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Corvette: High Performance Tire Review

While the factory equipped tires on your Corvette are able to provide a decent level of grip under most conditions, once you add more power into the mix, it is time to re-evaluate your situation. Fresh rubber is just the ticket.

By Pizzaman711 - February 2, 2015

This article applies to the C5 Corvette (1997-2004), C6 Corvette (2005-2013) and C7 Corvette (2014-current).

Tires make all the difference between being able to put power down coming off the line, to shaving an extra second off your lap time. The first thing you need to do when purchasing tires is decide what they are going to be used for. If you rarely go to the track, then you'll want to buy a tire with good street manners. The same applies if your 'Vette only sees the track; you may only be interested in a track tire. For those who do a mix of both, you also have a couple of options. You can go with a tire that will perform reasonably well in both conditions, but the cost of those tires will be a lot higher and the track will wear them out faster. You can also run two sets of tires of two sets of wheels, a dedicated street set and a dedicated track set. The initial cost for this is a bit higher, but in the long run you will save money if you visit the track a lot because it'll be cheaper to replace those tires.

High Performance Tires
Nitto NT05R
Goodyear Supercar F1 EMT
Bridgestone RE050 RFT
Michelin PS2
Nitto INVO
Price (per set)
 $1,060 $1,600 $1,530 $1,670 $1,020
Best Suited For
 Track Street Street Street/Track Street
Wear/Speed Rating
 200/W 220/Y 280/Y 220/Y 220/Y
Run Flat
 No Yes Yes No No
Best Quality: Michelin PS2

Best Value: Nitto INVO

Nitto NT05R

Price - $1,060

Best Suited For - Track

Wear/Speed Rating - 200/W

Run Flat - No

These tires are great for those who want a set of dedicated track tires, as they will hook up well when going through the gears and eliminate a lot of wheel hop. If you plan to run them on the street, you need to be aware that the wet traction is non-existent in these, performing even worse than the factory Goodyear tire. However, they have also been described has being quieter and riding smoother than the factory. Recommended for anyone's 'Vette that sees more hard use miles than purely a street driver.

Goodyear Supercar F1 EMT

Price - $1,600

Best Suited For - Street

Wear/Speed Rating - 220/Y

Run Flat - Yes

The Goodyear's are the factory-specific tires equipped on a couple of different packages for the Corvette. Unfortunately, these tires just aren't as good as they should be for the price. They don't last in a track environment, and on the street they are noisy, have poor wet performance, and offer a rougher ride. Dry traction on them is pretty laudable in the first several thousand miles; however, performance then drops off pretty severely afterwards. Recommended if you can pick them as cheap spares until you can save up for something better.

Bridgestone RE050 RFT

Price - $1,530

Best Suited For - Street

Wear/Speed Rating - 280/Y

Run Flat - Yes

Judging by forum reviews, these tires are in all ways better on the street than the Goodyear's. However, like Goodyear's, these are run flat tires, so the decrease in road noise and increase in ride quality would not be as substantial as a non-run flat, but it is still an improvement. It should be advised that these tires do not withstand track use particularly well, and, in other applications, reports of sidewall shoulder deconstruction have been reported. Recommended solely for those who want a good street tire with run flat security.

Michelin PS2

Price - $1,670

Best Suited For - Street/Track

Wear/Speed Rating - 220/Y

Run Flat - No

These are considered some of the best tires you can get for your Corvette for both street and light track use. If you want the run flat option, you can spend about $400 more a set and go to the Michelin PS2 ZP compound. These tires tend to be universally praised as a superior solution to the OEM Goodyear tires when it comes to sporting driving as well as having a character more befitting of the Corvette. They grip better, wear better, are quieter, and ride smoother. Recommended to anyone who wants a tire that will offer superior street comfort and performance.

Nitto INVO

Price - $1,020

Best Suited For - Street

Wear/Speed Rating - 220/Y

Run Flat - No

While not intended for track use, the INVO tire will, in every way, outperform the Goodyear on the street for the average driver. The only appreciable downside to this tire is reflected in its "show car-like" tread pattern and softer sidewall construction, which, at their limits, can exacerbate the car pulling when at speed. For your average day to day driving, these tires are a great alternative to the Goodyear, and for the price they are tough to beat. Recommended for the Corvette that only sees street miles.

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