C5 Corvette Z06 Budget Track Wheels and Tire Setup
What will it cost to get a set of track wheels and tires for your C5 Corvette Z06?
The C5 Corvette Z06 is a track-friendly daily driver. It is just as happy on a morning commute as it is on the racetrack. The problem is running your Z06 at the track will burn through your tires pretty quickly. So what is the ideal tire set up?
Track wheels aren’t ideal for street driving, and good street performance tires are expensive. The solution is to have a second set of wheels and tires for track use only. This sounds simple, but it also sounds pricey.
YouTuber ZentRose is a C5 Z06 Corvette owner who enjoys his car, but he doesn’t want to waste his money. Many of his videos find him working on his own car or explaining budget-friendly ways to improve upon your car. In this video, Zent shows us his inexpensive track wheel and tire setup for his C5 Z06 Corvette.
In order to save money and weight Zent has chosen a set of stock C5 magnesium wheels. These wheels were a factory option and are made by Speedline in Italy. They are extremely light, 16 lbs and 19 lbs for 17×8.5″ fronts and 18×9.5″ rears. These were a very expensive option when the car was new, but Zent was able to find a complete set for only $250.
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Now on to the tires, for the track most people look for R compounds to get the most grip. Zent has chosen a set of tires with a track focus on a low budget, the Federal 595 RS-RR. These tires are extremely reasonable in price and should offer good grip on the track. The total for the complete setup including mounting and balancing is only $720. So, at this price point every C5 Z06 Corvette owner should be able to get their car out on track to experience the Z06 at the limit.
