Review - Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 on C7 GrandSport
12-06-2017, 03:03 AM
#1
Review - Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 on C7 GrandSport
When looking for all-season or winter tires, I discovered that there is only one option available for the GrandSport / Z06 - the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4. I couldn't find many reviews for these tires so will try to give a good ongoing review as I use them this winter.
I've had the tires on my GrandSport for a little over a week now. A quick summary of the pros and cons after about 500 miles on them in both dry and wet weather, ranging from 37degF to 55degF:
PROS:
* No more being pulled all over by ruts in the road
* Hydroplaning eliminated
* Better handling in cold weather (<40degF)
* MUCH quieter than stock runflats
* MUCH softer ride, feels like a luxury sedan
CONS:
* Noticeable drop in grip during dry warmer conditions (>40degF)
* Traction control kicks in every time I shift from 1st to 2nd
More detailed initial review:
Here in Seattle, we have a lot of roads in poor condition, and the highways and freeways have semi-tracks and ruts that are terrifying on the stock run-flats. The car gets jerked all over the place and at times it feels like I'm going to lose control. Driving on normal freeways, such as I-5, was an exercise of constant steering correction, and really made it scary to drive at or above 70mph (not that I normally do, but still). Further, freeway noise on the stock runflats was really really loud. At times, it drowns out the exhaust.
Worst of all was driving from Portland to Seattle in one of our torrential winter downpours, along I-5 on rutted roads with lots of standing water, with traffic continuously braking in front of me. It was terrifying experience being jerked all over the road and hydroplaning anytime I hit a puddle or any visible amount of standing water.
It was at that moment that I decided enough was enough, and pulled out the wallet and bought the Pilot Alpin PA4's from TireRack. The tires cost me about $1500 after shipping, and the installer (Tru-Line in Seattle) charged me $120 for balancing, mounting and a full alignment. I no longer have the "hopping" during low-speed turns that was really bad with the stock alignment (so they must have reduced my camber), but also notice my turning radius is now increased. So, with the new alignment, I have probably lost a bit of handling performance, but I figure it's worth the trade-off of not having the car hopping like crazy when trying to make any low-speed turn, such as in a parking lot.
The reduced noise and softer ride were immediate and noticeable improvements. I have always loathed run-flats because of how loud they are, and how rough they ride. Changing to the Pilot Alpin PA4s felt like getting into a luxury sedan comparatively. I really can't overstate the change here. Almost worth the price of entry on noise and ride alone.
The second thing I noticed is that my traction control is kicking in a lot more. Clearly, the Alpins don't have dry grip comparable to the stock SS ZP's. On the stock tires, my traction control rarely kicked in. With the Alpins, traction control is regularly lighting up and pulling power.
Shifting from 1st to 2nd causes traction control to kick in nearly every time (I generally shift around 5-6k RPM). I've accidentally gotten the car sideways twice - both times while downshifting with rev match active from 3rd to 2nd when entering a circular on-ramp at about 35-30mph. I'm adjusting to this by downshifting later in the curve, or just taking advantage of the torque and leaving it in 3rd during hard corners at 30-40mph.
But above all else, rain and rough road performance with the Alpins has made it all worth it - and VERY much so. I was driving in a typical Seattle winter downpour the other day, with lots of standing water, and heavy rutting on the 99 freeway. The Grandsport kept its track beautifully, no jerking of the wheel, no hydroplaning, and the same confidence (if not slightly better than) in dry weather. That has surprised me most. It almost seems like the Alpins actually prefer wet, cold roads. Traction actually seems better than on dry "warm" roads (40-50degF).
Finally, the last thing I've noticed is that the Alpins seem to take a bit longer to warm up in both dry or wet weather, seemingly regardless of temperatures. While the stock SS ZP's generally warm up in a few minutes of driving, the Alpin's take about 10-15 minutes at regular driving speeds in 40deg weather.
Overall, I'm happy with the purchase. The car feels a little less confident in the dry, but no more wetting my paints while driving in rain or on ruts.
Any questions or specific data people are looking for? Let me know and I'll try to answer based on my experience.
I've had the tires on my GrandSport for a little over a week now. A quick summary of the pros and cons after about 500 miles on them in both dry and wet weather, ranging from 37degF to 55degF:
PROS:
* No more being pulled all over by ruts in the road
* Hydroplaning eliminated
* Better handling in cold weather (<40degF)
* MUCH quieter than stock runflats
* MUCH softer ride, feels like a luxury sedan
CONS:
* Noticeable drop in grip during dry warmer conditions (>40degF)
* Traction control kicks in every time I shift from 1st to 2nd
More detailed initial review:
Here in Seattle, we have a lot of roads in poor condition, and the highways and freeways have semi-tracks and ruts that are terrifying on the stock run-flats. The car gets jerked all over the place and at times it feels like I'm going to lose control. Driving on normal freeways, such as I-5, was an exercise of constant steering correction, and really made it scary to drive at or above 70mph (not that I normally do, but still). Further, freeway noise on the stock runflats was really really loud. At times, it drowns out the exhaust.
Worst of all was driving from Portland to Seattle in one of our torrential winter downpours, along I-5 on rutted roads with lots of standing water, with traffic continuously braking in front of me. It was terrifying experience being jerked all over the road and hydroplaning anytime I hit a puddle or any visible amount of standing water.
It was at that moment that I decided enough was enough, and pulled out the wallet and bought the Pilot Alpin PA4's from TireRack. The tires cost me about $1500 after shipping, and the installer (Tru-Line in Seattle) charged me $120 for balancing, mounting and a full alignment. I no longer have the "hopping" during low-speed turns that was really bad with the stock alignment (so they must have reduced my camber), but also notice my turning radius is now increased. So, with the new alignment, I have probably lost a bit of handling performance, but I figure it's worth the trade-off of not having the car hopping like crazy when trying to make any low-speed turn, such as in a parking lot.
The reduced noise and softer ride were immediate and noticeable improvements. I have always loathed run-flats because of how loud they are, and how rough they ride. Changing to the Pilot Alpin PA4s felt like getting into a luxury sedan comparatively. I really can't overstate the change here. Almost worth the price of entry on noise and ride alone.
The second thing I noticed is that my traction control is kicking in a lot more. Clearly, the Alpins don't have dry grip comparable to the stock SS ZP's. On the stock tires, my traction control rarely kicked in. With the Alpins, traction control is regularly lighting up and pulling power.
Shifting from 1st to 2nd causes traction control to kick in nearly every time (I generally shift around 5-6k RPM). I've accidentally gotten the car sideways twice - both times while downshifting with rev match active from 3rd to 2nd when entering a circular on-ramp at about 35-30mph. I'm adjusting to this by downshifting later in the curve, or just taking advantage of the torque and leaving it in 3rd during hard corners at 30-40mph.
But above all else, rain and rough road performance with the Alpins has made it all worth it - and VERY much so. I was driving in a typical Seattle winter downpour the other day, with lots of standing water, and heavy rutting on the 99 freeway. The Grandsport kept its track beautifully, no jerking of the wheel, no hydroplaning, and the same confidence (if not slightly better than) in dry weather. That has surprised me most. It almost seems like the Alpins actually prefer wet, cold roads. Traction actually seems better than on dry "warm" roads (40-50degF).
Finally, the last thing I've noticed is that the Alpins seem to take a bit longer to warm up in both dry or wet weather, seemingly regardless of temperatures. While the stock SS ZP's generally warm up in a few minutes of driving, the Alpin's take about 10-15 minutes at regular driving speeds in 40deg weather.
Overall, I'm happy with the purchase. The car feels a little less confident in the dry, but no more wetting my paints while driving in rain or on ruts.
Any questions or specific data people are looking for? Let me know and I'll try to answer based on my experience.
Last edited by Dave_the_Dude; 12-06-2017 at 03:06 AM.
The following 3 users liked this post by Dave_the_Dude:
12-06-2017, 05:10 AM
#2
Nice review, it does take some getting used to driving on these Winter and All Season tires... I have always compared them to being 80% to 90% of the MPSS in warm weather but they shine below 50 degrees F... I think your really going to like them at temps's at or below 0 degrees F
It always comes down to the right tool/tire for the job you are doing
It always comes down to the right tool/tire for the job you are doing
The following users liked this post:
Apocolips (12-06-2017)
12-06-2017, 04:55 PM
#5
I got them at Tire Rack. They were in stock when I bought them about 2-3 weeks ago.
The quotes I got elsewhere ranged from $1800-2200 for the set. TireRack had the best price I could find, and it was pretty simple to have the tires installed.
The quotes I got elsewhere ranged from $1800-2200 for the set. TireRack had the best price I could find, and it was pretty simple to have the tires installed.
The following users liked this post:
Apocolips (12-13-2017)
03-09-2019, 10:47 PM
#6
C7 Z06/Z07 Michelin PA4s
I bought my car 12/28/2018. You (and everyone else) were sold out of the PA4s. Michelin said they would not make the again until fall of 2019. I bought the Pirelli Sotozero3s. They were a great tire. In August 2019 I believe I bought the first PA4s from Tirerack, I got the front tires first and I got the first shipment of the rears as soon as they arrived.
These tires are great! The cup2s are dangerous at 50 deg F!. the PA4s went on as soon as it got down to 50 deg. Let's just say I was amazed. OK, the ultimate grip is not as good as the cup2s at say 70 degrees, but I can pull right at 1g at about any temperature. The cup2s will peak at 1.2g at 95 degrees. But below 50, these PA4 tires will eat the cup2s alive!
I absolutely love these tires. They are quieter and the low temperature grip is phenomenal. They track straighter than the SS or cup2s. I have pulled a 0-84MPH run in 375ft at 45 degrees. These tires will take WOT (650 ft-lb) at 43 MPH in 2nd gear (automatic) on normal asphalt without slipping at 45 degrees! The cup2s had slight slip at 100MPH at 45 degrees in 4th gear. I can't go WOT in first without tire slip with the PA4s. But walking into the the throttle from zero to 43 MPH, hitting WOT just as the car hits 2nd gear makes for an ultra quick 0-100 MPH without slip at 45 degrees!
I live in northern Alabama (typical morning temp 30 degrees, afternoon 50 degrees. No snow yet this year. I hope we have one this year, I can't wait to see how they perform in snow.
But we have had about 8.5 inches of rain this year above normal. These tires are fantastic in rain with the countless sipes in the tread. At 70 mph during moderate rain, they throw up so much water there is a fog behind you so that you can't even tell what is following you! I have been as high as 105 on wet roads with zero hydroplaning or stability control turning on.
Shortly after I bought the PA4s, I saw you had the PS AS3+ available. I bought a set but don't plan on putting them on until it is consistently above 50 degrees.
The PA4s are not just a "snow" tire but a perfect cool or wet weather tire for a 650 HP monster!
I may never use the SS or cup2 tires again if the PS AS3+ works well as I hope. The cup2s are great on 90+ degree days, the SS are pretty good at 80+, I can't wait to see how the AS3+ works in the 50-80 degree range.
In the 20-50 degree range, I don't think any tire can touch the PA4s!
You can use this testimonial anywhere you'd like.
These tires are great! The cup2s are dangerous at 50 deg F!. the PA4s went on as soon as it got down to 50 deg. Let's just say I was amazed. OK, the ultimate grip is not as good as the cup2s at say 70 degrees, but I can pull right at 1g at about any temperature. The cup2s will peak at 1.2g at 95 degrees. But below 50, these PA4 tires will eat the cup2s alive!
I absolutely love these tires. They are quieter and the low temperature grip is phenomenal. They track straighter than the SS or cup2s. I have pulled a 0-84MPH run in 375ft at 45 degrees. These tires will take WOT (650 ft-lb) at 43 MPH in 2nd gear (automatic) on normal asphalt without slipping at 45 degrees! The cup2s had slight slip at 100MPH at 45 degrees in 4th gear. I can't go WOT in first without tire slip with the PA4s. But walking into the the throttle from zero to 43 MPH, hitting WOT just as the car hits 2nd gear makes for an ultra quick 0-100 MPH without slip at 45 degrees!
I live in northern Alabama (typical morning temp 30 degrees, afternoon 50 degrees. No snow yet this year. I hope we have one this year, I can't wait to see how they perform in snow.
But we have had about 8.5 inches of rain this year above normal. These tires are fantastic in rain with the countless sipes in the tread. At 70 mph during moderate rain, they throw up so much water there is a fog behind you so that you can't even tell what is following you! I have been as high as 105 on wet roads with zero hydroplaning or stability control turning on.
Shortly after I bought the PA4s, I saw you had the PS AS3+ available. I bought a set but don't plan on putting them on until it is consistently above 50 degrees.
The PA4s are not just a "snow" tire but a perfect cool or wet weather tire for a 650 HP monster!
I may never use the SS or cup2 tires again if the PS AS3+ works well as I hope. The cup2s are great on 90+ degree days, the SS are pretty good at 80+, I can't wait to see how the AS3+ works in the 50-80 degree range.
In the 20-50 degree range, I don't think any tire can touch the PA4s!
You can use this testimonial anywhere you'd like.
03-10-2019, 08:51 AM
#7
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Thanks for all the reviews on the tires. I am considering installing A/S tires on my car so this helps in my decision making process.
03-10-2019, 01:16 PM
#8
Drifting
I too have them and wish I could run them year round. I'm almost dreading that it's going to be warmer. I had them in deep snow, slush, ice and all kinds of mixtures. Passed almost everything on the highway during snow storms. They just work very well. I cant even remember the last time I was so impressed by any automotive product.