Darth Xed

Can someone explain to me why, unless I am missing it, GM decided to install summer-only tires on the Camaro SS, and not even offer all-season performance tires as option?

Eric77TA

I think it's the same deal with the RS package isn't it?

I wish they had an all season option. If I ever had the means to acquire one I'd likely just buy a winter wheel and tire set.

CLEAN

Interesting, I had not noticed that A/S tires were not an option.

Koz2

I'm wondering if they did it to improve 3rd party test results/reviews. I know a lot of times we'll say "yeah, well the Z06 can probably do xxx better if it had xxx tires".

Same thing with my Cobalt SS. You want to drive in the snow? Buy another set of tires...

guionM

The Mustang Track Pack has the exact same tires (Pirelli P-Zero), only wider (255s compared to SS's 245s). These are very expensive tires, but the general consensus is that they are one of the best around (I can only personally vouch for my NT05s)

My understanding (and this is a perfect question for Scott, and hopefully he chimes in) is that
1st, the tires offer good rain traction, and
2nd, they are damn grippy tires.
3rd, (and this one's just a guess) wide tires... especially the 275 rears... are going to suck in snow regardless.

But then, if the issue is snow, then why not simply go out and get a pair of snow tires when the time comes?

The Corvette Z06 doesn't offer all-season tires, and neither does Mustang GT with the Track Pack. I don't even think they came on the Cobalt SS, Bullit & Mach1 Mustangs, SRT8s, or a wide assortment of track capable performance cars from Ford, GM, or Chrysler, let alone import brands.

Besides, being originally from hilly Pittsburgh myself, I recall summer tires being useless only about 2 months per year. Since then, summer tires have gotten light years better and today's traction control systems do great job.

Darth Xed

I understand the part about Z06's and such having summer only tires... really, who is gonna run that car in snow?

Even the Mustang with the track pack... you can still opt out of that track pack... after all, it is a purpose-built add-on package.

But, an 'everyday' Camaro SS is not what I'd lump into either of those catagories, and if I choose to buy this car for a year-round daily driver, I find it incredibly annoying that in order to do so, I'd have to address the tires for winter, whether it be with replacing the factory tires with an all-season tire, or buying another set of wheels, and then buying snow tires on top of that and rotating them out for the seasons.


I can understand this on the (hopefully) future Z/28 model............... but on the SS? I think this is a terrible oversight.


FWIW: back when I had my 99 Z28, I buoght a great set of Bridgestone Potenza RE730 summer only tires. They were FANTASTIC in non-snow weather... but when I had a LIGHT DUSTING of snow, they immediately became unusable... to the point of not being able to get out of the driveway.... I am only 1 hour away from Pittsburgh, and I am pretty confident in saying that without changing out the tires, the 2010 Camaro SS would be stuck in the garage a lot more than 2 months... more like 4+...

99SilverSS

Depending on where you live they are all season.

formula79

At Carlisle, they kept stressing that Pirelli makes great snow tires you can buy.

Z28x

All great points. Where the all seasons would be nice though is on the V6 Camaro RS. That is a car that is going to be bought by a lot as a primary vehicle. Camaro RS is the Camaro I'd most likely buy.

Darth Xed

Not even offering all season tires on any variation of the SS eliminates this car from someones shopping list who wants it for a daily driver in half or more of the country, without the buyer having to make a signifcant purchase aside from the car to correct this issue.


I honestly can't see any reason that they are not at least optional.

Blowing it off as a performance thing or saying to just go buy other tires is semi-nuts, because that's not a cheap thing to do, especially after going and buying a brand new car.

It's issues like this that this forum's gearhead-to-real-world-buyer disconnect really shines through sometimes.

CLEAN

The F1 Supercar tires are only standard on the Z06 (and Z51 optioned cars), whereas if you order the base or F55 suspension, you get the softer, more capable in the wet F1 GS2 EMT's.

I'd be curious to know what the breakdown was on the 4th gen Camaros w/ regard to the split between the RS-As and GS-Cs on the Z28.

stlrammer

Can anyone tell me how the summer tires on RS/SS 2010 camaros work in winter?

BingHawk

Can anyone tell me how the summer tires on RS/SS 2010 camaros work in winter?


Yeah, in short they don't. I picked up my car January and drove it back to NY from PA. It was sunny during the day but then my luck struck and the flurries started. It wasn't un-driveable as long as the snow didn't stick but it still was pretty tense.
Once the snow started to accumulate it was a whole new story. Scary is an understatement. It was only roughly an inch of accumulation, but when I got off the highway to stop at a friend's house to give the plows time to clear things. Forget it, It was like trying to drive a ball bearing. The first thing I did when I got home was order some snow tires and rims from the web.
I bought a set of 17 inch rims and bigger tires so the overall diameter was the same as the 20 inchers. I then threw about 100lbs of weight in the back. Completely different car. It works great, I drove it to killington, vt in a blizzard. Accidentally went up a snow covered dirt road on a 30 degree incline. Traction control kicked in a little bit here an there but basically no problems. This year I may try and run it without the extra weight in the trunk and see how it does.
In case you are curious. I have the 2010 V6 RS model with the 20" pirellis. For the winter I bought a 17 inch rim and Blizzack combo set off of Tire rack. They sized em right so the tire diameter makes up for the smaller rim and there were no speedo modifications. My snow experience is extensive, having grown up in Syracuse, ny driving rear wheel drive.
If you want to run this car in any kind of snow you NEED snow tires. MAYBE you could get away with all seasons. But if you have to buy another set anyway go for the piece of mind and get the snows.

BestWheelDeals

The essential aspect that determines if a tire is effective in summer or during all seasons is the compound used. All-season tires must deal with very cold temps. For this reason, the compound used must remain flexible in colder temps... On the other hand, the compound used in Summer tires will be more "sticky" and will provide better performance in aggressive cuts in warmer climates.

Also, all-season tires that perform really well in summer will tend to be pricy, because the compound used to make them is very sophisticated and expensive...

Thread patterns will also affect performance, but this will be mostly about how the tire deals with water...

Hope this helps...

truk62

Continental makes an untra hight perrformance all weather tire for our new Camaros. They cost a little more than the P Zeros (which I wasn't at all impressed with) and Hankook is supposed to make a real good performance tire that does well in snow. Options to look at anywayl ]

That aside.. did anyone have trouble with excessive tire wear due to rear misalignment? My rear tires are nearly slicks except for the outside 3 inches have good tread. I've only got 16,000 miles on this care and I've don't run around smoking the tires like a teen age kid. Front tires are in pristine shape comparatively.

I'm taking it in next Friday to see of the alignment is off in the rear and if it is I will post those results for all to see just in case others have run into this.