Pirelli PZeros for the Viper

[ViperGeorge]

I'm told by Tirerack that Pirelli has discontinued the Viper spec PZero (not the Corsas, the regular PZeros). They still make PZeros in those sizes but not the Viper spec. Not sure what the difference is but this is a bad sign and I don't even care for the Pirellis. I wish Michelin would step in and do the PS4 in Viper sizes.

[ForTehNguyen]

you can get the regular PSS in slightly different sizes. 285/35/18 or 295/35/18 and 345/30/19. Honestly Pirelli Pzero (non corsas) were trash. Came on my Perf Pack Mustang GT and were horrid compared to PSS. For PS4S they make the 18" size but not the 345 in 19" Maybe for ACRs the 295/30/19 will work for the front. It will be thicker.

Im running 285/35/18 and 345/30/19 on mine, so much better than the pirellis

[ViperGeorge]

you can get the regular PSS in slightly different sizes. 285/35/18 or 295/35/18 and 345/30/19. Honestly Pirelli Pzero (non corsas) were trash. Came on my Perf Pack Mustang GT and were horrid compared to PSS. For PS4S they make the 18" size but not the 345 in 19" Maybe for ACRs the 295/30/19 will work for the front. It will be thicker.

Im running 285/35/18 and 345/30/19 on mine, so much better than the pirellis

I know I can get close with the Michelins. I'm running 295/30/18 PS2s in the front of my ACR and 345/30/19 PSSs in the rear. On my GTS I have run the PZeros because I don't track the car. I wish Michelin would make either the PS2s again, or the PSS, or PS4 in stock Viper sizes both for the ACR and non-ACR.

[serpent]

OP even if pirelli continued to make them they are junk.
Like fortehnguyen, I can confirm! I also came from two sets of pirellis both on different cars (13 mustang 5.0 & 15 viper). Take it for what its worth. I think if you email Michelin they may look into making the sizes available.

If PS4S isnt available the MPSS are just as good. I think the PS4S is an incremental improvement over the MPSS. Both are an upgrade over the regular pirelli p-zero grips. LOL

[ViperGeorge]

OP even if pirelli continued to make them they are junk.
Like fortehnguyen, I can confirm! I also came from two sets of pirellis both on different cars (13 mustang 5.0 & 15 viper). Take it for what its worth. I think if you email Michelin they may look into making the sizes available.

If PS4S isnt available the MPSS are just as good. I think the PS4S is an incremental improvement over the MPSS. Both are an upgrade over the regular pirelli p-zero grips. LOL

I already emailed Michelin. I agree the Pirellis are not great. However there are no other tires in the EXACT sizes for the Viper. Michelin only makes a 345 rear in a PSS. They make a PS2 in 295/30/18. Even with this you are running different tire models front to rear. While they seem to work ok it would be better to have a PSS or PS4 in the stock sizes.

[CNU_Physics]

Why not just get the Corsas?

[ViperGeorge]

Why not just get the Corsas?

Because for a street driven car they really suck in the wet.

[SRT_BluByU]

ive driven both the pzeros and pzero corsas on my vipers and think the corsa’s are better in every measurable metric... they last just as long and i daily drive them in the rain down here in florida all the time without issues. if i was pirelli i would quit making the pzero also... the corsa is just better. get a set.. you wont regret it

[PkB2014]

I know we have posted a few times about this subject, but I don't think there will be any great wet tire for the sizes the Viper uses. If you don't need to meet a treadwear minimum rule then the Corsa are excellent IMHO. 200 TW+ I think PZero (220TW) will beat PSS/PS4 (300TW) in Autocross events with appropriate heat in the tires. I'm using them right now and they aren't great, but I think they are better than PSS.
I may try Nitto NT05 (200TW) once these PZero wear out if I can verify the traction control and ABS won't have issues with the ratios since the biggest size that the NT05 comes in is 335/30r19 for the rear. We'll see.

[swexlin]

Because for a street driven car they really suck in the wet.

I've driven my Corsas in some really bad rain on the PA Turnpike. As long as you keep speed down, and drive normally, I didn't encounter any issues.

[Rare Snake]

Just out of curiosity, to the guys who think the regular PZeros are that horrible, I would be curious how many miles you have driven on them, on your Viper. I don't care about whatever other cars you had them on in the past, because I'm sure they handle completely different on any other car.

The reason I ask, is that this will be my 4th season on the regular Pzeros, I'm about to pass 30K (km) on the odo, and I've done everything from scorching hot track days to trips to the mall, and more than a few mid 11 second passes on the drag strip.

Yeah, they look a bit worn, and I've got a new set I still haven't put on, but these tires have actually been pretty decent for what they've been through. I expected them to do a lot worse. They suck in the rain, and they REALLY suck on cold pavement and snow, but I would bet every tire that wide has the same issues. But on a hot day, when the tires are warm, the grip is always there and not even pushing to the max can peg the G meter in all four directions, although who knows how accurate it is...

I will likely try the Corsas next time, but I may be the only person to say the regular ones haven't been that bad.

Dason

[serpent]

Just out of curiosity, to the guys who think the regular PZeros are that horrible, I would be curious how many miles you have driven on them, on your Viper. I don't care about whatever other cars you had them on in the past, because I'm sure they handle completely different on any other car.

The reason I ask, is that this will be my 4th season on the regular Pzeros, I'm about to pass 30K (km) on the odo, and I've done everything from scorching hot track days to trips to the mall, and more than a few mid 11 second passes on the drag strip.

Yeah, they look a bit worn, and I've got a new set I still haven't put on, but these tires have actually been pretty decent for what they've been through. I expected them to do a lot worse. They suck in the rain, and they REALLY suck on cold pavement and snow, but I would bet every tire that wide has the same issues. But on a hot day, when the tires are warm, the grip is always there and not even pushing to the max can peg the G meter in all four directions, although who knows how accurate it is...

I will likely try the Corsas next time, but I may be the only person to say the regular ones haven't been that bad.

Dason
I put 5k in mustang before switching to mpss and 3k on viper (used with 8k miles).
The only way you will ever know the difference is if you try it for yourself. There is no car forum out there that prefers the pzero over mpss/ps4s.
Again you will never know unless you try.

Btw I switched during winter from the pzeros to ps4s and there was grip even at 30F. With the pzero good luck. I don’t drive viper in rain so no comment there.

[ForTehNguyen]

Poop Zeros rated #25 out of 33 in summer tire category

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Pirelli&tireModel=P+Zero

[ssgsnake]

Just had to buy P Zero's for NEV3 those are the only tires that where available. Will find out this week, Hopefully was not a mistake but my old tires where the original Michelin which where great but not available.

[13COBRA]

I have them on my street wheels. My car is on the track 99% of it's life though.

They aren't a bad ride, they're quiet and not super hard. They don't hold grip for anything though...my car puts down 640-650rwhp depending on the dyno and it brakes them loose on the 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4 shift.

[ViperGeorge]

Ok people. Not to lecture but - the PZero Viper tire is not the same as a non-Viper PZero. Only the name is the same. The Viper tire has different construction and a different compound. This is DIRECTLY from SRT's Vehicle Dynamic engineer, the guy that spec'd the tire package. So trying to compare them to a PZero on a Mustang is an apples to oranges comparison.

By the way this was the same with the Gen 4 Michelin PS2. The Viper PS2 (designated by the C1 on the sidewall) was actually made from the same compound as the Cup tire. The 295/30/18 Michelin PS2 available from Tirerack is actually from the rear of a Porsche. Sidewall designation is N on the Porsche tire. While some of you may think "how can they call them the same name and put the same treadwear rating on them if they aren't the same? Truth is they only certify one tire in the line and in one size. They then can put that same treadwear rating on all tires carrying the same name. I know sneaky but that's what they do. If you don't believe me call Luke at Tirerack.

Also I have run the Corsas on my old TA 2.0. Did not like them. They wore out as fast as the Kumhos did. Naturally I would prefer a matched set of Michelin PSSs or PS4s in Viper sizes (295/30/18 and 355/30/19) BUT they are not available. I've emailed Michelin about making them. Maybe if everyone on here did they would.

Again this is for my street driven GTS.

[SRT_BluByU]

Just out of curiosity, to the guys who think the regular PZeros are that horrible, I would be curious how many miles you have driven on them, on your Viper. I don't care about whatever other cars you had them on in the past, because I'm sure they handle completely different on any other car.

The reason I ask, is that this will be my 4th season on the regular Pzeros, I'm about to pass 30K (km) on the odo, and I've done everything from scorching hot track days to trips to the mall, and more than a few mid 11 second passes on the drag strip.

Yeah, they look a bit worn, and I've got a new set I still haven't put on, but these tires have actually been pretty decent for what they've been through. I expected them to do a lot worse. They suck in the rain, and they REALLY suck on cold pavement and snow, but I would bet every tire that wide has the same issues. But on a hot day, when the tires are warm, the grip is always there and not even pushing to the max can peg the G meter in all four directions, although who knows how accurate it is...

I will likely try the Corsas next time, but I may be the only person to say the regular ones haven't been that bad.

Dason


ive put about 28k miles on the regular PZero Viper tires one of my gen v vipers. daily driven in all conditions typically found in the deep south. they were good tires and i didnt have any complaints. But the Corsa is much much better and ive got about 10k miles on those.. they wear about the same as the normal viper pzeros but have much more grip... you would think a 60tw v a 200tw would be huge... but it hasnt been. Love the corsa’s and wouldnt look back. they are just evolutionarly better than the model before them.. just like many things in life.

[catwood]

I've driven my Corsas in some really bad rain on the PA Turnpike. As long as you keep speed down, and drive normally, I didn't encounter any issues.

What is this so called Rain you speak of?

[PkB2014]

Poop Zeros rated #25 out of 33 in summer tire category

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Pirelli&tireModel=P+Zero

Nice find. Looks like the regular PZero in that test size is just barely off the PSS in dry track. So the Viper specific version would be better I would hope. Maybe now that those are not an option anymore I’ll have to look into other options.

[serpent]

Viper specific version or not after experiencing both on two different vehicles, I’d take the michelin every time

[Bruce H.]

I've never tried the P-Zero on any car but the Corsa is a fantastic tire on the Viper, and 911 GT3, and Huracan, and....

Friends I track with that are in similarly fast cars wish they could run Corsas because they're faster and longer wearing than the Michelins PSC2 and PSS they're typically running. Best performance and R compound tire I've tracked in the rain, and equally impressive on dry and wet roads. A broad tire selection is always a good thing, but I just can't fault the Corsa in any aspect of performance on street or track...however I don't do drag or roll race so can't comment on suitability for those.

54000 kms, dozens of track days, numerous sets of Corsas

[Vipes]

I used the P-Zeros on my previous 15’ viper for about 3k miles and I disliked them almost as much as the PSS tires. When I tried the corsas it completely changed the fun factor of the car to a whole new level. I never drive the TA in the rain so I will be getting a set of R888r’s next when I’m done with the corsas.

[pete.best]

I have a full set of p-zero / non-corsas that I put on when my corsas were toast. I think they have like 150 miles of EASY driving on them. Around Christmas time. They look brand new. I bought them out of convenience, diddnt have time to get what i wanted. I’d like to sell them, if you’re interested text me 435-668-9669

[Lost me beer]

Ok people. Not to lecture but - the PZero Viper tire is not the same as a non-Viper PZero. Only the name is the same. The Viper tire has different construction and a different compound. This is DIRECTLY from SRT's Vehicle Dynamic engineer, the guy that spec'd the tire package. So trying to compare them to a PZero on a Mustang is an apples to oranges comparison.

By the way this was the same with the Gen 4 Michelin PS2. The Viper PS2 (designated by the C1 on the sidewall) was actually made from the same compound as the Cup tire. The 295/30/18 Michelin PS2 available from Tirerack is actually from the rear of a Porsche. Sidewall designation is N on the Porsche tire. While some of you may think "how can they call them the same name and put the same treadwear rating on them if they aren't the same? Truth is they only certify one tire in the line and in one size. They then can put that same treadwear rating on all tires carrying the same name. I know sneaky but that's what they do. If you don't believe me call Luke at Tirerack.

Also I have run the Corsas on my old TA 2.0. Did not like them. They wore out as fast as the Kumhos did. Naturally I would prefer a matched set of Michelin PSSs or PS4s in Viper sizes (295/30/18 and 355/30/19) BUT they are not available. I've emailed Michelin about making them. Maybe if everyone on here did they would.

Again this is for my street driven GTS.

Hey george. I am new to the Viper world and honestly doen't claim to really know shit at all, but is this correct? When researching for the last year, I was pretty sure only the ACR (or possibly only the E) came with Viper SRT spec special Viper rubber. In fact I read they actually say ACR on them. Just curious is all. I only have 3,000 easy street miles on my new '16 and won't be in the market for a while!
Thanks.
Troy

[Lost me beer]

This was what I read. The first paragraph referring to the Kuhmos. Not sure if it is true or not, but knew I read it somewhere. Never mentioned a unique tire for the other models fwiw.
Troy

[ViperGeorge]

Hey george. I am new to the Viper world and honestly doen't claim to really know shit at all, but is this correct? When researching for the last year, I was pretty sure only the ACR (or possibly only the E) came with Viper SRT spec special Viper rubber. In fact I read they actually say ACR on them. Just curious is all. I only have 3,000 easy street miles on my new '16 and won't be in the market for a while!
Thanks.
Troy

Yes, it is true. Luke at Tirerack can confirm and I've discussed this directly with Erich Heuschele. Erich is SRT's Vehicle Dynamic engineer and also one of their hot shoes. The Viper Spec PS2 used a different compound. Ditto for the PZero. Here's a portion of Erich's email to me concerning the PZero.

"Different construction and compound for sure."

[Lost me beer]

...but I read it on the internet! Lol

Good to know. Thanks for the clarification.
Troy

[PkB2014]

Yes, it is true. Luke at Tirerack can confirm and I've discussed this directly with Erich Heuschele. Erich is SRT's Vehicle Dynamic engineer and also one of their hot shoes. The Viper Spec PS2 used a different compound. Ditto for the PZero. Here's a portion of Erich's email to me concerning the PZero.

"Different construction and compound for sure."

I read that the PS2 does have a Viper specific version. But Luke answered on a different forum that is easily googled.

“However the Pilot Sport PS2 for the 2008 Viper does not feature the more aggressive "R" compound from the Pilot Sport Cup tire which, while capable of providing more dry road traction, would also significantly reduce tread life.”. The discussion seems to be more about the internal changes to increase the speed rating.

Regardless PS2 is old tire at this point. PS4s tires would be a nice choice to have.

[ViperGeorge]

I read that the PS2 does have a Viper specific version. But Luke answered on a different forum that is easily googled.

“However the Pilot Sport PS2 for the 2008 Viper does not feature the more aggressive "R" compound from the Pilot Sport Cup tire which, while capable of providing more dry road traction, would also significantly reduce tread life.”. The discussion seems to be more about the internal changes to increase the speed rating.

Regardless PS2 is old tire at this point. PS4s tires would be a nice choice to have.

According to Erich, the Viper PS2 does have the Cup compound. I would think he would know but in any event, there is something different about Viper spec tires. Maybe there was a design change at some point that changed the compound. When you look at the sidewall of a tire some will have a circle with a letter and maybe a number. The Viper PS2 had C1 in the circle, the Porsche PS2 has N in the circle. This means the tire was specified for a specific model (kind of like the ACR on the side of the Kumhos). They may have a generic version with no letter, not sure. Erich has told me that the tires that were put on the Vettes (I believe they were run flats) were extremely sticky and would have been a fast tire for the Viper in the right size.

[PkB2014]

I’m hoping for the new Sport Cup 2 R (new tire on the GT3 RS) to eventually come in viper sizes. Guess we will see in the summer when they come out.

[Martin2000GTS]

George,
I have driven a few track events in my 2000 GTS with the p zero (gen 5 wheels on there) and I actually really like them. My car has a roe on it making around 650 to the wheels and these tires hold 2nd gear fine. I really have no issues with them and I push the car pretty hard. I also drive it in all weather conditions. However this post is irrelevant if they dont make the tires any more lol.
seeya in vegas

[Stealth78]

George,
I have driven a few track events in my 2000 GTS with the p zero (gen 5 wheels on there) and I actually really like them. My car has a roe on it making around 650 to the wheels and these tires hold 2nd gear fine. I really have no issues with them and I push the car pretty hard. I also drive it in all weather conditions. However this post is irrelevant if they dont make the tires any more lol.
seeya in vegas

Martin, I know you and I have had this conversation before about the P-Zero's... What gear ratio are you running in the rear end? Also, I am not familiar with the GenII's as I've only had III's and IV's, is there a difference in the transmission gears? What mph can you pull out of 2nd gear? Clearly I have not been impressed with the P-Zero's and it baffles me how you get great traction while I struggle with less HP.

[ACRSNK]

Martin, I know you and I have had this conversation before about the P-Zero's... What gear ratio are you running in the rear end? Also, I am not familiar with the GenII's as I've only had III's and IV's, is there a difference in the transmission gears? What mph can you pull out of 2nd gear? Clearly I have not been impressed with the P-Zero's and it baffles me how you get great traction while I struggle with less HP.

I have the answer and it's an easy one...Martin doesn't know how to drive. :)

[Stealth78]

I have the answer and it's an easy one...Martin doesn't know how to drive. :)

HAHAHA! I think his GenII is a Dyno-Queen. Car probably only makes about 450 on the street. :p0257: