Corvette Tire Guide

Choosing Corvette tires is fairly straightforward: buy the best performance tires you can for this high-performance American sports car. Corvette aficionados swear by original equipment (O.E.) tires, although there are other premium tires that also work well for Corvette models. How do you choose? Here are some suggestions.

Year, Model, Performance or Base

Proper O.E. tire size is determined by options or changes by the manufacturer. This may dictate tire size year-to-year. Next to consider is the model for the Corvette tires you need. Corvette models include coupe, convertible, Z06 and, returning in 2009, the ZR1.

Now, look at whether your Corvette is the standard model or has the performance handling package. Other considerations include whether you will be driving your Corvette in snow, and how important handling, ride/noise comfort and tread ware are in your priorities. These latter are important when considering tires other than O.E. tires.

Corvette Coupe and Convertible

In 2008, Corvette added the new Goodyear Extended Mobility Tires (EMT), also called ?run-flat? tires. The choices for coupe and convertible include standard model and performance handling model, summer or all-season tires. Tire sizes for 2009 Corvette coupe/convertible are: 245/40ZR18 (front) and 285/35ZR19 (rear)

• Standard model summer ? Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-2 EMT (ultra high-performance summer tires)
• Standard model all-season ? Goodyear Eagle F1 A/S-C EMT (ultra high-performance all-season tires)
• Performance handling summer ? Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar EMT (maximum performance summer tires)
• Performance handling all-season ? Goodyear Eagle F1 A/S-C EMT (ultra high-performance all-season)

Corvette tires that are non O.E. for coupe and convertible include Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 and PS2 ZP, BF Goodrich g-Force TA KDW-2, Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 and Potenza RE050A Pole Position, Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval RFT, Hankook Ventus V11 evo K110, and Kumho Ecsta XS.

Z06 Corvette

The Z06 Corvette is shod with Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar EMT maximum performance tires. Tire size is 275/35ZR18 in the front and 325/30ZR19 in the rear.

Non O.E. tires for Z06 Corvette include Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP, Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position RFT, Hoosier A6 and R6, and General Exclaim UHP.

ZR1 Corvette

Top-of-the-line in the Corvette roster is the ZR1, powered by a 638-hp 6.2-liter LS9 V-8 engine. Tire size for the ZR1 increases to 285/30ZR19 in the front and 335/25ZR20 in the rear. O.E. tires for the 2009 Corvette ZR1 are Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP max performance summer tires, offering best-in-class cornering and the highest combined wet and dry performance.

Check out Corvette tires at TireRack.com (http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=BL8&url=).