Why summer tires?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,118
Likes: 122
From: Madison (Huntsville) Alabama
CI 6-7-8 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
Why summer tires?
Why does GM put summer tires on Corvettes as original equipment? Supposedly they should be used only cautiously below 40 F, and not at all below 20. There are very, very few places in the US that don't get that cold ... basically just the peninsula of Florida and southern California. Here in north Alabama we have about 70 days in the winter that get below freezing and occasionally get below zero (hasn't happened recently though).
Sure, they perform somewhat better than all-seasons, but the car was made to be driven and the way most people drive they never hit the stops on all-season performance anyway. And true, a lot of people store their cars over the winter, but many don't. Probably most don't.
Sure, they perform somewhat better than all-seasons, but the car was made to be driven and the way most people drive they never hit the stops on all-season performance anyway. And true, a lot of people store their cars over the winter, but many don't. Probably most don't.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,513
Likes: 86
From: Rocheport Missouri
Based on my experience with OEM tires, I am guessing summer tires are less expensive than all seasons. However, I would want to believe that the Corvette engineers also selected the best performing tire for the car based on summer driving. I don't know what the ratio is to people who drive all year in cold weather to those, like me, who leave their Vette parked, but those numbers could affect the engineers decision too.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 11,338
Likes: 2,437
From: Eastern
Most likely because they are high performance tires, for a high performance car, great for traction on dry warm roads of race tracks.
The average miles per year for C6 corvettes is likely pretty low, compared to any other make that's used year round.
You don't need much traction when they are sitting in a heated garage.
What other vehicle is 6-8 years old and less than 5000 miles on the clock?
It seems 75% of C6 owners don't really drive their cars much.
I'm in the 25% that do drive it a lot, so I get better tires made for various weather conditions.
The average miles per year for C6 corvettes is likely pretty low, compared to any other make that's used year round.
You don't need much traction when they are sitting in a heated garage.
What other vehicle is 6-8 years old and less than 5000 miles on the clock?
It seems 75% of C6 owners don't really drive their cars much.
I'm in the 25% that do drive it a lot, so I get better tires made for various weather conditions.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 116
Likes: 16
From: Collinsville IL
A thought I have is that when car mags test cars, they test them with the stock tires, and automakers want to get the best results, so a summer tire is used for greater grip than an all-season can provide.
JMHO
JMHO
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 2,304
Likes: 251
From: Baltimore Maryland
In the C6 universe the available all season tires or winter tires will only fit on the base model . . . none of those tires are even available in OEM sizes that will fit the GS, Z06 or ZR1. So all of those models had to come with summer tires.
I agree its a bit ridiculous and frustrating, especially now as I own a GS and its 30 degrees outside.
I think GM corrected this on the C7s. Thats one thing I like more than my C6.
I agree its a bit ridiculous and frustrating, especially now as I own a GS and its 30 degrees outside.
I think GM corrected this on the C7s. Thats one thing I like more than my C6.
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Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,118
Likes: 122
From: Madison (Huntsville) Alabama
CI 6-7-8 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
In the C6 universe the available all season tires or winter tires will only fit on the base model . . . none of those tires are even available in OEM sizes that will fit the GS, Z06 or ZR1. So all of those models had to come with summer tires.
I agree its a bit ridiculous and frustrating, especially now as I own a GS and its 30 degrees outside.
I think GM corrected this on the C7s. Thats one thing I like more than my C6.
I agree its a bit ridiculous and frustrating, especially now as I own a GS and its 30 degrees outside.
I think GM corrected this on the C7s. Thats one thing I like more than my C6.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,118
Likes: 122
From: Madison (Huntsville) Alabama
CI 6-7-8 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
In the C6 universe the available all season tires or winter tires will only fit on the base model . . . none of those tires are even available in OEM sizes that will fit the GS, Z06 or ZR1. So all of those models had to come with summer tires.
I agree its a bit ridiculous and frustrating, especially now as I own a GS and its 30 degrees outside.
I think GM corrected this on the C7s. Thats one thing I like more than my C6.
I agree its a bit ridiculous and frustrating, especially now as I own a GS and its 30 degrees outside.
I think GM corrected this on the C7s. Thats one thing I like more than my C6.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,175
Likes: 237
From: Philadelphia Burbs
Cruise-In V Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06
Which is why we chose a narrowbody as my wife's daily driver.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 262
Likes: 3
From: belleville IL
Summer tires
I have a 2005 with 154000 miles I live in the stl area and have always used runflats year round.I use Firestone Firehawk wideovals.The only time I don't drive is in snow.if the roads are dry and its under 30 I have not had a problem.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,118
Likes: 122
From: Madison (Huntsville) Alabama
CI 6-7-8 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
Are they summer tires? Runflats can be either summer or all season.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 804
Likes: 37
From: sea to shining sea
Why does GM put summer tires on Corvettes as original equipment? Supposedly they should be used only cautiously below 40 F, and not at all below 20. There are very, very few places in the US that don't get that cold ... basically just the peninsula of Florida and southern California. Here in north Alabama we have about 70 days in the winter that get below freezing and occasionally get below zero (hasn't happened recently though).
Sure, they perform somewhat better than all-seasons, but the car was made to be driven and the way most people drive they never hit the stops on all-season performance anyway. And true, a lot of people store their cars over the winter, but many don't. Probably most don't.
Sure, they perform somewhat better than all-seasons, but the car was made to be driven and the way most people drive they never hit the stops on all-season performance anyway. And true, a lot of people store their cars over the winter, but many don't. Probably most don't.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2014
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From: Miami FL
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 16,023
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From: Toronto, Canada
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
I have Firestone Wide Ovals and this year I have been driving my car a lot (including today). It was well below freezing this morning but the tires feel absolutely safe, however, I would not dare drive in snow as my car suddenly turns into the world's largest toboggan
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 32
Likes: 1
From: Orlando FL
Cold....what's that? I am one of those Central Florida people
I assume it is because they figure it's a performance car so it gets performance tires which just happen to always be summer tires. Never understood the All-Season tires, but then again I have never had to drive in anything more than the occasional below freezing day. I figured most would have a summer set and a winter set if you used your c6 all year and the data shows all-seasons are usually junk in snow.
I assume it is because they figure it's a performance car so it gets performance tires which just happen to always be summer tires. Never understood the All-Season tires, but then again I have never had to drive in anything more than the occasional below freezing day. I figured most would have a summer set and a winter set if you used your c6 all year and the data shows all-seasons are usually junk in snow.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,705
Likes: 537
From: Hampton VA
Vettes arent the only ones with summer tires mounted my neighbor bought a 2015 Mustang GT it had summer tires on it so he bought a complete set of wheels and A/S tires for the winter since its his DD Its all about beating the competition in tests