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I have the Z51 with the Michelin summer tires you're not supposed to drive below 40ºF. I just got the car, so I really want to drive it. I take it out out in colder temps (20ºF-30ºF) but I really take it easy in cornering, don't drive it at all if there is an ice and I'm conscious the car's braking will be far less effective with those tires in the cold. If I really wanted to make it a daily driver I'd swap the 19/20" wheels/summer tires for 18/19" and snows like Blizzaks. All season tires? Why bother? If you're going there just get good winter tires, I've owned Bridgestone Blizzaks and Michelin Alpine X.
I have another car, I'd rather leave the C7 in the garage in those conditions. I can drive it on warmer days when it gets over 35ºF.
I have the Z51 with the Michelin summer tires you're not supposed to drive below 40ºF. I just got the car, so I really want to drive it. I take it out out in colder temps (20ºF-30ºF) but I really take it easy in cornering, don't drive it at all if there is an ice and I'm conscious the car's braking will be far less effective with those tires in the cold. If I really wanted to make it a daily driver I'd swap the 19/20" wheels/summer tires for 18/19" and snows like Blizzaks. All season tires? Why bother? If you're going there just get good winter tires, I've owned Bridgestone Blizzaks and Michelin Alpine X.
I have another car, I'd rather leave the C7 in the garage in those conditions. I can drive it on warmer days when it gets over 35ºF.
Why bother with all seasons?
Because for a large number of us, we live in climates where average winter temps in the evening and early morning hours are routinely between 10º-30ºF. However, the number of days the pavement actually has snow or ice on it is somewhere between 10-14 days a year because it's often too warm to snow and when it does, it melts off quickly. Thus, my C7 only has to hibernate for maybe a total of 2 weeks per year.
For us, all seasons are a far better choice because we want to enjoy the car on the vast majority of winter days, where the pavement is dry, but VERY cold. On UHP all seasons, the car can pretty much be driven the same way as in summer on very cold, dry pavement. Below 30ºF on the PSS, driving on cold, dry pavement can be done, but the car has to be babied to the point where it's not fun. They are still very slippery between 30º-50ºF.
UHP all seasons are also very good seasonal transition tires. The PSS really doesn't become superior to UHP all seasons until temps are routinely above 70ºF.
Because for a large number of us, we live in climates where average winter temps in the evening and early morning hours are routinely between 10º-30ºF. However, the number of days the pavement actually has snow or ice on it is somewhere between 10-14 days a year because it's often too warm to snow and when it does, it melts off quickly. Thus, my C7 only has to hibernate for maybe a total of 2 weeks per year.
For us, all seasons are a far better choice because we want to enjoy the car on the vast majority of winter days, where the pavement is dry, but VERY cold. On UHP all seasons, the car can pretty much be driven the same way as in summer on very cold, dry pavement. At below 30ºF on the PSS, driving on cold, dry pavement can be done, but the car has to be babied to the point where it's not fun.
They are also very good transition tires. The PSS really doesn't become superior until temps are routinely above 70ºF.
I live in the southwest corner of Missouri. It's 11 degrees right now with about an inch of snow on the ground. I have four cars in my garage.
I'll drive the 4-door sedan with all season tires to dinner tonight in Branson(90 miles roundtrip with long 6-7% grades), not one of my three Corvettes.
Why risk one of my Corvettes when I have a car that is better suited for inclement weather?
Because it's just a vehicle like any other vehicle. It's not a valuable museum piece. I have 5 vehicles in my barn and house garage, and they all get driven all year round. One of those vehicles is a hell of a lot more expensive than my C7.
If you'd rather leave yours in the garage in winter, I'm OK with that. I'd rather not.
I live in the southwest corner of Missouri. It's 11 degrees right now with about an inch of snow on the ground. I have four cars in my garage.
I'll drive the 4-door sedan with all season tires to dinner tonight in Branson(90 miles roundtrip with long 6-7% grades), not one of my three Corvettes.
Why risk one of my Corvettes when I have a car that is better suited for inclement weather?
Yeah, so I live in coastal New Jersey, it sounds milder than MO, but what do I know? And, I also choose not to drive 90 miles for dinner in inclement weather. The point being, we all have our choices and reasons for making the decisions we do (I'm sure there are people you care about deeply on the other side of that 45 mi). I choose to enjoy my properly equipped vette year round. It was an everything car when I lived in CA, and it continues to be an everything car here. The only thing that has changed are my cleaning habits (i.e. actually caring about the undercarriage).
Also, I get a kick out of the attention it gets on cold days. And to say some of these "winter beaters" that I see around here are better in bad weather... well, I'll say I've never seen so many bald/worn tires than on some of the beaters driving around in my neck of the woods.
I live in the southwest corner of Missouri. It's 11 degrees right now with about an inch of snow on the ground. I have four cars in my garage.
I'll drive the 4-door sedan with all season tires to dinner tonight in Branson(90 miles roundtrip with long 6-7% grades), not one of my three Corvettes.
Why risk one of my Corvettes when I have a car that is better suited for inclement weather?
In those conditions a Corvette with winter tires is safer than your sedan with all-seasons.
Because it's just a vehicle like any other vehicle. It's not a valuable museum piece. I have 5 vehicles in my barn and house garage, and they all get driven all year round. One of those vehicles is a hell of a lot more expensive than my C7.
<snip> :
Agree 100%
If weather makes me say, Well, no Vette today, that means I have to drive the Ferrari.
The Ferrari is in the shop for some minor maintenance so, even though it's 23 degrees outside, I _have_ to drive the Corvette today.
In those conditions a Corvette with winter tires is safer than your sedan with all-seasons.
Agreed, and I can also install winter tires on my Mercedes cheaper than I can install them on my Z06(tires plus wheels). Plus, I have more ground clearance in my Mercedes(7") than I have in my Z06 (2.75"). Winter tires are worthless if you're plowing snow/ice with your Corvette.
The inch on the ground is just that....on the ground. The four lane highway between Springfield and Branson is clear of snow. If it were ice/snow covered, I would have dinner at home. But I have cabin fever and need to get out of the house. Having dinner with friends in Branson this evening cheers me up.
The all season tires I run on my DD are just that...all season, so I don't have to mess with changing them out based on ever changing weather conditions. They work great in the sub zero temps we see occasionally. Bunch of snow/ice covered roads, I stay home, so I don't need winter tires on my DD. First day of snow and the county runs the snow plow in my subdivision at least twice that day , so I have no problems with deep snow, just possibly some ice(but if I'm faced with ice, I stay home). And when I leave my subdivision, the main city roads are salted and plowed. If there is ice, they spread those damn little sharp edged crushed rocks(about a quarter inch in diameter) in the intersections, that play hell with your windshield and paint. Even after the snow melts and the weather warms, it takes quite a while for the city to sweep the streets to get rid of those damn rocks. Easy to find them in April when the temps are in the 60's-70's, and they still chip your paint or bust your windshield(I've had two windshields in my daily drivers replaced due to those damn rocks).
The tires I run on my Z06 are ultra high performance summer tires that are perfect for the car eight months of the year.
The Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring tires I have on my "winter beater" Mercedes are 14 months old with only 3,000 miles on them(11/32+" tread). I'm not stupid with my life or other's lives so I'm not driving on old/bald tires to save a couple of dollars.
Of course, I could take my all original 64,000 mile 1964 Corvette coupe
and turn it into this so I can drive it year round and get plenty of stares.
But, with all that said, I don't want to leave you with the impression that none of my Corvettes have never seen snow.
I just don't drive my Corvettes in it(I wait until the roads are clear).
WoW....my father can beat up your father.....A Corvette in the snow is NOT better to drive than a Front Wheel Drive Sedan.....PERIOD....and anyone who says it is has NEVER driven a Corvette in a snowstorm. I lived in Western NY where I had a tough time getting around in a 4 x 4 Diesel Suburban. My Vettes STAYED warm n dry in a Garage .... When I made the move to North Carolina I thought I could drive my Vert anytime and I did INCLUDING snow....but on the coast where I lived it was mostly a dusting....but my wife's Olds and my truck handled it MUCH better.
Jesus Christ, can anybody just post a pic anymore without it getting picked apart by the peanut gallery? Even the "check out my wheels" posts get criticism... Black! no way Chrome! you're an idiot! blah blah blah
Mods, if you're reading this, feel free to close it, this was not my intention.
P.S. Shout out to '16C7 for playing along. Love the color too
WoW....my father can beat up your father.....A Corvette in the snow is NOT better to drive than a Front Wheel Drive Sedan.....PERIOD....and anyone who says it is has NEVER driven a Corvette in a snowstorm. I lived in Western NY where I had a tough time getting around in a 4 x 4 Diesel Suburban. My Vettes STAYED warm n dry in a Garage .... When I made the move to North Carolina I thought I could drive my Vert anytime and I did INCLUDING snow....but on the coast where I lived it was mostly a dusting....but my wife's Olds and my truck handled it MUCH better.
01-06-2017, 08:59 AM
