How much better, performance wise, are the Michelin Pilot Sport ZP tires over he Goodyear Run Flats?

Are they as noisy? Are they as miserable in turns.

Living in Nevada, where we have miles and miles of open roads, that allow me to 'follow' the speed limit, I am nervous about not having a spare, hence seriously considering the ZP (Zero Pressure) version of he famed Pilot Sport.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

Go into a dark room

turn on the light


that's the difference



I ran Michelin's for a few years. Great grip. Quiet. A set was damn near $2k.

Changed to Nitto Invos.

Same grip. Almost as quiet. Half the cost.

Invo's are now my tire of choice, until I win the Lotto.

 

If you want regular tires, but are afraid of getting a flat, get one of these.

http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/detail.jsp?ID=38

 

When it came time to replace the standard GY A/S tires on my 07 vert, I went with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus ZPs. Now got 11k on them and I am very happy with them. Great grip in the rain too.

 

I happen to like the new-tech of runflat tires. After reading Gearhead Jim's tale of driving on a "flat" for over 50 miles from running the Tail of the Dragon, I can like it even more.

I went from almost two sets of the GY Supercar RFs to the Michelin PS2 ZPs. To me, quite a difference in original ride quality (new-to-new), the Michelins being "softer." IMO the grip stayed about the same but the Michelins have degraded far less as the miles roll up. The GY RFs did get more slippery as time and miles went on. I also don't feel they are noisy, and that's with my top down most of the time.

As a sidenote, I've always liked GY tires, but it's hard to stay w. a company that doesn't keep up, and intro new tires. As far as I can tell, they haven't done much for our C6s lately---maybe they've given up on that segment of the market.

 

A tire going flat, at a stop sign is *not* my concern...It is the 100 mph+ going flat that worries me. Some of our highways are 'horizon' straight, and no place to hide (Highway Patrol). No 'Eye In The Sky" either..they were all grounded 3 or 4 years back. I have been known to 'leg it out' a smidge (sic)...a tire going flat, at speed, is worrisome, to say the least!

 

Not sure runflats will be safe for you either if you get a nail in one of them, because you have to patch the hole.

From the Tire Rack:

Self-supporting tires feature a stiffer internal construction, which is capable of temporarily carrying the weight of the vehicle, even after the tire has lost all air pressure. To provide "self-supporting" capability, these tires typically attach rubber inserts next to or between layers of heat-resistant cord in their sidewalls to help prevent breaking the reinforcing cords in the event of loss of air pressure. They also feature specialized beads that allow the tire to firmly grip current Original Equipment and aftermarket wheels even in the event of air loss. Because self-supporting tires are so good at masking the traditional loss-of-air symptoms that accompany a flat tire, they require a tire pressure monitoring system to alert the driver that they have lost air pressure. Without such a system, the driver may not notice underinflation and may inadvertently cause additional tire damage by failing to inflate or repair the tire at the first opportunity. Typically, self-supporting tires maintain vehicle mobility for 50 miles at speeds up to 55 mph.

Examples: Bridgestone RFT (Run-Flat Tire), Dunlop DSST (Dunlop Self-Supporting Technology) and ROF (Run-On-Flat), Firestone RFT (Run-Flat Tire), Goodyear EMT (Extended Mobility Technology) and ROF (Run-On-Flat), Kumho XRP, Michelin ZP (Zero Pressure), Pirelli RFT (Run-Flat Technology) and Yokohama Run-Flat and ZPS (Zero Pressure System).

 

I don't have time to search for it now, but there was an article out here that when Corvette decided to go with the Goodyear RFs, they ran a set of all 4 of them FLAT, on their test track, at over 100 mph, and for over 600 miles.

Granted, the rating is for you not to go over 50 mph and for over 50 miles with no air in them, but over the years I've had several of my Bridgestone RF's go flat (from nails and bolts), and the car drives like it still has air in them, even in curves.

This is for both front or rear. That's why I continue to stay with RF's

 

Great testimonial!

 

I had a set of Michelin run flats on my 07 and I have Bridgestone RE050's on my '10 GS. Love them both. The Run Craps were scary, especially on the Grand Sport. They would hunt all over the place.

Bob K.

 

The Goodyear Super Cars are good tires until they get about 10,000 miles or 1 year (even in storage). Then the rubber gets hard and they are terrible.
The Michelin PS2 or Pilot Super Sport will last well over 30,000 miles and 3-5 years. They will perform consistently better than the Super Car throughout their life. They are also quieter and ride better.

 

I know that about the regular Pilot Sports, but what about the ZP's? I don't mind the extra money, *IF* the ZP's are comparable to the non-ZP's.

MC

 

The GoodYear Super Cars were my first experience with a runflat tire. I had a problem with one (nail) while out of town and could not get a replacement. The only tires I could find were Michelin non-runflats. The Michelins were so much better than the Goodyear runflats I never looked back. When I bought my new Z06 I replaced the Goodyears the second day I had it. I have used both Michelin PS2 and now the new Michelin Super Sports (non-runflat) and both are great. I carry a tire plug kit and a small 12V air compressor. This has worked well for three different Corvettes over the last 10 years.

 

Vito I suspect your driving (read: road) conditions in Tucson (Where I grew up!) are similar to here Northern Nevada. I *know* the regular Michelin's are superior to about everything out there...I just want to get an idea of how closely Michelin's Super Sport ZP tires compare to their non ZP tires, in handling, ride, and quietness.

I know the new C7's come with them and people generally haven't been 'bashing' them as they have with the Goodyear's, but then, they haven't been used for as long as the Goodyear's have.

Thanks for your input..Too bad Four Corners restaurant closed...loved eating there..good food, and the animals were fun to watch as we ate!

MC

 

I have run both on the street and the track. Performance edge probably goes to the Michelins but the EMTs do a damned good job. If you aren't getting them to corner properly you don't have the right tire pressure or have a wrong setup on the car. They corner very well. I have about 1000 track miles on EMTs with no issues.

I only have about 200 track miles on Michelin RFTs but I thought they might corner a little better but they were new Vs worn out EMTs and they were being used on a different track.

Run flats can give you piece of mind in a place where repair shops and extra tires are few and far between. If one goes flat you can drive with zero air pressure for 50 miles at 55 mph or less and still get the tire repaired. If you don't care about repairing the tire you can put a tremendous number of miles on it. Probably well over a 1000 if you watch it and make sure it isn't getting too hot. Even if the tire has a hole an inch in diameter you can still drive on it.

If the tire has a slow leak you can stop every now and then and pump some air into it and not have to worry about the 50 mile range limit.

Now lets look at non run flat tires. Most remote areas are not going to have Corvette sized tires inventoried so will need to have them shipped in. So there is no advantage there. If you get a major air leak in the tire that can't be fixed with stop leak or a plug you are stuck along the road since you can't drive far on a flat tire without ruining the rim.

Installing a plug alongside the road can be problematic. Think about trying to put a plug in a rear tire that has gone flat. There will not be a lot of room for your hands or the tools. Where will your body be while you are laying down trying to get the plug in? Maybe sticking out in the road where some idiot can easily run over your legs.

Bill

 

I agree with Bill's comments, as to road noise, when I switched from GY EMT Supercars to Michelin Pilot Sports PS2's ZP's on a Z51 equipped car, there wasn't much difference in road noise that I could tell. One would need a dB meter to tell the difference.

Living in remote areas certainly bring a different dimension to the problem of not having a spare tire, specially if you aren't seeking maximum cornering potential.

 

1 year ago, purchased the PSS ZPs for my 2008 C6 Z51.

All I can say is "Wow!".

Road noise is greatly reduced.

Wet traction is greatly improved over the OEM tires. So much so in fact that I power-washed something under the hood by driving too fast. Horn decided to turn on and stay on after something got too wet.

Grip and stability is greatly improved during.. "spirited" ... driving. The OEM tires never felt stable, predictable. Always felt, jukey, squirmy. The PSS ZPs feel much more stable.

Tracking/tramming on road imperfections is greatly reduced. Have a local road that was widened/repaved a few years back. Road bed was not compacted properly, is rutted. OEM tires tracked/tramed the ruts constantly. The PSS ZPs feel much better, the steering wheel doesn't try to turn/twist out of my hand when it finds a rut.


Hope this helps!


jwd

 

UPDATE!!

Today, I put on a set of Pilot Super Sport ZP's. Took it for a drive down the fleeway, about 20 miles, to listen to the tire noise. The drone from the Goodyear Run Flats was atrocious, couldn't listen to the radio they were so loud.

These Michelin ZP's were damned near quieter than the Coopers on my wife's Outback! They are unbelievable!

Good investment, I am a thinking! Didn't do any maneuvers, just went fast, to make sure balance was good. It was, up to 150 mph. In two weeks, I have to run over the 'hill' to Davis, California, I'll see how it does on turns then.

Thanks for all the advice gang!

 

I have a set of 335/25/20 if anyone is intrested
text for more info 832-829-6741

 

HO BOY!!! Took a serious drive with the new Michelins Pilot's on the car.

First, can't believe just how quiet these tires are. People are not kidding when they speak about how quiet these tires are. And mine are ZP's!!!

Second: Turns that at 70-80 mph always gave me the feeling of 'being on the edge', I now was taking in excess of 100 mph, with no sense of control loss. (For you readers in Sacramento area of Northern California, I am speaking of the series of turns on I-80, West bound between Auburn and Roseville , where the radar warning slows everyone down to, I think, 40MPH??, for the turn [s] ) Just sailed through that..loved it!

Didn't want to push it any harder..would really like to find a giant parking lot to act as a skid pad to see just how much of a warning these tires would give me before the break loose.

I just wonder why it took me so long to put a set of these on the car!!