Performance Track Tire List
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 356
Likes: 17
From: Fallbrook CA
Performance Track Tire List
What is a list of performance track tires for the C7 Z06 - I’m talking low tread wear, but still DOT approved for the street. I track my car as am looking for a more options in case you guys know more than I do. Thanks.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 542
Likes: 52
From: El Paso Texas
I use toyo r888r grip is good but noisey
now Im going to try the goodyear f1 supercar 3r. But to answer your question pirelli gas a couple of tires nitto has the nt01 michelin also makes an awesome track tire
now Im going to try the goodyear f1 supercar 3r. But to answer your question pirelli gas a couple of tires nitto has the nt01 michelin also makes an awesome track tire
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 216
Likes: 47
From: NYC
Without including any fitment information for the C7, the two best tires that I personally recommend for dual duty, although I don't really recommend either for bad weather, are Nitto NT01 and Bridgestone RE71R. For longevity go NT01, for lap times go RE71R.
I noticed a lot of people on here use the R888R on here and I'm not sure if it's because of available fitment but I think it's terrible - mainly because the NT01 is the better version of it.
I have no experience with Supercar 3R but my track buddies love the tire. It's definitely fast. The Michelin PSS is actually a really solid do it all tire - not particularly excellent at anything but can handle street driving - bad weather (excl snow).
I noticed a lot of people on here use the R888R on here and I'm not sure if it's because of available fitment but I think it's terrible - mainly because the NT01 is the better version of it.
I have no experience with Supercar 3R but my track buddies love the tire. It's definitely fast. The Michelin PSS is actually a really solid do it all tire - not particularly excellent at anything but can handle street driving - bad weather (excl snow).
Pro
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 542
Likes: 52
From: El Paso Texas
Without including any fitment information for the C7, the two best tires that I personally recommend for dual duty, although I don't really recommend either for bad weather, are Nitto NT01 and Bridgestone RE71R. For longevity go NT01, for lap times go RE71R.
I noticed a lot of people on here use the R888R on here and I'm not sure if it's because of available fitment but I think it's terrible - mainly because the NT01 is the better version of it.
I have no experience with Supercar 3R but my track buddies love the tire. It's definitely fast. The Michelin PSS is actually a really solid do it all tire - not particularly excellent at anything but can handle street driving - bad weather (excl snow).
I noticed a lot of people on here use the R888R on here and I'm not sure if it's because of available fitment but I think it's terrible - mainly because the NT01 is the better version of it.
I have no experience with Supercar 3R but my track buddies love the tire. It's definitely fast. The Michelin PSS is actually a really solid do it all tire - not particularly excellent at anything but can handle street driving - bad weather (excl snow).
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 356
Likes: 17
From: Fallbrook CA
Yeah I have the Pilot SS's on it now and have been trying to get away with double duty, track and street. I just roasted a set yesterday at AutoSpeedway in CA - was sliding all over the place. My friends run the sport cup 2's but the F1 super car 3 is on my radar. I can get a set for relatively cheap out here. Does anyone know anything real about the tire for track purposes?
Pro
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 686
Likes: 239
From: Houston TX
The PSS is really not a bad tire for what it is but it overheats quickly and are expensive. Probably the best solution for stock wheels.
With that said your best bet is to ditch the stock wheels and get some 18's. 315/335 combo with NT01's is really good for something you can still drive on the street and is much cheaper to run. The car really needs more front tire too.
R888R's are terrible in my opinion.
With that said your best bet is to ditch the stock wheels and get some 18's. 315/335 combo with NT01's is really good for something you can still drive on the street and is much cheaper to run. The car really needs more front tire too.
R888R's are terrible in my opinion.
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 356
Likes: 17
From: Fallbrook CA
The PSS is really not a bad tire for what it is but it overheats quickly and are expensive. Probably the best solution for stock wheels.
With that said your best bet is to ditch the stock wheels and get some 18's. 315/335 combo with NT01's is really good for something you can still drive on the street and is much cheaper to run. The car really needs more front tire too.
R888R's are terrible in my opinion.
With that said your best bet is to ditch the stock wheels and get some 18's. 315/335 combo with NT01's is really good for something you can still drive on the street and is much cheaper to run. The car really needs more front tire too.
R888R's are terrible in my opinion.
yep, they got hot fast and went slippery on me. Not sure how people are running their best times on them to be honest. Unless the track isn’t as aggressive on tires. Auto club roasts them because of the high speed turns and hard braking.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 7,373
Likes: 1,128
From: cold & windy
i was going to go with NT01s on mine but didn't want to buy a different set for the street (or wear them out with mediocre highway trips or occasional daily duty), so i ended up with Falken RT615K+
so far, so good. they were actually my back-up choice because the 140TW NT05s that kept coming in on the truck were 3-5yrs old, so after 3 orders, i gave up.
so far, so good. they were actually my back-up choice because the 140TW NT05s that kept coming in on the truck were 3-5yrs old, so after 3 orders, i gave up.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 216
Likes: 47
From: NYC
Sr.Random input generator
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,773
Likes: 2,210
From: Sammamish, WA
From NASA list: These are penalty points, so more points mean more penalty for those using them in such NASA events.
My remarks:
Considering price/performance, longevity, etc., I suppose Toyo RRs are a good choice. They last longer than any other 40 tw compound (but they also perform less than other such low tw compounds). In my case, I usually use R7s 315/30/18 and 345/30/19, RRs at same size, or Pirelli DH slicks 315/660/18 and 325/680/18. I use R888Rs at the street, since they perform great at low temps, so I have traction right off the garage. They performed pretty slow at the track, though. I've never had good results with PSS ZP OEM tires at the street, since they could never warm up to their operating temps in short time. Same with Cup 2s. Conversely, both PSS and Cup 2 tires overheat in a hurry at the track and become greasy. I've had pretty poor experience.
- A1 - BFG R1S, Goodyear Eagle RS AC, Hoosier A7, Hankook Z217 (C90 & 91 Compounds), Hoosier Wet DOT (if used in dry conditions) +22 0
- A2 - Hoosier A6 +17 0
- A3 - BFG R1, Goodyear RS, Hankook Z214 (C71, C70, C51, C50), Hoosier R7, Kumho V710 +10 0
- A4 - Hoosier SM7 +9 0
- A5 - Hoosier R6, Hoosier SM6 (note: CTSC EC-Dry Tires (225, 245, 275) OK) +8 0
- A6 - Toyo Proxes RR, Hankook TD, Pirelli Trofeo R +5 4
- A7 - BFG Rival S, Bridgestone REO71-R, Maxxis RC-1 (ex. Kumho V700, Kumho V720, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup & MPS Cup 2, Nitto NT01, Pirelli PZero Corsa, Toyo R888, Toyo RA-1, Yokohama A048, etc.) +4 0
- A8 - DOT-Approved (non-R-compound) tires with a UTQG treadwear rating of 120-200 (ex. BFG g-Force Rival, Toyo R1R, Dunlop Direzza Sport ZII Star Spec, Bridgestone Potenza RE070, Kumho Ecsta XS, Yokohama Advan A046 & Neova AD08, Hankook R-S3) +2
My remarks:
- This should give you an idea on how these tires compare in terms of best laps possible with them (i.e. doesn't necessarily indicate the consistency, life, etc.). As you can see, the tires discussed here are mostly in A7. I agree that NT01 is a much better tire than R888Rs at the track. That said, you'll lose a few seconds to better tires at the track.
- Goodyear supercar 3R tires are definitely better than RRs (since we compared back to back with RRs on my friend's Camaro SS 1LE during the same day), and I think they're in the range of A3-5, and probably closer to A3. Hoosiers usually slow down a bit after their first few heat cycles, and once there, I think Goodyear's Supercar 3R tires are very similar in performance.
- Pirelli slicks are probably better than A3, but not sure how much better, since I've only used them as scrubs. As scrubs, they've been similar to Hoosier R7s in my experience.
- Michelin slicks are even faster than Pirellis in their softer compound (S8M?). I think their harder compound (S9M?) is similar to Pirelli's harder compound that people use (DH). The softer Michelin scrubs got destroyed in a day..
Considering price/performance, longevity, etc., I suppose Toyo RRs are a good choice. They last longer than any other 40 tw compound (but they also perform less than other such low tw compounds). In my case, I usually use R7s 315/30/18 and 345/30/19, RRs at same size, or Pirelli DH slicks 315/660/18 and 325/680/18. I use R888Rs at the street, since they perform great at low temps, so I have traction right off the garage. They performed pretty slow at the track, though. I've never had good results with PSS ZP OEM tires at the street, since they could never warm up to their operating temps in short time. Same with Cup 2s. Conversely, both PSS and Cup 2 tires overheat in a hurry at the track and become greasy. I've had pretty poor experience.
Last edited by X25; Dec 22, 2020 at 05:28 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 4,303
Likes: 2,055
From: Margate, FL
My brother runs the Nitto NT01 on his Boxster GTS and swears by them. He is a very aggressive but super consistent driver.
I run Bridgestone Potenza S007A but these are not a dedicated track tire. Instead they are the RE-11 replacement in Bridgestone's line, slotting in just below the more track focused RE-71R. Per reports I've read they offer slightly better wet traction which is helpful for me in SFL where tropical downpours are common in the summer. Thus I find them to be a good mixed use tire.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 15,344
Likes: 4,008
From: Texas
Identifying what size wheels you plan to run will be helpful since many of the aforementioned tires are not available for stock size wheels or in the appropriate widths on 19” rears. That’s why some people run 18s. If history is an indication, more sizes will be available for 19” wheels over the next several years.