Gt350 all season tires

[oldbmwfan]

For people who don't drive in snow or temps below 40F, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S or Continental ExtremeContact Sport are excellent, street-friendly tires for a GT350 on the road. Both can be tracked too, if needed (I use my Pilot Super Sports for street tires and wet track tires).

For people who will drive in the cold (below 40F) and might get caught in the snow, but won't drive in snow regularly, the Michelin Pilot A/S 3+ as called out above is an exceptional all-season tire. I used to totally crap on all season tires, but I run the Pilot Sport A/S 3+ on my Fiesta ST and on an E39 5-series and they have been really good. I've even tracked the ST on them and they did shockingly well and are holding up to that abuse.

For anyone who will actually encounter real snow, run summer tires in summer and winter tires in winter. I like the Michelin X-ice (what my Fiesta ST wears in the winter) for urban areas where the snow is cleared quickly They are great for icy, slushy roads. For true deep snow driving, I like the Bridgestone Blizzak WS-70. That is what my E39 M5 wears in winter (that car is on Michelin Pilot Sport 4S in summer).

Personally on my GT350R I run the Pilot Super Sport on the street and the factory CF wheels with Cup2 on the track. If buying today, I'd get the PS4S for the street.

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[Bluezeke]

Not sure if this’ll help, but the Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 is doing my PP2 just fine. It helps it was the only all season 305 available.

But I’ve run them in the past in the Mid-Atlantic and can get through light snow and cold weather.

 

[IronSooner]

How fortuitous! I was just going to post about All Season tires!! I have a new 2019 GT350 with the Cup 2's. They are good tires for the track, but they tramline like a mother on regular public roads and after three week and 1000 miles, I'm getting rid of them. Not only do they tramline by hunting/seeking all over any irregularities in the roadways, but they have caused the steering resistance/effort to be quite high. I changed the steering effort to Comfort mode and the steering still requires more heft in physical inputs then I'm used to. We have a new BMW 340I and it's steering effort is perfect. Anyway...I will be driving the GT350 during the winter months when the roads are clear and free of salt deposits, so the Cup 2's were going to go anyway, as they are a "summer only" tire and turn to hockey pucks when temps drop below 50 degrees. It is simply dangerous to drive "summer only" tires in cooler temperatures. I have a tire dealer friend who provides lots of racing tires and also shaves competition tires for SCCA drivers etc. so he's very knowledgeable. I asked him to find me an All Season tire that would come as close as possible to the OEM Cup 2's size and also not adversely effect the speedometer's accuracy. This is what he recommended and they are on the car now. Fronts: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's in 275/40/19 size. Rears: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus N-spec in 285/40/19 size. These tires come very close to the width and height of the OEM tires and the Tramlining is totally gone!!! Yay!! I now have the steering mode set at sport and it's resistance/feed back is very acceptable. So the Cup 2's made for a steering experience that was not positive for me and the A/S 3's on the front and rear completely changed the steering and feel of the car which is a big improvement. It still goes through the corners like a Porsche and I really don't notice any degradation in cornering limitation or any mid apex break away. It's a win win for me. Hope this helps you in your decision process!

Thanks for the info!

And boy....those rears are PRICEY!! $520 each on Tire Rack.

 

[IronSooner]

I've had this exact setup on my GT350 since fall of 2016 - I run them between track days - and they're excellent. The 275/40 - 285/40 setup gives you a bit more ride height too, without it being noticeable. Super in the rain.

Looks like this:

How many miles do you get out of them?

 

[03reptile]

Reptile!! THANK YOU so much for sharing this!! I've been waiting searching and searching for something other than a Summer only tire for the OEM 19 wheels. I live in Portland, OR where we get our fair share of rain and cold temperatures in the winter. I certainly won't be driving when it's especially bad to avoid the idiots out there - but I was hoping to find a tire to bring me more confidence after having my 15' GT with summer's cut loose on a 35 degree night (scary!). Are they mounted to the OEM wheels for the GT350? Would you mind sharing a picture of the front and back so I can see how they look?

They are mounted on the OEM rims. The front Michelin PS A/S 3 tires are exactly as wide as the OEM Cup 2 tires they replaced. The rear Michelin PS A/S Plus N-spec tires are actually just a tad wider then the OEM Cup 2's. Interestingly, the rear A/S tires are 285/40/19 and the Cup 2's are 305/35/19, yet the A/S tire is wider. The A/S Plus-N-spec was specially built for Porsche 911 Turbos and Porsche Panamera by Michelin and my tire expert advised that they run wider then normal in that specific configuration. There is so little height difference between a 35 series tire and a 40 series tire that the difference is not really noticeable, so the way the car sits looks just like it does on OEM tires for the 2019 MY GT350. Granted the rear tires are pricey, but when you're pushing a car like this through corners, etcetera, what is you personal safety worth? These tires, in my humble opinion, are the best choice for an all season tire that preserves the handling capabilities of this car and gives you the added assurance that you're not going off into the marbles when temperatures drop significantly during winter months. I will leave them on year round.

 

[BmacIL]

Blasphemous.

Run Pilot SS or 4S if you need a decent wearing tire that's great in the rain and the dry. If you drive in snow, get a separate set of wheels and snow tires. Don't put no season tires on a GT350.

 

[Hack]

Blasphemous.

Run Pilot SS or 4S if you need a decent wearing tire that's great in the rain and the dry. If you drive in snow, get a separate set of wheels and snow tires. Don't put no season tires on a GT350.

I agree in theory. But I do understand that not everyone wants the same things that you and I do in a car (we are right and they are wrong). Just like the new Corvette is coming out with no manual transmission and all-season tires, it shows that most people who buy Corvettes don't value the things that I do or have the same priorities.

I had really good luck with the Pilot SS tires on my GT350 even down in the 20s as long as the roads are dry and ice free. We have a wide variation of temperatures throughout the day here and I hate to run snow tires or not drive the car when it's going to be in the mid 50s or 60s later in the day.

 

[Bikeman315]

Blasphemous.

Run Pilot SS or 4S if you need a decent wearing tire that's great in the rain and the dry. If you drive in snow, get a separate set of wheels and snow tires. Don't put no season tires on a GT350.

OP could get some Ventus V12’s

 

[03reptile]

I agree in theory. But I do understand that not everyone wants the same things that you and I do in a car (we are right and they are wrong). Just like the new Corvette is coming out with no manual transmission and all-season tires, it shows that most people who buy Corvettes don't value the things that I do or have the same priorities.

I had really good luck with the Pilot SS tires on my GT350 even down in the 20s as long as the roads are dry and ice free. We have a wide variation of temperatures throughout the day here and I hate to run snow tires or not drive the car when it's going to be in the mid 50s or 60s later in the day.

Hack, you're exactly right. Owners of GT350's are varied in what they want from their car. Some of these GT350's will never see a track day, but that doesn't mean the owners aren't going to enjoy the car's overall performance on twisty back roads. BmacIL's points are accurate concerning dry and wet handling of the Michelin PS and 4S tires. They are great, summer only, tires. Their wear factors are 300, which is pretty good. The Michelin PS A/S 3's have a 500 wear factor and the A/S Plus N-spec have 440.
Trouble is, many of us don't want to spend the money for a second set of wheels and snow tires for driving during the winter. The all season tire is a wonderful compromise for those of us who want a tire that will perform well during cold winter temps on snow free roads. In Maryland, during the winter, we have many sunny, cold days that are great for driving. The all season tires fits that parameter.
"Summer Only" and "All Season" tires have different rubber compounds, thus the warning from all manufacturers not to drive on Summer Only tires during cold temperatures. Yes, you can drive on a S/O tire during cold temperatures, however; the tire loses substantial adhesion to the pavement surface which results in longer stopping/braking distances and scary, sudden, breaking lose occurrences in a corner. The S/O tire surface can actually crack during cold temps. I've had three GT500s (2007,2011,2013) over the years and have put Michelin PS A/S 3's on every one of them with great success and they have performed well. I believe that an A/S tire is a good tire to consider when you wish to drive your car during warm or cold weather.

 

[oldbmwfan]

Blasphemous.

Run Pilot SS or 4S if you need a decent wearing tire that's great in the rain and the dry. If you drive in snow, get a separate set of wheels and snow tires. Don't put no season tires on a GT350.

I always felt that way until I drove on Pilot AS3+. They are amazingly good on dry grip for an all-season. As mentioned I've done probably 300 laps of Grattan Raceway in my Fiesta ST (to be fair, a much smaller/lighter car) on these tires and they grip well and hold up well. It's the least amount of performance compromise in a tire that won't leave you stranded if you get caught in a snow flurry. For people who are happy to have 90% of the capability in dry and wet as a trade-off to much longer wear and no worry about temperature swings, it's not a bad option.

I run a dedicated max performance summer tire and a winter tire on my M5 and my wife's TT, and summer only on the GT350R (parked in winter). But if someone actually wants an all-season, the AS3+ will surprise you with what it can do.

 

[BmacIL]

I always felt that way until I drove on Pilot AS3+. They are amazingly good on dry grip for an all-season. As mentioned I've done probably 300 laps of Grattan Raceway in my Fiesta ST (to be fair, a much smaller/lighter car) on these tires and they grip well and hold up well. It's the least amount of performance compromise in a tire that won't leave you stranded if you get caught in a snow flurry. For people who are happy to have 90% of the capability in dry and wet as a trade-off to much longer wear and no worry about temperature swings, it's not a bad option.

I run a dedicated max performance summer tire and a winter tire on my M5 and my wife's TT, and summer only on the GT350R (parked in winter). But if someone actually wants an all-season, the AS3+ will surprise you with what it can do.

I've heard nothing but great things about the AS3+, but it's still inherently compromised. On a heavy, powerful car like the Mustang, I'm sure they'd still do fine on track for a bit, but will get much hotter and heat cycled (than on a Fiesta or Miata) to the point of losing some of their pliability and grip over the intended operating range of an AS.

To @Hack 's point about the new Vette, yes, the base model is coming with a new "all-season" Pilot 4 that is really a 3 season tire. It'll do cold, but its snow performance will not be something to write much about.

 

[oldbmwfan]

I've heard nothing but great things about the AS3+, but it's still inherently compromised. On a heavy, powerful car like the Mustang, I'm sure they'd still do fine on track for a bit, but will get much hotter and heat cycled (than on a Fiesta or Miata) to the point of losing some of their pliability and grip over the intended operating range of an AS.

To @Hack 's point about the new Vette, yes, the base model is coming with a new "all-season" Pilot 4 that is really a 3 season tire. It'll do cold, but its snow performance will not be something to write much about.

I think you're not quite getting the point that the O/P and I are both making. I don't think any GT350 owner who intends to track their GT350 will do so on any all-season. I mentioned the track use in the Fiesta only as a data point to suggest that all-seasons (the AS3+ in particular) are not the totally crappy "mediocre at everything" tire that they used to be, and for someone who intends to use their GT350 on the street, they won't be giving up much on summer performance and they will be gaining a lot in terms of safety margin for colder weather.

99% of GT350 owners live in a location that does not allow one to use even 85% of the performance capability on the street. And the AS3+ can handle 85% of what the GT350 can do, no problem. When I switched my R from Cup2 tires to MPSS, I gave up performance in theory. However, on the street, I actually gained USABLE performance because the Cup2 are so compromised in rain that the car wasn't really usable on summer days when big Midwestern thunderstorms were in the forecast. And there is nowhere where I can responsibly drive fast enough to exceed the cornering grip of the MPSS on the street, at least not without acting like a total sociopath. Same is true of the AS3+. Even with that "compromised" tire, the limits are high enough that you have to be a total jackass to exceed them on the street. The fact that they are quiet, durable, and can safely get you through a little snow in a pinch is all just icing on the cake.

5-10 years ago I'd say anyone putting all-season tires on a Shelby is an idiot. I now believe that the tires have improved so much that is no longer true. I've changed my opinion as new data has become available.

 

[BmacIL]

I think you're not quite getting the point that the O/P and I are both making. I don't think any GT350 owner who intends to track their GT350 will do so on any all-season. I mentioned the track use in the Fiesta only as a data point to suggest that all-seasons (the AS3+ in particular) are not the totally crappy "mediocre at everything" tire that they used to be, and for someone who intends to use their GT350 on the street, they won't be giving up much on summer performance and they will be gaining a lot in terms of safety margin for colder weather.

99% of GT350 owners live in a location that does not allow one to use even 85% of the performance capability on the street. And the AS3+ can handle 85% of what the GT350 can do, no problem. When I switched my R from Cup2 tires to MPSS, I gave up performance in theory. However, on the street, I actually gained USABLE performance because the Cup2 are so compromised in rain that the car wasn't really usable on summer days when big Midwestern thunderstorms were in the forecast. And there is nowhere where I can responsibly drive fast enough to exceed the cornering grip of the MPSS on the street, at least not without acting like a total sociopath. Same is true of the AS3+. Even with that "compromised" tire, the limits are high enough that you have to be a total jackass to exceed them on the street. The fact that they are quiet, durable, and can safely get you through a little snow in a pinch is all just icing on the cake.

5-10 years ago I'd say anyone putting all-season tires on a Shelby is an idiot. I now believe that the tires have improved so much that is no longer true. I've changed my opinion as new data has become available.

Agree with everything you're saying.

Then we have to talk about the GT350 owner who doesn't track it . That's a whole 'nother crazy thing, but of course, my opinion (owning one w/o going to the track at least a time or two a year is a waste...as a Mustang GT w/ PP is arguably a better street car in most situations). I've never been into the 'garage queen' thing.

 

[J-Stang]

Hack, you're exactly right. Owners of GT350's are varied in what they want from their car. Some of these GT350's will never see a track day, but that doesn't mean the owners aren't going to enjoy the car's overall performance on twisty back roads. BmacIL's points are accurate concerning dry and wet handling of the Michelin PS and 4S tires. They are great, summer only, tires. Their wear factors are 300, which is pretty good. The Michelin PS A/S 3's have a 500 wear factor and the A/S Plus N-spec have 440.
Trouble is, many of us don't want to spend the money for a second set of wheels and snow tires for driving during the winter. The all season tire is a wonderful compromise for those of us who want a tire that will perform well during cold winter temps on snow free roads. In Maryland, during the winter, we have many sunny, cold days that are great for driving. The all season tires fits that parameter.
"Summer Only" and "All Season" tires have different rubber compounds, thus the warning from all manufacturers not to drive on Summer Only tires during cold temperatures. Yes, you can drive on a S/O tire during cold temperatures, however; the tire loses substantial adhesion to the pavement surface which results in longer stopping/braking distances and scary, sudden, breaking lose occurrences in a corner. The S/O tire surface can actually crack during cold temps. I've had three GT500s (2007,2011,2013) over the years and have put Michelin PS A/S 3's on every one of them with great success and they have performed well. I believe that an A/S tire is a good tire to consider when you wish to drive your car during warm or cold weather.

@03reptile, thanks again for walking through this discussion - this is my exact situation. Living in the Pacific NW (Portland, OR) we see our fair share of rain, temps below freezing, and the occasional snow. I would say the bulk of my daily driving will be in the rain and the cold dry temps during late fall/winter - if it snows, she stays in the garage. To confirm, are these the tire spec you've been referencing? I noticed the difference in tread pattern, has this made a difference at all in your experience?

 

[mustang1]

@03reptile, thanks again for walking through this discussion - this is my exact situation. Living in the Pacific NW (Portland, OR) we see our fair share of rain, temps below freezing, and the occasional snow. I would say the bulk of my daily driving will be in the rain and the cold dry temps during late fall/winter - if it snows, she stays in the garage. To confirm, are these the tire spec you've been referencing? I noticed the difference in tread pattern, has this made a difference at all in your experience?

these tire sizes are expensive. I bought the Pilot Sport A/S+ for my car, 235 / 18", and they set me back around $180 each. If you buy tires narrower than stock, does that increase risk of scuffing a wheel ?

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