MICHELIN® Pilot® Sport Cup Zero Pressure (ZP) tires

[allthrottleandsomebottle]

FYI:
MICHELIN AND CORVETTE TEAM UP FOR FASTER LAP TIMES AND BETTER HANDLING

GREENVILLE, S.C. (April 28, 2011) – Michelin has teamed up with
Corvette again on a new original-equipment fitment for the 2012
Chevrolet Corvette. Selecting the Z07 package on the Z06 or the new
PDE performance pack on the ZR1 guarantees the brand-new, Corvette-
exclusive MICHELIN® Pilot® Sport Cup Zero Pressure (ZP) tires,
featuring a DOT-approved, street-legal and track-ready design that
draws from lessons learned in endurance racing.


The Michelin and Chevrolet Corvette partnership was born on the
racetrack, with the first Michelin-shod C5.R racing in the 2004 Mobil
1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. After seeing racing success, the
relationship grew to include more replacement tire options for
Corvette owners. The MICHELIN® Pilot® Sport PS2 Zero Pressure (ZP)
became the standard fitment for the ZR1 in 2009 and the MICHELIN®
Pilot® Sport Cup for the Z06. The relationship deepens with the 2012
Corvette lineup.


“Michelin and the Corvette teams are driven by a constant quest to
reach higher levels of performance and technology,” says Rob Murray,
Michelin North America Inc.’s vice president of operations for
passenger and light truck original equipment tires. “Michelin tire
engineers worked closely with Corvette vehicle engineers to tailor the
new tire to enhance the two highest-performing models.”


The MICHELIN® Pilot® Sport Cup ZP tire available exclusively on the
Z06 and ZR1 Corvettes was designed to improve track and street
performance. Engineers estimate performance increases that include an
8 percent gain in maximum lateral acceleration, a remarkable 1.1g and
shorter braking distance. Testing at Virginia International Raceway
shows an improvement of approximately three seconds per lap.


The 2012 Z06 and ZR1 models with these packages take street-to-track
driving to a new level, with purpose-built MICHELIN® Pilot® Sport Cup
ZP tires that provide extreme grip, progressive feedback and precision
control. Weekend racers can drive home on the same tires they drove on
track — a tire tuned to be a perfect match for the high-performance
drivetrain and chassis under the skin of America’s quintessential
sports car.


According to Lee Willard, tire development engineer for Michelin North
America and designer of the Pilot Sport Cup ZP, “The tire is the only
single element of a car — whether on the track or on the street — that
can simultaneously improve braking, acceleration and cornering. It was
natural for Corvette to tap Michelin’s extensive racing and ultra-high-
performance expertise when looking for a track-tuned tire that would
improve lap times and still be street legal.”
– more –


Willard also supports the Corvette Racing C6.R team on weekends.
Racing to learn is a core mission for Michelin’s motorsports team, and
this tire demonstrates that philosophy in action.


The MICHELIN® Pilot® Sport Cup ZP benefits from several generations of
Michelin run-flat technology, which is especially efficient in
enhancing race-tire performance characteristics. Michelin has turned
the technology that enables a tire to run for a limited period without
air pressure into an asset on the racetrack. Key features of the Pilot
Sport Cup ZP tire include:
• Asymmetric run-flat sidewalls optimize tire rigidity (stiffness) in
the same manner as racing slicks. The run-flat inserts distribute
sidewall rigidity for amplified lateral grip and peak cornering
performance with precise control and steering.
• The supple outside sidewall provides a large and reflexive variable
contact patch similar to the racing slicks used on the Corvette Racing
C6.R in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
• The reinforced inside sidewall provides the extra-tuned rigidity to
support extreme cornering forces and transmits the extraordinary
braking and acceleration torques produced by Corvette’s ample Brembo
carbon-ceramic brakes and substantial 638-hp LS9 or 505-hp LS7
powerplants.
• Unique tuning of the production tire’s variable contact patch
enables drivers the ability to get on the power more quickly when
exiting corners, confident of grip and handling throughout the course
for faster lap times.
• A new racing-compound arrangement raises the limit of world-class,
DOT street-legal and track-ready tire grip without reducing wear. The
compound resists uneven rib wear created by continuous lapping in one
direction.
• The custom-tuned, variable contact patch supports continuous control
and progressivity in the most demanding track and road situations.


Along with the brand-new MICHELIN® Pilot® Sport Cup ZP, other 2012
Corvette models feature MICHELIN® Pilot® Sport PS2 ZP and the
MICHELIN® Pilot® Sport Cup.


I hope to try some of these next week at PBIR

[RetiredSFC 97]

They make good tires for sure.

[Shrike6]

Sure wish there was a selection of tire options available when ordering.

[allthrottleandsomebottle]

They are working on more sizes..........but working on the OEM sizes
1st

[Omega Man]

Will these be available aftermarket for our Z's? I have the PS2 ZP's and they are 1000X better than the Goodyears.

[allthrottleandsomebottle]

Originally Posted by Omega Man

Will these be available aftermarket for our Z's? I have the PS2 ZP's and they are 1000X better than the Goodyears.

suppose to