Z06 driving in Winter???
 

This is my question.Has anyone “actually” driven a Z06 in cold weather and experienced cracking or other structural problems with the tires.

I ordered a 19 Z06. I live in Midwest Illinois. It will be my daily driver only if streets are clean. Can I drive it In winter? I know the tires are Summer only and I was told they “can’t” be driven in very cold weather. This is what they also told me on my 15 and 17 base Stingray. Although I know the base is more of a summer tire than the Z, I drove them in temperatures as low as 8 degrees with no problems and traction was fine. Unless there’s someone that’s actuality driven a Z in cold weather and can contest to the tires breaking down I plan on driving on them and see what happens. Just by driving the tires will heat up by themselves but I guess driving on them prier to heating may be the problem. If they do start to crack I won’t be able to sell them and It’ll cost me more than just buying another set of tires. The Z cost enough by itself so I don’t want to spend more for another set of tires unless it’s absolutely necessary.

It makes no difference whether it's a Z06 or a base Stingray, the latter of which also has too much power for the traction available on PSS in very cold weather.

You can certainly "baby" the car in cold temps, but you can't enjoy driving it very much. Braking distances are also greatly compromised with the PSS in sub-freezing temps. I've tried it down to near-zero, and you will not be able to get enough heat in the tires to improve traction very much. Because the summer rubber compounds get rock hard, the ride is also noticeably more harsh.

What you should do is invest in a set of Michelin AS3+ UHP all seasons now that they are available in the OEM GS/Z06 sizes. I did on my Z51, and it is a remarkable transformation on cold pavement. You no longer have to "baby" the car and can drive it in a spirited fashion on cold, dry pavement much like you drive the PSS in summer.

I have never done it but I really don't believe the cracking stories. I could see it if you tired to peel out and really cold summer tires and they shoot up in temperature quickly, that might do it. But I think the bigger issue will be traction and stopping (which is traction). If there is snow on the ground, I would surprised if you even make it down your street with tires as big as the ones on your z. And with the softer rubber getting harder, I would imagine you will slider easier; either during stopping or going around a curve; not just breaking in general.

Get a winter set. There is always someone selling them on here. Although we are getting into the cold season so it may be slim pickings.

As advised...get the Michelin AS3+ all season UHP tires that have been recently released in GS and Z06 sizes. The Summer Michelin PSS would not be good in the cold even with no snow. In the snow....horrendous!

If you got caught in one inch of snow you'd be SOL. And I say this as an owner that drives his car in the winter, but with winter tires of course.

The lower purchase price and longer life of the AS tires will significantly reduce your tire cost per mile while using them.
Sure, you need to buy a set of wheels and sensors, but it's not money down the drain.

We use the factory PSS on our Z51 in Summer, and a set of AS3+ in winter.

I was out today in 1C weather. No snow or ice but the tires were cold. I stomped on the gas and fishtailed. Not bad, but it warned me about cold tires on cold pavement.
John

SC2's will crack in -7C and below. They are essentially useless at 0C--yes they will warm up, but good luck if so much as a banana peel (let alone ice) is on the road.
Get a solid pair of all seasons and you're good to go.

They are good all year. That's why they are sold as All Season, anything but glare ice.

They can be driven all year around. Since I do occasional autocross or track weekends, I switch back to the PSS in summer.
Folks who don't do competition often leave the AS on permanently. If you're driving hard enough on the street that you need the slight extra grip of the PSS, you're probably a fool.

I just put my AS tires on for the winter, anything below 50 degrees I can tell the loss of traction and the AS tires just keep ripping up the pavement down below -0 degrees (I am in OK and have been down to -18 degrees or so).. I would rather put new tires on then baby my daily driver... Also, at anything below 32 degrees you will never "add" enough heat to the tires by driving them, they will not heat up....

Just to clarify on the "cracking" issue. It happens when the tires are in freezing temps for extended periods of time regardless of whether the car is driven. GM replaced all four of my wifes Pirelli P-Zeroes due to cracking. The car sat outside on the lot during a very cold winter before we purchased it.

Agree the AS3+ is great in summer too. They were track tested at Spring Mt and pronounced excellent for the first few laps. They will fade more than the PSS when really hot, but tires only see temps like that in hard track use. Anyone experiencing that in street use is probably an idiot.

The only good reason for continued use of my PSS is that they came with the car, and I'd like to use them up. When they're gone, I will not replace them and stick exclusively with the AS3+, or the best UHP all season ZP that succeeds it.

Whatever decision you make, if you haven't already, I would recommend going out and 'testing' the weather mode. Go out in a good rain (or snow) where you can find a large empty lot; stop, turn the wheel a bit, and put the pedal to the metal (or composite). Then go in a straight line, floor it, and turn the wheel. Practice a lot. Weather mode is really helpful in low traction situations. :cheers:

A few years back, some brand new Vettes were delivered in cold weather country with cracked tires. The pictures were posted on here; a search may find them. But it was very cold while the cars were on the transport.