Michelin Pilot Super Sport ZP vs. Mich. Pilot Sport A/S 3+
 

Couldn't find a thread relating to this when searching, so.......need to replace the OEM Mich. Pilot SS run flats on my 2016 Z51. Was just going to replace with the same, but here in upstate NY, come October or so when it starts getting cold, early morning the Pilot SS can be a little slick until the roads warm up. The Pilot A/S+ would extend my season here a bit longer. My question ----
I like the low profile look of the Pilot SS,...With the A/S radials, how much of that low profile look is gone. Anyone have a pic of their vette with the A/S you could post to give me an idea.
Looking to do this quick as the car is sitting in the garage due to needing fronts replaced immediately ! Thanks !

I had two sets and ran the OEM PSS in summer and AS3+ in winter. The AS3+ are exactly the same size and the sidewalls look exactly the same. I'm not posting a picture because I can't tell from pictures which set is on my car.

I highly recommend the AS3+. I actually preferred them for street use.

^ I agree. I swapped over to the A/S 3+ ZPs on my car last September and to me there was no difference in the look of the tires on the car.

They look the same except for the tread. I just put on the A/S and I can still corner at 1.2 Gs and my traction from a dead stop with a pedal slam is actually very little spin. They do squirm a little, but no big deal. I would have went with the OEM Pilot sports again, but I only got 15,000 miles out of those. I should get about 30,000 out of these.
I know for a fact the A/S will be significantly better in rain and cooler temps. I have them on my Stingray.
I'm going to Chuckwalla Valley Raceway pretty soon and will test them out there. My son has new OEM PSS on his Z06 and we'll compare on the track.
From previous experience I know that the A/S loose grip as your tread decreases over miles. At about 4/32 depth, and you drive frisky, you better throw them out and get some new ones. The grip on the Pilot Sport OEMs grip remained the same down to the 3/32 when I replaced them.
I use Zero Pressure by the way.

i know chuckwalla, curious to see how they handle the bowl. do be sure to follow up, we wanna know how the a/s do on a track. i myself need new fronts more or less now, could go another month or two i think. strangely, the rear are significantly less worn. just means i need better alignment i guess.

Did the switch 2 weeks ago, like you I agonized over the potential performance loss...but given I am in a state that has ton’s of rain and having experienced a lot of hydroplaning I opted for the AS/3 ‘s .
Bets decision ever and saved about 500 bucks.
As mentioned in an earlier response they look identical in terms of profiles .....and in my opinion. A lot quieter and they tend to “hunt” less in groved (worn) roads...best

The AS3 can tend to look different because it has larger channels on the outer tread blocks (the gap between them is larger). The sidewall design is the same.

PSS is the better choice if you plan to track the car. Otherwise, I'd get the AS3 if it's just a street car.

A/S 3+ here as well.

Thanks for the answer....you covered a lot of my concerns !

I switched to A/S3's 1 year ago The only bad thing is A/S 3 sidewall/ tread doesn't look as cool from the side. There are more grooves in the A/S and they extend farther. lol but it's a fact!

I put on A/S3's in March and i am very happy. I also had my wheels powder coated.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...6a89770676.jpg

i myself dont much care what the tread pattern looks like. to me, thats a silly thing to care about. i care how they work, not how a piece of rubber looks =] since mine is a daily also, im more or less set on getting the a/s, yeah.. perhaps another brand though?

Just saw this and offer what I heard from the Chief Instructor at Spring Mt, when I was there in October 2018. He said they evaluated the AS3+ vs. the PSS and found the AS3+ produced comparable lap times for the first few laps. After that, they faded a bit in comparison to the PSS.

That is exactly what one would expect. Summer compounds need a lot of heat to produce max grip, and you'll almost never get there in street use. Similarly, you'll likely never produce enough tire heat in street use to see any AS3+ fade, unless you do so shortly before being put in handcuffs.

I switched to AS3s two weeks after buying my 2019 GS since I drive year round if decent. Hated that the OEM Michelin's had a 40 degree limitation. I have 6600 miles on the AS3s. Good luck. ;)

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...2a44e60175.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...db6a34c755.jpg

Tread patterns between PSS and AS3+ are similar with a Michelin family resemblance. AS3+ just has a bit more siping because they're designed for all-season use.

While at Spring Mountain in July the instructor mentioned doing an upgrade from Ps/as3 plus zp to the AS4+2p (or zero pres my notes are messed up) Grand Sport are hell in cold temp/rain but grip fantastic on track turns.

Yeah, I think that's the new UHP all season now on base C8s (non-Z51) as standard equipment. It's a replacement for the AS3+ just as the PS4S is replacing the PSS. Tire Rack is listing their AS3+ at a "closeout price," which is a good deal on a great tire.

Thinking about switching to the AS3’s also. Are they better at not picking up small rocks like the stock tires do? Stock tires are a magnet it seems.

Significantly better. :thumbs:

Also, Is the zero pressure the ones everyone is getting?