Secrets Of The 2009 Corvette ZR1: Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 Tires

[dascrow]

One of the most impressive things about the 2009 Corvette ZR1 is how much grip it has. Normally, sticking 638 HP into something that weighs just 3,350 LBS and driving only the rear wheels would result in massive amounts of wheel spin, both in a straight line and around corners. But in the ZR1, it doesn’t — not without significant provocation. This is partly due to the whiz-bang magnetic damping system that adjusts itself near-instantaneously to keep the car level around corners and keep the tires in contact with the road over rough surfaces. But a big part of its grip, and the resulting 7:26.4 ‘Ring time, comes down to the tires: Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZPs specially developed, racecar-style, alongside the ZR1.

Specific to the ZR1, the 285/30-19 front and 335/25-20 rear tires use a different compound from that of the normal PS2s (which can also be found on the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V), designed to deliver ultimate track performance while retaining the ability to last for 20,000 miles of road use. We’re guessing burnouts may reduce their life expectancy substantially.

Unlike earlier versions of run-flat technology, which we weren’t big fans of thanks to increased unsprung weight and a harsher ride, these latest Pilot Sports’ reinforced sidewalls actually contribute to handling while inflated, helping to transfer braking and cornering loads in a more direct fashion.

Additionally, the tires make use of a two-part tread design with large, stable blocks on the outside for maximum grip (the ZR1 can pull 1.05 Gs on the skidpad) and a more grooved tread in the middle for better water dispersion and lower tire noise. The sections are joined by a special “lightning bolt” decoupling channel, which allows each section to movie slightly, independently of the other.

We drove the ZR1 on both the road and track — in dry conditions only — and never found the tires to be lacking. On the track, they deliver considerably more grip than expected, while on the road they ride surprisingly compliantly, at least for such a big tire. Michelin hasn’t finalized prices for the PS2 ZP yet, but expect replacements to cost “$300 to $400 a corner.”

Source: Michelin via Jalopnik

Gallery: ZR1 Pilot Sport PS2

[XFordGuy]

If GM really wants to start "looking" competitive, they need to quit putting pseudo performance tires on the performance models. How many comparison reviews do we need to read where the Z06 was penalized by the tires?

I'll be curious to see how these ZPs compare to the normal PS2s.

[YumaZ06]

Originally Posted by dascrow

Specific to the ZR1, the 285/30-19 front and 335/25-20 rear tires use a different compound from that of the normal PS2s (which can also be found on the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V), designed to deliver ultimate track performance while retaining the ability to last for 20,000 miles of road use. We’re guessing burnouts may reduce their life expectancy substantially.

Duh, you think? I wonder how they came up with that conclusion?

[Dr.Electron]

Michelin hasn’t finalized prices for the PS2 ZP yet, but expect replacements to cost “$300 to $400 a corner.”


Per Discount tire on 09/17/08
Had a little time while putting new fronts on the Z so I priced em.
Fronts = 575 each
Rears = 622 each
Total = 2394 + tx to put new paws on the ZR1
Doc E.

[seamus2154]

That seemed pretty cheap to me too! I just bought ps2's for my rears and the 345's cost me 490 each!

[ZO6 AL-X]

Originally Posted by YumaZ06

Duh, you think? I wonder how they came up with that conclusion?

Yeah, they're not too bright over there.

[65hemi]

Re: "We're expecting Burnouts may reduce their life expectancy substantially" - Really? Amazing. I thought doing burnouts would make your tires last longer as because of the extraneous tempering effect resulting from the extreme heat cycling.

Nothing quite like stating the obvious to make an article really interesting..................

Originally Posted by YumaZ06

Duh, you think? I wonder how they came up with that conclusion?

[blkZ06]

I have PS2's on my Viper, they were $500/tire (335's in the back)

[MikesZ06]

Just order PS2's for my C6Z last week. Around $1600 for the 345 rears and 275 fronts. (rears are backordered)

Mike

[Robert56]

On the burn out statement, I think they infer that the ZR1 PS2's will wear faster than a normal tire concerning burnouts; due to softer compunds. At least that's the impression I got. I will take one for sure, if I could ever get the scratch together, lol.
Robert

[rosulekg]

Dynamic 'Lightening Bolt' tires, and dynamic shocks are here! Whats next?
The transmission! Paddle shifters: Ferrari's getting 40milli-second shifts compared to .25 or so. It exists and is a no-brainer, and is good enough for F1's!

[David Lee]

SPAM

[meldog21]

Originally Posted by Dr.Electron

Michelin hasn’t finalized prices for the PS2 ZP yet, but expect replacements to cost “$300 to $400 a corner.”


Per Discount tire on 09/17/08
Had a little time while putting new fronts on the Z so I priced em.
Fronts = 575 each
Rears = 622 each
Total = 2394 + tx to put new paws on the ZR1
Doc E.

***edited***

Sorry, TireRack is no longer a site vendor here so links are not allowed



A little lower list price but then you have to pay for mounting. My calculations come up with:

Fronts = 520 each
Rears = 599 each
All four = 2338
Shipping = est $100
Install at est $35 per wheel = $140
So that's about $2,600 to put new paws on the ZR1.

Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go?

Dog

[Br00nsie]

awesome!

[kelp]

I raced the ZR1s at VIR. After a couple of days so the driver could accommodate to the track. Straight out of the box, It is an excellent very fast performer, on straights and cornering. Much more neutral than the Z06, the suspension's been tuned much better. As my Z06 is set up, when I was lapping them I had ample opportunities to see them in the straights and corners. Wish I had taken movies. Give them some aftermarket mods and it might inspire me to mod even more.