Tire choices
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 5
Likes: 1
From: Irvine, CA
Tire choices
I am sure this has been discussed but could not find the exact answer. I got a nail in a tire and need new rears. I have a Z07 but the car came with super sports. So I never drove the car with cup 2s. I don’t think the super sports hook up very well. I am not sure what the negatives of cup 2s are? I am looking for tires that offer better grip. I have stock power. I live in so cal and car isn’t a daily driver. Was thinking of going with either the cup 2s or 345/25/20 Toyo proxies T1-R does anyone have any advice? I don’t want to get new rims.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,116
Likes: 222
From: Colorado Springs, CO/Augusta,GA Colorado
Michelin doesn't make the Pilot Sport 4S in the Z06 sizes. That 345/25-20 will be tall. If you aren't worried about weather, then the Cup 2s is the way to go.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 1,110
Likes: 582
From: North Western Wyoming
Yup, your right! They don’t make them in those sizes. The guy with a Z06 in this thread went bigger and had rubbing issues...
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-4s-tires.html
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-4s-tires.html
Last edited by The Successful Plumber; Nov 14, 2019 at 04:47 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,585
Likes: 1,059
From: Between Boston and the cape
My experience has been that the cup 2 tires are better on the track and the super sports are better for the street. The cup 2 tires need to get heat in them before they hook. The super sports hook better in the cold and throw less debris up on the car, i also think they emit less road noise. Cup 2 tires have more grip on track when warm but you said you don’t drive on track. My .02
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 29
Likes: 3
Just replaced the Cup 2's with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's. The Cups have about 3,000 miles on them. My understanding is that the Cup's are mostly for track, the Michelin Sports are are more for street driving and the Super Sports are for a combination of track and street.
The Sports are quieter and smoother on the road/highway from what I've experienced. Also no chatter when making sharp turns or u-turns.
I'm in Orange County of you are interested in the Cup tires, never used on the track.
The Sports are quieter and smoother on the road/highway from what I've experienced. Also no chatter when making sharp turns or u-turns.
I'm in Orange County of you are interested in the Cup tires, never used on the track.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 1,675
Likes: 872
From: Indian land SC
Just replaced the Cup 2's with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's. The Cups have about 3,000 miles on them. My understanding is that the Cup's are mostly for track, the Michelin Sports are are more for street driving and the Super Sports are for a combination of track and street.
The Sports are quieter and smoother on the road/highway from what I've experienced. Also no chatter when making sharp turns or u-turns.
I'm in Orange County of you are interested in the Cup tires, never used on the track.
The Sports are quieter and smoother on the road/highway from what I've experienced. Also no chatter when making sharp turns or u-turns.
I'm in Orange County of you are interested in the Cup tires, never used on the track.
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 29
Likes: 3
In regard to the tires sizes for a Z06 with Z07 package. Mine is a 2016 with Z07 and I replaced the Michelin Cup tires (fronts were 285/30Z R19 and rears were P335/25Z R20) with the same size Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 +ZP tires. Not sure why some above say they are not available for the Z06. I do not have any rubbing issues with mine.
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Drifting
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 1,675
Likes: 872
From: Indian land SC
In regard to the tires sizes for a Z06 with Z07 package. Mine is a 2016 with Z07 and I replaced the Michelin Cup tires (fronts were 285/30Z R19 and rears were P335/25Z R20) with the same size Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 +ZP tires. Not sure why some above say they are not available for the Z06. I do not have any rubbing issues with mine.
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 29
Likes: 3
I like the Pilot Sport tires. They are quieter than the Cup tires and do not chatter during sharp turns like the Cup tires. The Sport tires were discussed and recommended during the Ron Fellows corvette driving school I attended a few weeks ago. Note they are not the same as the Michelin "Super Sport" tires.
I'm in southern California so I have no experience with the tries in colder areas of the country. Happy Thanksgiving.
I'm in southern California so I have no experience with the tries in colder areas of the country. Happy Thanksgiving.
Navigator
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 9
Likes: 1
Mich pilot super sport vs mich sport cup 2
Hope this helps. I have 2016, ZO6 w/ ZO7
in colder weather, neither is any good. I would not recommend horsing around in cold weather. Oh and both chatter in colder weather.
warm weather,pilot super sport (RF) on the street are a quieter tire, lasts longer and do not pull the car at varying waves in the asphalt.
I like this on the street and the track, after they are warm , I haven’t had any problems at Watkins Glen Track.
sport cup 2, on the street tends to pull one way or the other on the uneven pavement. Kicks up every little pebble you run over. On the track they get eaten up fast and do delaminate tread, so watch out for this. You very well may not even see it and I recommend running your hand completely around the tires after every session.
i don’t like these at all, they are too much money and don’t hold up well.
my friend has the same car and he has had the exact same issues with the sport cup 2’s delaminating far more often than I have.
i had the original set and it happened, will never get another set.
my friend has had probably 8 sets and it has happened at least 4 times.
michelin will not warranty, they say “it’s a track tire”.
in colder weather, neither is any good. I would not recommend horsing around in cold weather. Oh and both chatter in colder weather.
warm weather,pilot super sport (RF) on the street are a quieter tire, lasts longer and do not pull the car at varying waves in the asphalt.
I like this on the street and the track, after they are warm , I haven’t had any problems at Watkins Glen Track.
sport cup 2, on the street tends to pull one way or the other on the uneven pavement. Kicks up every little pebble you run over. On the track they get eaten up fast and do delaminate tread, so watch out for this. You very well may not even see it and I recommend running your hand completely around the tires after every session.
i don’t like these at all, they are too much money and don’t hold up well.
my friend has the same car and he has had the exact same issues with the sport cup 2’s delaminating far more often than I have.
i had the original set and it happened, will never get another set.
my friend has had probably 8 sets and it has happened at least 4 times.
michelin will not warranty, they say “it’s a track tire”.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 739
Likes: 324
Would be nice to have a C7 tire sticky, no pun intended. Tire threads seem to come up every once in awhile and then fade away.
It’s difficult to research what is available for C7s without going to various threads and sources. For example, Michelin PS4 have been brought up but I can’t find them for a grandsport. Some people say they are better than pilot super sports but I have seen a track video that showed otherwise. This video stated that the corvette specific pilot super sports have a different compound then the rest of the super sports. This is a tidbit that is out there that may or may not be true, but would be nice to know the facts. Then there’s the run flat vs non run flat options which also is difficult to find out what’s available.
How about tire brands? This is another topic where you have to search all over the place.
Then there is tire development. New tires, for instance the PS4s may be the replacement for super sports, but I can’t really tell. It would be nice to know what’s coming because I am 4-6 months out on buying because my car is driven seasonally.
It it would be great to have to have past, current, and future tire info in one place. Does anyone have a good source for this?
It’s difficult to research what is available for C7s without going to various threads and sources. For example, Michelin PS4 have been brought up but I can’t find them for a grandsport. Some people say they are better than pilot super sports but I have seen a track video that showed otherwise. This video stated that the corvette specific pilot super sports have a different compound then the rest of the super sports. This is a tidbit that is out there that may or may not be true, but would be nice to know the facts. Then there’s the run flat vs non run flat options which also is difficult to find out what’s available.
How about tire brands? This is another topic where you have to search all over the place.
Then there is tire development. New tires, for instance the PS4s may be the replacement for super sports, but I can’t really tell. It would be nice to know what’s coming because I am 4-6 months out on buying because my car is driven seasonally.
It it would be great to have to have past, current, and future tire info in one place. Does anyone have a good source for this?
