High-Performance Tires for Your Corvette: Are They Important?

All tires are created equal, right? No way!

The only thing holding your car to the road or to the track is the set of round, black, sticky things at the four corners of your Corvette. If you neglect your tires or don’t have the optimal compound, you could be in for some seriously dangerous driving.

As discussed in the video above, there are three major categories of road-car tires: winter tires, all-season tires, and summer tires. For the purposes of a sports car like your Corvette, it’s unlikely you’ll be driving the thing when there is snow on the ground or temperatures below freezing, so it is probably best to keep the car on a nice set of summer tires, and we’re going to explain why.

Winter tires are essentially a non-starter for Corvette owners. If you are going to be driving your Corvette year-round in colder climates, however, you absolutely need to invest in a set.

They’re optimized to function properly and provide the necessary grip in temperatures below forty degrees. We like to refer to all-season tires as “no season tires” because they’re the jack of all trades, but master of none. They work OK in the winter, and they work OK in the summer, but they aren’t optimized for traction in either temperature range. They work OK for the average mommy-mobile SUV because most people don’t want to deal with the hassle of switching tires twice a year.

ALSO SEE: What the Forum Has to Say About High-Performance Tires

That being said, a set of winter tires for the winter and a set of summer tires for the summer is really the best way to keep yourself, your car, and your passengers safe. Even if you stop just 10 feet shorter, that could be enough difference to prevent an accident altogether.

Of course, tires are a nuanced subject that requires far more than an 8-minute video and a short discussion here, so perhaps take some time and investigate for yourself what tires you really need to buy. Spending the most money doesn’t always mean getting the best tire for your application. Spend the time and learn the facts.