply no all season tire ever that can provide any sort of dry grip

03YellowZ06

Thanks for all the responses guys, definitely a lot to think about. More importantly, I am learning quite a bit browsing the forum!

rjwz28

I wouldn't personally run an all-season tire on any car I own aside from maybe a minivan or other family/economy car, and only in a southern state with very mild winters

Jack of all trades, master of none

I don't care how much Michelin talks up the A/S; have you noticed that they don't compare it to the PS2 or Super Sport? There's a reason for that...

troyguitar

Whatever, ignore the objective test data if you want to do so.

The AS3 was 0.1 seconds slower than the PSS in the dry on a 30-second autocross course, faster than the Conti DW and all other max performance summer tires except the Yokohama ADVAN Sport V105.

But because it has AS in the name it is therefore worse because you guys say so.

Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.

racebum

totally. there was actually a test done with that tire against the pss that doesn't seem to be published anywhere on the web but the manager of my local discount tire had it. the pss was better everywhere except snow in which the as3 also sucked. even in heavy rain the pss was the faster tire

racebum

it's not physically possible. either the data was manipulated or there was some agenda, or, like i said, your links didn't work, or there was some variable to explain it. post working links. tests like this http://www.badgerbimmers.org/Badger-...Sport-AS-3.htm give no usable data

the pss can pull 1.05-1.10g on a skidpad with a c5z

there is no possible way an as3 can do this or they would be getting used by absolutely everyone since it would be downright incredible for a 500utqg tire

i can't find any of these test results you say you have. on the tire rack they compare them to other all season tires and if you google something like michelin as3 vs pss you get nothing. on michelins home page there is a reference to more dry grip than the DW or nero only....which i suppose could be possible if it's a high silica tire, they can be sticky for a brief period but overheat really quick. that's why high silica tires are typically snow and ice.

i mean, it looks like a great tire for a civic si or something after looking it over but it just does not look like a good choice for a z06 unless you're a waxer

at best you could compare it to the DW, but, it's almost moot since the as3 doesn't come in oem sizes and few people want to look at a narrow casing on their car

ThumperNC24

There is NO way the AS3 is that close to the PSS....it's just not possible.

If you want to run all season tires on your Z06 you might as well sell it and get something a little more cushy.

My buddy went from Pilot Sport All Seasons on his BMW to (relatively not great) Sumitomo HTR ZIII summer tires and the Sumis gripped WAY more. All season tires do not stack up with summer tires, they aren't meant to. Call up tire rack and talk to them about if you really don't believe me and Racebum.

troyguitar

AS3 is a new tire and more closely related to the PSS than to previous Michelin All-seasons.

Read the reviews and tests. Everyone says it feels and performs like a summer tire, including being poor in snow/ice.

You want Tire Rack's opinions? You don't have to call them.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1585380512-post1.html

http://golfmk6.com/forums/showpost.p...93&postcount=1

AS3:



AS+:



PSS:



The AS3 has almost nothing in common with its predecessor. It's a PSS with non-zero winter traction, slightly better resistance to hydroplaning, slightly better tread life, and slightly worse warm weather grip.

03YellowZ06

The pilot super sports would be my definite first choice but I do not want to purchase new rims and tires at the moment. I bought a set for my wife's 335i M-Sport and they are amazing tires.They replaced the stock run flats that came with the car. We have very mild winters with an occasional snow, and I must say the car stay parked in the driveway for obvious reasons. Maybe later on I can gravitate towards having two sets of tires/rims. For now, I plan to go with the Vredstein 275/40/17 and 295/35/18 as another member ztheusa posted about above. Only if those sizes do not freak the sensors out. Maybe you guys could help point me in the direction of an online calculator to figure out the rev/mile size range compared to the F1 tires. I'm waiting to hear back from ztheusa with his experience on this.

I really appreciate the breakdown on the different tires in this thread, definitely a thread I will reference when needed!