New for 2012, Corvette-exclusive Michelin
Pilot Sport Cup Zero Pressure (ZP) tires
are original equipment fitments for the
automaker’s Z07 package on the Z06 and the
PDE performance pack on the ZR1.
Other 2012 Corvette models feature the tire
manufacturer’s Pilot Sport PS2 ZP and the
Pilot Sport Cup
tire editions.
“Michelin and the Corvette teams are driven
by a constant quest to reach higher levels
of performance and technology,” says Rob
Murray, Michelin vice president of
operations. “Michelin tire engineers
worked closely with Corvette vehicle
engineers to tailor the new tire to enhance
the two highest-performing models.”
It has a DOT-approved, street-legal and
track-ready design that “draws from lessons
learned in endurance racing,” he
notes.
The Michelin and Corvette partnership “was
born on the racetrack,” according to
Murray, with the first Michelin-equipped
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 Pilot Sport PS2 Zero Pressure
(ZP) became the standard fitment for the
ZR1 in 2009, and the Pilot Sport Cup for
the Z06. “The relationship deepens with the
2012 Corvette lineup,” he says.
The new
Pilot Sport Cup ZP, available
exclusively on the Z06 and ZR1 Corvettes,
was designed to improve track and street
performance, Murray reports. Engineers
estimate performance increases that include
an 8 percent gain in maximum lateral
acceleration to more than 1.1g, plus a
shorter braking distance. Testing at
Virginia International Raceway shows an
improvement of about three seconds per lap,
he says.
“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,” notes
Murray says.
According to Lee Willard, a Michelin tire
development engineer 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.”
Willard also supports Corvette’s C6.R
racing team on weekends.
Along with the new Pilot Sport Cup ZP,
other 2012 Corvette models feature the
Pilot Sport PS2 ZP and the Pilot Sport Cup
tire editions.
For more information, visit
www.michelin-us.com.
