Tire Experts! Heed my call; come one come all!
#1
Pro
Thread Starter
Tire Experts! Heed my call; come one come all!
The tires that come stock on the C7 Z51 are:
Front: P245/35ZR19 (89Y) SL Michelin® Pilot® Super Sport® ZP
Rear: P285/30ZR20 (95Y) SL Michelin® Pilot® Super Sport® ZP
I have no doubt that they are amazing performance tires, but living in the Northern VA/DC area, my biggest issue is that they're "Summer" tires. We tend to get snow for 3 months out of the year and as a result, I believe A/S tires will be a better fit for me than the stock ones.
Has anyone been successful in ordering your car for cheaper by opting to have Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's straight the dealership? I read that those are "the best of the best" when it comes to overall performance + reduce road noise + can be used in winter time. If not, anyone down to help me "swap" tires? My selling price is whatever it costs to buy the A/S ones from tire rack + installation fee to have them put on my car.
They're a good $400 cheaper on tire rack @$1,071.30 vs $1469.00
PS. If I'm totally crazy and will miss out on an amazing experience by not giving the stock tires or something else a shot, let me know. Cheers!
Front: P245/35ZR19 (89Y) SL Michelin® Pilot® Super Sport® ZP
Rear: P285/30ZR20 (95Y) SL Michelin® Pilot® Super Sport® ZP
I have no doubt that they are amazing performance tires, but living in the Northern VA/DC area, my biggest issue is that they're "Summer" tires. We tend to get snow for 3 months out of the year and as a result, I believe A/S tires will be a better fit for me than the stock ones.
Has anyone been successful in ordering your car for cheaper by opting to have Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's straight the dealership? I read that those are "the best of the best" when it comes to overall performance + reduce road noise + can be used in winter time. If not, anyone down to help me "swap" tires? My selling price is whatever it costs to buy the A/S ones from tire rack + installation fee to have them put on my car.
They're a good $400 cheaper on tire rack @$1,071.30 vs $1469.00
PS. If I'm totally crazy and will miss out on an amazing experience by not giving the stock tires or something else a shot, let me know. Cheers!
Last edited by Bui; 01-26-2016 at 08:51 AM.
#2
Pro
Thread Starter
I found this upon further research... Looks like GM MIGHT release an A/S tire for the z06 and z51 in the 2017 cycle.:
b4i4getit asked:
Tadge answered (09-16-2015, 10:35 AM):
b4i4getit asked:
Would it be possible to make an all season performance tire available for the Corvette ? Certainly GM has enough pull with the tire manufacturers to get one of them to develop a runflat that would be usable all year and would have some level of performance. This would be beneficial for those that like to use their cars all year and have no track aspirations and would also eliminate the tire cracking issue that many have experienced.
As we, our competitors, and tire manufacturers push the edge of the envelope on performance tires, the focus on dry traction tends to compromise traction in wet, muddy, cold and snowy conditions. Although we validate the corrosion, durability and performance of the Corvette in all weather, most customers are extremely reluctant to expose their cars to bad conditions. I've seen the majority of cars at a show disappear with just a prediction for rain. Some customers even rented local garages to keep their babies dry through a storm! Although one would assume we have some influence over the aftermarket offerings of our tire suppliers, we wouldn't be very good business partners if we forced companies into money-losing businesses. It is very expensive to put a new tire into production. The tooling costs are quite high (with unique tools for front and rear on Corvette due to our staggered sizes) and then there are design, development, and distribution costs. Since Corvette has tire sizes not shared by many other vehicles, our customers tend to be the sole source of business to pay back the cost of developing the tire. Our history is not good here. Years ago we encouraged Goodyear to make winter tires available in C5 sizes. Goodyear did just that and the only customers who bought the tires were our own GM development engineers who wanted to keep their Corvettes on the road through the Fall and Winter. Needless to say, with just a handful of sales, that was not a good business for them.
Although this sounds pessimistic, all is not lost. We are still very motivated to enable customers to use their cars for more of the year and have had quite a bit of feedback along the lines of this question. As the original equipment tires become more performance-focused, the argument for a good all-weather tire alternative becomes stronger. Michelin has been an excellent partner and already offers All-Season tires in Stingray sizes (Pilot Sport All-Season ZP's for the standard suspension and non-ZP's for Z51). We have further agreed with Michelin leadership for the additional offering of All-Season ZPs in C6 Grand Sport and Z06 sizes, in addition to the C7 Z51 sizes. The development of those tires is underway and the current plan is to have them available next year (third quarter at the latest). That leaves the C6 ZR1 and C7 Z06 uncommitted at this point. Michelin is currently studying adding those to the A/S portfolio as well.
Although this sounds pessimistic, all is not lost. We are still very motivated to enable customers to use their cars for more of the year and have had quite a bit of feedback along the lines of this question. As the original equipment tires become more performance-focused, the argument for a good all-weather tire alternative becomes stronger. Michelin has been an excellent partner and already offers All-Season tires in Stingray sizes (Pilot Sport All-Season ZP's for the standard suspension and non-ZP's for Z51). We have further agreed with Michelin leadership for the additional offering of All-Season ZPs in C6 Grand Sport and Z06 sizes, in addition to the C7 Z51 sizes. The development of those tires is underway and the current plan is to have them available next year (third quarter at the latest). That leaves the C6 ZR1 and C7 Z06 uncommitted at this point. Michelin is currently studying adding those to the A/S portfolio as well.
Last edited by Bui; 01-26-2016 at 02:13 AM.
#3
Instructor
Also look at the new release from Continental DWS06, the replacement for the well respected DWS. Read their reviews on TireRack, and read all the reviews of the A/S3. You might end up switching your choice. I did. Cheaper, too. (Conti is owned by Michelin, btw)
The A/S 3+ isn't supposed to be released until March, and TireRack told me they have no idea when they'll have stock to ship. Neither did the local big chain (Discount Tire). I went with the DWS06.
I do believe the car will only come with summers, but you can pay your dealer to do anything, including swap tires before delivery (ask me how I know! )
The A/S 3+ isn't supposed to be released until March, and TireRack told me they have no idea when they'll have stock to ship. Neither did the local big chain (Discount Tire). I went with the DWS06.
I do believe the car will only come with summers, but you can pay your dealer to do anything, including swap tires before delivery (ask me how I know! )
#4
Racer
The tires that come stock on the C7 are:
Front: P245/35ZR19 (89Y) SL Michelin® Pilot® Super Sport® ZP
Rear: P285/30ZR20 (95Y) SL Michelin® Pilot® Super Sport® ZP
I have no doubt that they are amazing performance tires, but living in the Northern VA/DC area, my biggest issue is that they're "Summer" tires. We tend to get snow for 3 months out of the year and as a result, I believe A/S tires will be a better fit for me than the stock ones.
Has anyone been successful in ordering your car for cheaper by opting to have Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's straight the dealership? I read that those are "the best of the best" when it comes to overall performance + reduce road noise + can be used in winter time. If not, anyone down to help me "swap" tires? My selling price is whatever it costs to buy the A/S ones from tire rack + installation fee to have them put on my car.
They're a good $400 cheaper on tire rack @$1,071.30 vs $1469.00
PS. If I'm totally crazy and will miss out on an amazing experience by not giving the stock tires or something else a shot, let me know. Cheers!
Front: P245/35ZR19 (89Y) SL Michelin® Pilot® Super Sport® ZP
Rear: P285/30ZR20 (95Y) SL Michelin® Pilot® Super Sport® ZP
I have no doubt that they are amazing performance tires, but living in the Northern VA/DC area, my biggest issue is that they're "Summer" tires. We tend to get snow for 3 months out of the year and as a result, I believe A/S tires will be a better fit for me than the stock ones.
Has anyone been successful in ordering your car for cheaper by opting to have Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's straight the dealership? I read that those are "the best of the best" when it comes to overall performance + reduce road noise + can be used in winter time. If not, anyone down to help me "swap" tires? My selling price is whatever it costs to buy the A/S ones from tire rack + installation fee to have them put on my car.
They're a good $400 cheaper on tire rack @$1,071.30 vs $1469.00
PS. If I'm totally crazy and will miss out on an amazing experience by not giving the stock tires or something else a shot, let me know. Cheers!
#5
Former Vendor
Also look at the new release from Continental DWS06, the replacement for the well respected DWS. Read their reviews on TireRack, and read all the reviews of the A/S3. You might end up switching your choice. I did. Cheaper, too. (Conti is owned by Michelin, btw)
The A/S 3+ isn't supposed to be released until March, and TireRack told me they have no idea when they'll have stock to ship. Neither did the local big chain (Discount Tire). I went with the DWS06.
I do believe the car will only come with summers, but you can pay your dealer to do anything, including swap tires before delivery (ask me how I know! )
The A/S 3+ isn't supposed to be released until March, and TireRack told me they have no idea when they'll have stock to ship. Neither did the local big chain (Discount Tire). I went with the DWS06.
I do believe the car will only come with summers, but you can pay your dealer to do anything, including swap tires before delivery (ask me how I know! )
#2.) The Pilot Sport AS3 plus is in an evaluation stage and should be available in the spring of 2016
#6
Pro
The tires that come stock on the C7 are:
Front: P245/35ZR19 (89Y) SL Michelin® Pilot® Super Sport® ZP
Rear: P285/30ZR20 (95Y) SL Michelin® Pilot® Super Sport® ZP
I have no doubt that they are amazing performance tires, but living in the Northern VA/DC area, my biggest issue is that they're "Summer" tires. We tend to get snow for 3 months out of the year and as a result, I believe A/S tires will be a better fit for me than the stock ones.
Has anyone been successful in ordering your car for cheaper by opting to have Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's straight the dealership? I read that those are "the best of the best" when it comes to overall performance + reduce road noise + can be used in winter time. If not, anyone down to help me "swap" tires? My selling price is whatever it costs to buy the A/S ones from tire rack + installation fee to have them put on my car.
They're a good $400 cheaper on tire rack @$1,071.30 vs $1469.00
PS. If I'm totally crazy and will miss out on an amazing experience by not giving the stock tires or something else a shot, let me know. Cheers!
Front: P245/35ZR19 (89Y) SL Michelin® Pilot® Super Sport® ZP
Rear: P285/30ZR20 (95Y) SL Michelin® Pilot® Super Sport® ZP
I have no doubt that they are amazing performance tires, but living in the Northern VA/DC area, my biggest issue is that they're "Summer" tires. We tend to get snow for 3 months out of the year and as a result, I believe A/S tires will be a better fit for me than the stock ones.
Has anyone been successful in ordering your car for cheaper by opting to have Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's straight the dealership? I read that those are "the best of the best" when it comes to overall performance + reduce road noise + can be used in winter time. If not, anyone down to help me "swap" tires? My selling price is whatever it costs to buy the A/S ones from tire rack + installation fee to have them put on my car.
They're a good $400 cheaper on tire rack @$1,071.30 vs $1469.00
PS. If I'm totally crazy and will miss out on an amazing experience by not giving the stock tires or something else a shot, let me know. Cheers!
The OEM tire size for the C7 are 245/40-18 & 285/35-19 which is what I have on my 2015 c7. I have been trying since last July to switch over to the Michelin AS3 tires and while the 245/40-18 has been in good supply Tire Rack etc have shown the Michelin AS3 in the 285/35-19 as being on back order for the last seven months. Our local tire dealer thinks the 19's for the C7 in the AS3 line will never be produced again and I will have to wait for the AS3+.
I e-mailed Michelin and they said the AS3 285/35-19 WILL go back into production but so far nothing.
At 16,000 miles now I am just about down to the wear bars on the fronts and may have to go with the conti's etc as I expect I will need tires before the AS 3+ become available .......maybe
#8
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Member Since: Sep 2007
Location: NE South Carolina
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Both Michelin who makes tires in SC and just recently in a new plant in Sumter SC, Continental who has 700 employees, projected to grow to 1600; are made in the Good Old USA!!
#9
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Member Since: Sep 2007
Location: NE South Carolina
Posts: 29,497
Received 9,624 Likes
on
6,628 Posts
The tires that come stock on the C7 are:
Front: P245/35ZR19 (89Y) SL Michelin® Pilot® Super Sport® ZP
Rear: P285/30ZR20 (95Y) SL Michelin® Pilot® Super Sport® ZP
I have no doubt that they are amazing performance tires, but living in the Northern VA/DC area, my biggest issue is that they're "Summer" tires. We tend to get snow for 3 months out of the year and as a result, I believe A/S tires will be a better fit for me than the stock ones.
Has anyone been successful in ordering your car for cheaper by opting to have Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's straight the dealership?
PS. If I'm totally crazy and will miss out on an amazing experience by not giving the stock tires or something else a shot, let me know. Cheers!
Front: P245/35ZR19 (89Y) SL Michelin® Pilot® Super Sport® ZP
Rear: P285/30ZR20 (95Y) SL Michelin® Pilot® Super Sport® ZP
I have no doubt that they are amazing performance tires, but living in the Northern VA/DC area, my biggest issue is that they're "Summer" tires. We tend to get snow for 3 months out of the year and as a result, I believe A/S tires will be a better fit for me than the stock ones.
Has anyone been successful in ordering your car for cheaper by opting to have Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's straight the dealership?
PS. If I'm totally crazy and will miss out on an amazing experience by not giving the stock tires or something else a shot, let me know. Cheers!
If you’re going to drive in any snow or where it is often below 35 to 40 degrees then an alternate tire is logical. However if I still lived up North, I’d buy a true winter performance tire like Pirelli Sottzeros the folks with BMW's etc use on the German autobahn. But they need to come off in the warmer months. No big deal did that for the 25 years I was driving and living up North! Then, like the snow tires I always put on for the winter, you'll have the best of both!
Been fortunate to live in SC for the past 30 years and I drive my C7 in 35 degree weather when needed, which fortunately is not often.
Since I leave an unheated garage the tires start at over 45 and warm up to acceptable good performance in about 5 miles. I can tell by performance and the tire pressure increase. However the few times I need to drive when it’s 30 to 35 (or when raining) I use Weather Mode, which starts the nannies sooner. We seldom get snow in Eastern SC and if it did, I’d use the wife’s SUV!
PS: I lived to 5 years along Lake Erie in NE Ohio. Only drove my Jeep CJ5 in the winter and it had a spare on the back! I got caught in some bad storms and would NOT drive a car in that environment without a spare or run flats. Perhaps today with cell phones for many that is acceptable. But if driving from Lake Erie the 60 miles on RT 11 to the Youngstown airport (which I did often) even a cell phone would not be much help if you got a flat tire! Using a tire plug kit and pump when it's zero and the wind is blowing at 30+ mph would be no fun! In that stench of road there are still NO gas stations or frankly even houses! Even the police seldom travel on it! Was fun when it was warm driving my 260Z I also had at the time!
Last edited by JerryU; 01-26-2016 at 08:47 AM.
#11
Pro
Thread Starter
Hmm? What is a dealer supposed to do with the tires that come with the car? Guess he'd do it for a price!
If you’re going to drive in any snow or where it is often below 35 to 40 degrees then an alternate tire is logical. However if I still lived up North, I’d buy a true winter performance tire like Pirelli Sottzeros the folks with BMW's etc use on the German autobahn. But they need to come off in the warmer months. No big deal did that for the 25 years I was driving and living up North! Then, like the snow tires I always put on for the winter, you'll have the best of both!
Been fortunate to live in SC for the past 30 years and I drive my C7 in 35 degree weather when needed, which fortunately is not often.
Since I leave an unheated garage the tires start at over 45 and warm up to acceptable good performance in about 5 miles. I can tell by performance and the tire pressure increase. However the few times I need to drive when it’s 30 to 35 (or when raining) I use Weather Mode, which starts the nannies sooner. We seldom get snow in Eastern SC and if it did, I’d use the wife’s SUV!
PS: I lived to 5 years along Lake Erie in NE Ohio. Only drove my Jeep CJ5 in the winter and it had a spare on the back! I got caught in some bad storms and would NOT drive a car in that environment without a spare or run flats. Perhaps today with cell phones for many that is acceptable. But if driving from Lake Erie the 60 miles on RT 11 to the Youngstown airport (which I did often) even a cell phone would not be much help if you got a flat tire! Using a tire plug kit and pump when it's zero and the wind is blowing at 30+ mph would be no fun! In that stench of road there are still NO gas stations or frankly even houses! Even the police seldom travel on it! Was fun when it was warm driving my 260Z I also had at the time!
If you’re going to drive in any snow or where it is often below 35 to 40 degrees then an alternate tire is logical. However if I still lived up North, I’d buy a true winter performance tire like Pirelli Sottzeros the folks with BMW's etc use on the German autobahn. But they need to come off in the warmer months. No big deal did that for the 25 years I was driving and living up North! Then, like the snow tires I always put on for the winter, you'll have the best of both!
Been fortunate to live in SC for the past 30 years and I drive my C7 in 35 degree weather when needed, which fortunately is not often.
Since I leave an unheated garage the tires start at over 45 and warm up to acceptable good performance in about 5 miles. I can tell by performance and the tire pressure increase. However the few times I need to drive when it’s 30 to 35 (or when raining) I use Weather Mode, which starts the nannies sooner. We seldom get snow in Eastern SC and if it did, I’d use the wife’s SUV!
PS: I lived to 5 years along Lake Erie in NE Ohio. Only drove my Jeep CJ5 in the winter and it had a spare on the back! I got caught in some bad storms and would NOT drive a car in that environment without a spare or run flats. Perhaps today with cell phones for many that is acceptable. But if driving from Lake Erie the 60 miles on RT 11 to the Youngstown airport (which I did often) even a cell phone would not be much help if you got a flat tire! Using a tire plug kit and pump when it's zero and the wind is blowing at 30+ mph would be no fun! In that stench of road there are still NO gas stations or frankly even houses! Even the police seldom travel on it! Was fun when it was warm driving my 260Z I also had at the time!
That being the case, they would value a wheel that is OEM more than an A/S tire since it can be swapped on to any car as needed. Of course that could also a little wishful thinking I suppose.
What do you mean available in spring of 2016? Aren't they already available and in my cart (as shown in the picture)? Or did you mean available as in "comes built" on the car?
Last edited by Bui; 01-26-2016 at 09:05 AM.
#12
Race Director
Member Since: Oct 2011
Location: Holly Springs NC
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St. Jude Donor '16-'17,'22,'24
JerryU, Dealers will come out just fine. One of the big expenses when a used Corvette is certified is replacing the tires if they don't have 75% remaining tread. Those almost new babies will be gone in no time. Alternately a non-certified Vette that has almost bald tires. The dealer hits the owner on a trade-in for new tires, then mounts the almost new tires they obtained on trade. I'm sure you're correct, they'll charge a fee for the labor to purchase, store and mount the all season tires. I see this as a win/win for the sharp dealer who handles quite a few Vettes every year.
#13
Safety Car
What do you mean available in spring of 2016? Aren't they already available and in my cart (as shown in the picture)? Or did you mean available as in "comes built" on the car?
There is another option, which is what I chose to do: Buy a set of aftermarket, or OEM take-off rims and mount A/S tires to those, so you can keep the better performing summer tires on 8 or 9 months out of the year.
#15
Burning Brakes
#17
Burning Brakes
Check this thread... the A/S 3+ (plus) will be available in run flat for
the Z51....probably also for the non-Z51.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1591405589
the Z51....probably also for the non-Z51.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1591405589