ea327

Thank you for the very logical answer.

Eric

nmvettec7

meyerweb;

Yes, there is no doubt the C7 is considered a high-performance sports car.

How many people take this car to its limits on American streets, roads and highways?

Many owners will not track the car. This includes Z51 & Z06 owners. The base Stingray is not a recommended track car. Many owners own a base C7 Stingray model.

Will you go 60 or 70 MPH in a 35MPH speed limit?

Will you push your C7 to 100+ MPH on a US Highway when the speed limit is 75MPH?

Are you going to take normal turns at 30 to 40+ MPH over the recommended speed limits?

All very doubtful.

Most owners will drive these cars at recommended speed limits. That makes this car no different than any other vehicle on the road.

Yes, it has major HP, but how many people push these C7's beyond their limits?

Yes, I agree the tires are made to optimize the C7, but once again how many drivers push these cars to their limits or beyond on normal US roads, streets, highways?

I would bet you don't even do that!

Dif

and Summer only tires only out perform All season tires if it's Warm / Hot weather.

I really like the Summer only tires on my Z51, but not going to get much High Performance out of my High Performance Corvette when it's 32 degrees out.

The All season tires for Corvettes are rated Ultra High Performance All Season and nothing like All season tires were years ago.
Still does not mean they out perform Summer only tires in hot weather.
But they do perform close to it in All weather temperatures.

meyerweb

Why so disagreeable today?

I never said the A/S tires wouldn't make sense for some (even many) owners. I never said GM's decision to only offer summer tires was a good one. I just explained WHY the car comes with summer tires, which is what the OP asked.

Should GM offer A/S tires as an option? I'd have no objection to that. It would complicate things for dealers ordering for stock, though.

But I think you'll find that pretty much every high performance car comes with high performance summer tires. There are a few exceptions (like the Ferrari FF mentioned above) but very few. Even AWD Audi S models come with summer tires.

As for the limits, I find that in warm weather, with Michelin A/S Plus ZP tires, I can invoke the traction control on my base model C7 pretty easily. With the summer tires, almost never. I have the A/S tires on for the winter, but once the weather warms up the PSS's will go back on. Even for street use, I think they're significantly better. Not everyone will agree.

2vette2

I would agree that all high performance cars come with summer only tires, but even my Focus, which had summer tires, did not tell me not to drive in the winter. Also, just curious because I do not know, do Porsche or Ferrari come with tires that they say are not drive to driven in the winter because they will crack? I see Porsches on the road all the time here in Jersey.

nmvettec7

2vette2:

I own a 2014 Porsche 981 Cayman with Cayman S (19") wheels and tires. The standard tires on my 981 are the Pirelli P Zero summer tires. There is a disclaimer on the Tire Rack website that states the following about Pirelli P Zero tires:

"Pirelli's warranty does not cover tires that develop compound cracking due to use in ambient temperatures below 45° Fahrenheit (7° Celsius), so the P Zero, like all summer tires, is not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice".

"P Zero tires feature a special silica and carbon black tread compound that proves competent during the first few miles of driving when the tire is still cold, as well as consistent performance throughout the tire's life. The tread compound is molded into Pirelli's S-treme asymmetric design in which the location and width of the circumferential and lateral grooves minimize deformation to blend responsive handling, hydroplaning resistance and wet traction with dry road performance, even wear and acoustic comfort. Special nano-composites in the compound beneath the tread protect the casing from deterioration and merge sport handling with ride comfort. The tire's internal structure includes twin steel belts reinforced by polyamide cord plies and an integration of nylon and aramid cord that controls tire profile deformation and stabilizes the tread area to enhance high-speed capability and handling."

So the warnings are same as for the C7. I do have a noticeable wheel hop when removing the 981 from the garage on cold weather days. Currently here in New Mexico, we are experiencing daytime temps in the mid 40's and I can certainly feel the wheel hop when cold when turning at a sharp angle out of the garage.

BIG Dave

Last time I checked, the Corvette is a low, rear wheel drive vehicle with relatively wide tires. Not the best setup for driving in areas where it snows in the winter. Therefore, IMHO, it only makes sense to park it in the winter, and drive a more appropriate vehicle, something with more ground clearance and either 4WD or AWD. That's what I do. Because the winter has been relatively mild so far here in New England, I'm still driving my Corvette and the Jeep is still parked. When the first snowfall hits, the Corvette will go in the garage and out comes the Jeep. I've driven my previous Corvettes year round, even in the snow and frankly it's not worth the aggravation and the stress. Just my opinion.

nmvettec7

Keep in mind post #13 above as the BF GOODRICH G-FORCE COMP-2 A/S is the top rated #1 ranked A/S....All Season tire.

Many C7 owners who favor the Michelin brand may want to consider the BF Goodrich g-force Comp-2 A/S tire.

BF Goodrich is owned by and is a Michelin company.

These tires are also attractively priced. You won't break the bank buying a set of these.

The ratings below are specific to the BF Goodrich g-force Comp-2 A/s tire.

SK360

Sounds like most owners are quite boring and should be in a Miata.

nmvettec7

SK360:

Perhaps you can explain your driving habits.

Do you fall within the comments above?

Do you continuously break the speeding limits or are you a normal driver?

I am sure that Corvette owners exceed the speed limits within a reasonable amount like 5 MPH or slightly over, but highly doubt they exceed limits by 20-40+ MPH on a regular basis. Nor do they take corners at speeds of 20+ MPH over the normal cornering limits.

BTW: On a race track the Mazda Miata is one of the most popular classes of cars being run in SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) National and Regional event races. It is quite a fun car to race.

SK360

I continuously break the speed limits and routinely double the suggested speeds for turns

nmvettec7

You're a rare breed at best. Enjoy the C7, just don't get caught. Be careful of other people driving cars, especially Miata's.

LIStingray

Things must be different in NM - but around here, you regularly see guys/gals in minivans and suvs driving 75-85 mph on the 6 and 8 lane highways, which is 25-35 mph above posted speed limits (50 or 55 mph); you don't see more than 5% of the drivers doing the speed limit or less.
As for the +20 mph on turns, that is probably closer to the truth.

nmvettec7

Now, that's fast.

Hope they have some good rubber that meets the road.

Thanks for the reply. Drive safely, but enjoy your ride.

SK360

I was recently in Texas for business and loved the expressways with 85mph speed limits. I had cruise set at 115 in my rental Audi and was getting passed by big dually trucks.

Anyways to get back on topic a Corvette on all seasons from the factory would be silly

tsts

ditto !

meyerweb

I had forgotten, but this question was essentially asked and answered in an Ask Tadge thread:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...nce-tires.html