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.