Gen V Tires

[Slaughterj]

So what are people doing for Gen V tires? I have a 2013 with Track Package and looking for alternatives from the OEM once the OEM are used up, and am not interested in the OEM prices ($2750 for a set of 4 on tirerack!).

[Jack B]

Pilot Super Sports


So what are people doing for Gen V tires? I have a 2013 with Track Package and looking for alternatives from the OEM once the OEM are used up, and am not interested in the OEM prices ($2750 for a set of 4 on tirerack!).

[SilveRT8]

For street use, I got another set of Track Pack wheels with the Michelin Pilot Super Sports 285-35-18 and 345-30-19, tires were nearly half that price, all from Partsrack.
Great all around street tire.

[FLATOUT]

Toyo R888's

[Policy Limits]

How long do the stock Pirelli's last on average with non track use? 10k?

[Helo Steve]

I don't have a Gen V, but agree with flatout. I love my R888s!

[XSnake]

Supersports

[Nine Ball]

Pilot Super Sports are the best all-around tire, for handling and daily driving, also excellent in rain. For mostly highway driving and no track time, I'd also suggest the Nitto Invo. They ride excellent, have good straight line traction, and are good in rain.

[Bill Pemberton]

Totally agree with Nine Ball , get the Michelin Supersports and save your bucks. Not a big fan of the Corsas and frankly feel the base PZero is a better all around tire, but for some reason they are both pretty pricey. The base Pirelli is a pretty good track tire for those who just go occasionally as it has great feel , wears well, and has decent grip, but the Michelin is the choice of tons of competitors who do the One Lap of America, and it is extremely well priced. A set from Jon B is as low as a set of Nittos, which have been one of the least expensive tires out there for the Viper. I know Jon does not like the Nittos, though we have had good luck with many of our customers who have gotten them, but that said , it is a no brainer that the Michelin is an even better tire. Even when money is no object , it is probably the absolute best tire for the Snake , considering it's broad range of applications ( better in the rain than the PS2, better on an autocross, equal on a road course, better durability and less expensive ). Hard to argue those numbers................

Not sure how long Partsrack will have the price under $1300 for Supersports, but that is a price Dealers bought tires for 5-6 years back, so besides being an exceptional tire, it is in my estimation , a bargain , currently!!

[Slaughterj]

I always liked the Michelins on the previous Vipers, and figured that would be what I would get, but figured I would check what was out there.

What was the difference between the tires for the base SRT versus the Track Package?

[Slaughterj]

How long do the stock Pirelli's last on average with non track use? 10k?

Better be longer than that, that's about half Michelins at twice the price! Mine seem fine at near 7k, but I haven't paid much attention yet at such a low mileage except for maintaining proper air pressure.

[Voice of Reason]

I have nearly 10k miles on my Corsas and I'm amazed how well they continue to grip. I've done 2 Auto Xs with them but the rest is all normal driving. I do have a road corse outing planned in September so my goal is to then limp them along after that though the end of the year and replace them first thing next spring.

I've had Invos on past cars and always thought they had good traction for 5k miles and then average at best for the next 15-20k at which point I would change them.

So let me ask, will the Pilot SS tires provide the same traction and performance as the Corsas and last as long or longer? Or even the Toyos for that matter? If they do not then I'd rather spend an extra grand on tires and be able to fully use first gear than go cheap and constantly have to back out of first due to spinning on the street.

Edit: I was slow typing this up and it looks like Bill already answered a lot of my questions.

[XSnake]

Yes, the PSS has a 220 treadwear rating which is why all the OLOA people use them. You have to run a 200 or higher rated tire. Lots of grip and they do hold up pretty well to abuse.

[98intrigue]

For the guys that recommended the Toyo R888s, how are they in the rain? I don't plan on driving my car in the rain, but I live in FL and a storm can pop up in a matter of minutes.

[RSNAKE]

Pilot Super Sports
Jack, what size PSS are you using?

[FLATOUT]

For the guys that recommended the Toyo R888s, how are they in the rain? I don't plan on driving my car in the rain, but I live in FL and a storm can pop up in a matter of minutes.

I have never run them, but have a run a few different R compounds on the street so looking forward to trying these. They are going on my new wheels.

I honestly don't drive the car in the rain if I can help it, but I don't think they could be any worse than the Cups that were on my ACR in the wet.

[Bruce H.]

I think the R-compound Corsas only make sense for guys that track their car aggressively, and need a tire to drive on to get there, along with some normal use. Not sure there's a better tire for that use. They included them on Track Pack cars, but most buyers of those might have been better off with the MPSS. The flip side is that I know guys who have tried the MPSS and been diasppointed with their performance on track and gone back to an R-compound tire. Most track rats would benefit from two set of wheels and tires as mentioned.

[swexlin]

Several peeps at my C&C have Supersports on a variety or hi-po cars (including 1 Viper) and they all love'em! I'll be replacing the PS2s on my 2003 with these probably next year.

Will probably get' em from Jon B (he's the man) then to find a place by me that will install tires I bought from someone else. That's always the issue.......

[Helo Steve]

For the guys that recommended the Toyo R888s, how are they in the rain? I don't plan on driving my car in the rain, but I live in FL and a storm can pop up in a matter of minutes.

I've been caught in the rain a couple of times. If you're on a road that drains well, even with heavy rain there were no issues up to 70mph. I obviously was very light on the throttle and the turns, but was very comfortable with it. This includes about 300 miles of rain on my way to Toronto.

However, if you get on a road with poor drainage and standing water, it's not fun and a little nerve racking. This happened for about 2 miles on the Toronto trip and I slowed to 30 mph and still had some hydroplaning.

[Brian E]

The MPSS is a outstanding tire. When I was looking for a second set of rims/tires for my TA a few months ago I was told the MPSS I needed for the front was not available in the stock size of 295/30/18. If thats still the case, you will have to go with a 275/35/18 or 285/35/18. For a street driven car, you may like the taller sidewall of the 285/35/18, thats what I was going to go with, if thats a deal breaker you may have to stay with the Corsa.

[98intrigue]

I've been caught in the rain a couple of times. If you're on a road that drains well, even with heavy rain there were no issues up to 70mph. I obviously was very light on the throttle and the turns, but was very comfortable with it. This includes about 300 miles of rain on my way to Toronto.

However, if you get on a road with poor drainage and standing water, it's not fun and a little nerve racking. This happened for about 2 miles on the Toronto trip and I slowed to 30 mph and still had some hydroplaning.
Thanks for the feedback. That's exactly what I'm afraid of. I had Invos on my old car and got caught in a torrential downpour. Doing about 50mph, the back end swung out and I nailed a guardrail. I'm trying to determine if I want a good street tire (Invo/PSS), R888s, or drag radials. My car only sees street driving with a couple 1/4 mile passes.

[Jack B]

I am still on the Corsa's. For the early bad press, these tires both wear and stick. I am guessing they will last 12k.
.
The MPSS are not in the same class when grip is compared. The Corsa is very close to the MPSC, with longer thread wear. If they were not so expensive they would be the perfect tire.



Jack, what size PSS are you using?

[TrackAire]

Regarding R-compounds....be careful as they can start to get damaged in cold weather. IIRC, anything in the 40 degree range could damage the molecular structure of the tire and cause cracking, etc.

Having said that, if pushing a Viper hard, it makes sense to have two sets of tires....one for the track and one for the street.

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

So what are people doing for Gen V tires? I have a 2013 with Track Package and looking for alternatives from the OEM once the OEM are used up, and am not interested in the OEM prices ($2750 for a set of 4 on tirerack!).

Thanks to BillP and several others..

On our current $1279/set/4 Sale on Pilot Super Sports (PSS) you could get TWO SETS of Four 18-19" PSS for $192 le$$ ! Probably the least-expensive Dollar-Per-Mile cost in the hisssstory of 18=19" Vipering!

R888s are OK in the rain if no standing water. They are fully-treaded but NO siping, so you have to back-off to posted limits and stay out of puddles. They are as sticky as Sport Cups and far less money, ($1395) in G3-5 sizes. They last as long as PSCs, and about 50-60% as long as PSS.

Avail for 18" Wheels $1139 and / or 18-19" at $1395.


Car&Driver/TireRack test in 2011 says Shitto Invo is # 10 of 11 in CORNERING tests on BMW M class, ....and # 2 in straight-line grip..... INVO is squirrely cornering tire versus anything else. Nitto makes a good R-comp cornering tire, NTs as I recall.... NOT an Invo. But FINDING SHITTOS in rear Viper sizes can often be impossible. I prefer Run Craps.

At Road Atlanta 2 years back, there were about 14-15 Vipers in HPDE at Road Atlanta. It is uncommon for NARRA to lose a Viper in a HPDE crash...but TWO were lost that weekend, and they had one common denominator: SHITTO INVOS let go at the rear. Drivers were NOT novices, and had IPs aboard. No one hurt , but one ambulance dispatched. I know neither of those guys will want to save $200 again....

If you don't want great cornering, and want to save maybe $100 on Shitto Invos, that's a cheap option for straight-liners.

[allans]

It's really hard to get a fix on performance tires. I blew thru the Corsa's on front of my TrakPac in less than 500 track miles, Maybe mine were faulty, I don't know. PSS's are a very good - maybe best all around tire. They are "good" on track and ALL you would ever need on the street. My focus with my new TA is on track so the only tire I will use now are R6 Hoosiers. For me they are the BEST track tire and I will even drive them to the track, which for me is about 50 miles.

[Jack B]

Allan:

What are the new A7's all about?

I have a set of new MPSS on our Solstice GXP (330 rwhp)and they would not grip at all at the autox last weekend, On the other hand, the A6's on the viper were glued to the ground.


It's really hard to get a fix on performance tires. I blew thru the Corsa's on front of my TrakPac in less than 500 track miles, Maybe mine were faulty, I don't know. PSS's are a very good - maybe best all around tire. They are "good" on track and ALL you would ever need on the street. My focus with my new TA is on track so the only tire I will use now are R6 Hoosiers. For me they are the BEST track tire and I will even drive them to the track, which for me is about 50 miles.

[Bruce]

I won't be able to live with the look of 285 front tires on the Gen V, as the 295's are already so tiny looking, meaning the MPSS is out for me. On the other hand, the R888's come in 315/30-18 sizes. Humm... the only thing I worry is that I read somewhere the R888's were designed as rear tires and not optimized to be used as fronts. I'm running Nitto NT-01's on my other car and they sticks like glue and I'd venture to guess the NT-01's are very similar to the R888's in construction and compound as Toyo owns Nitto.

[Bruce H.]

Humm... the only thing I worry is that I read somewhere the R888's were designed as rear tires and not optimized to be used as fronts. I'm running Nitto NT-01's on my other car and they sticks like glue and I'd venture to guess the NT-01's are very similar to the R888's in construction and compound as Toyo owns Nitto.

This is what SRT's Viper chassis and handling guru (Erich) told me when I questioned him about tire replacements and going larger on the front with the R888 as had been suggested on the forum. He has experience with them on the car, and while not indicating that I couldn't or shouldn't use them, he did note that they handle slightly differently because they were designed as a rear tire.

I've personally decided to stick with the Corsas because they wear extremely well with the TA's much more aggresive camber (and can see that others with stock SRT/GTS camber would wear them out prematurely), they stick like crazy, grip hasn't fallen off over 9 track days and over 13000km (8000+miles), the 295's front grip with the extra camber seems ideally balanced with the 355 rears, and since the rears are hardly worn I can just replace the less expensive fronts.

The only unknown is whether I'll find the rears heat cycle out before the new fronts are worn down again, and if it turns out that is the case then I'll be interested in the experience of others trying different tires. I've heard only luke warm feedback on the R888's from the Supra community and others for years, and a GT-R track rat at VIR this summer that found they turned to hockey pucks long before the tread wore down. A member on this forum reported his Michelin Sport Cups performance fell off noticably after just two track days on his Gen V, while his Corsas grip held up well.

I think track tire performance is an area where feedback will differ widely because of varying factors like driving style, pressure, camber, break-in, storage, and so on. I'm not contradicting the views of anyone else, but I recognize that results do vary, and what fails for one driver may be the perfect tire for somebody else.

[Brian E]

I won't be able to live with the look of 285 front tires on the Gen V, as the 295's are already so tiny looking, meaning the MPSS is out for me.

The 285/35/18 MPSS has a 7/16 inch taller sidewall than the 295/30/18 making it about 7/8 larger in diameter.

[Jack B]

I believe the G5 front tire is the smallest tire ever put on a viper.



The 285/35/18 MPSS has a 7/16 inch taller sidewall than the 295/30/18 making it about 7/8 larger in diameter.

[SilveRT8]

I have a Track day this Sunday and the forecast is for 90% rain, 2" to 4".
I think I'll keep the PSS on the car this time and not change for the Corsas, or should I ?

[TrackAire]

I won't be able to live with the look of 285 front tires on the Gen V, as the 295's are already so tiny looking, meaning the MPSS is out for me. On the other hand, the R888's come in 315/30-18 sizes. Humm... the only thing I worry is that I read somewhere the R888's were designed as rear tires and not optimized to be used as fronts. I'm running Nitto NT-01's on my other car and they sticks like glue and I'd venture to guess the NT-01's are very similar to the R888's in construction and compound as Toyo owns Nitto.

The Nitto NT01's are an incredible track day tire. Have 10 HPDE days on a heavy Mustang on one set.....most of the days were between 95-105 degree ambient temps. Track surface temps were over 135 degrees on some days.

If this tire came in Viper sizes, it would be my tire of choice even over my R6's because of their wear and predictability.

Also have friends that run R888's.....those are also good track day tires. The notion that they are only for the rear of the car is B.S.

Seen a Viper at Thunderhill run them....guy was fast with no complaints.

[FLATOUT]

Heard the same thing about the R888's, who designs a tire just for the rear? Doesn't make sense to me. Tread design is very similar to the old Yoko A032R's that I really liked.


The Nitto NT01's are an incredible track day tire. Have 10 HPDE days on a heavy Mustang on one set.....most of the days were between 95-105 degree ambient temps. Track surface temps were over 135 degrees on some days.

If this tire came in Viper sizes, it would be my tire of choice even over my R6's because of their wear and predictability.

Also have friends that run R888's.....those are also good track day tires. The notion that they are only for the rear of the car is B.S.

Seen a Viper at Thunderhill run them....guy was fast with no complaints.

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

I have a Track day this Sunday and the forecast is for 90% rain, 2" to 4".
I think I'll keep the PSS on the car this time and not change for the Corsas, or should I ?

2"-4" of rain, and BLESS you for planning to go anyway! Id sure-as-hell be using PSS or Pirelli Gen 5 P-Zero Assy (not CORSA). I have a bunch of wet-wet laps on both, with confident results.

And while I sincerely respect Erich's tire (and other) advice, I think they somewhat HAVE to recommend the OE tire and the Mopar parts and mods, just like the 22 years of Team Viper advice.

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

I believe the G5 front tire is the smallest tire ever put on a viper.

I love a Hissstory Question!

What about 92-98: 275-40-17s, XGT-Z and MXX-3 ?

Those were only 25.4" and 25.6" Diameter.

[allans]

Allan:

What are the new A7's all about?

I have a set of new MPSS on our Solstice GXP (330 rwhp)and they would not grip at all at the autox last weekend, On the other hand, the A6's on the viper were glued to the ground.

As I understand the A7's are Hoosiers newly designed autocross tires- only limited sizes available now. I have no other knowledge of them. Some reviews should be available on line? Best, Allan

[Jack B]

Forget the part numbers, measure the G5 front, I will do it tomorrow again, however, I thought it was under 25.5. The rears also measure under the stated diameter by quite a bit. This may change on the standard tire, I am measuring the Corsa's.


I love a Hissstory Question!

What about 92-98: 275-40-17s, XGT-Z and MXX-3 ?

Those were only 25.4" and 25.6" Diameter.

[XTREME SUPERCARS]

I have the track pack with the P Zero Corsa's and just changed the rear tires at 16,000 miles. They still had descent tread and would have easily made 20,000 miles but in heavy rain I could feal them starting to hydroplane a little. The fronts still look really good so I left them on
I have been really happy with the Corsa's even at $958.00 each at the dealer
When I bought the car they were going through all the extended Warenty's and the road hazard was $300.00 for 3 years that was a no brainier and one of mine had a nail in it so that one was free :)

[Nine Ball]

I think the R-compound Corsas only make sense for guys that track their car aggressively, and need a tire to drive on to get there, along with some normal use. Not sure there's a better tire for that use. They included them on Track Pack cars, but most buyers of those might have been better off with the MPSS. The flip side is that I know guys who have tried the MPSS and been diasppointed with their performance on track and gone back to an R-compound tire. Most track rats would benefit from two set of wheels and tires as mentioned.

Add me to that list. The Corsas are very similar in feel and response to the Michelin Sport Cup tires. I was impressed with the Corsa's grip on the track, even more impressed with their wet weather highway grip. Then I went back to the track on my MPSS tires, still put down good lap times, but the car wasn't as responsive feeling. I had to take a couple turns slightly slower on the MPSS tires. I doubt I'll go back to the track on the MPSS. Might just put Sport Cups on my stock wheels, or try out the R888's on them.

[SilveRT8]

I have a Track day this Sunday and the forecast is for 90% rain, 2" to 4".
I think I'll keep the PSS on the car this time and not change for the Corsas, or should I ?

I did the Track day with the Mich PSS and thankfully it only rained after we were done.
I can report that the PSS did handle the track duty quite well, but only once I adjusted tire pressure correctly.
First session, I started with 33 psi ending at 36 and they were howling like crazy, then I dropped pressure to 30 and finishing at 33 and they handled quite good.
Dropped another psi starting at 29 finishing at 32 and the car handled very well indeed. For someone who wants only one set of tires for all duties the PSS are a good choice.

[FLATOUT]

My R888's will be here on Monday, interested to see how they do.



Add me to that list. The Corsas are very similar in feel and response to the Michelin Sport Cup tires. I was impressed with the Corsa's grip on the track, even more impressed with their wet weather highway grip. Then I went back to the track on my MPSS tires, still put down good lap times, but the car wasn't as responsive feeling. I had to take a couple turns slightly slower on the MPSS tires. I doubt I'll go back to the track on the MPSS. Might just put Sport Cups on my stock wheels, or try out the R888's on them.