Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 ZP Sizes & review

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The Pilot Sport Cup 2 ZP (Zero Pressure) is Michelin’s Streetable Track & Competition run-flat tire developed for Original Equipment use on Chevrolet Corvette C7 ZO6 & ZO7 sports cars. Designed to be suitable for the street along with faster circuit times and consistent performance on the track, Pilot Sport Cup 2 ZP tires help these sports cars achieve their full potential in dry conditions.

Warning: Pilot Sport Cup 2 ZP radials meet DOT requirements, however they are not recommended for driving in wet conditions where standing water is present and there is the risk of hydroplaning; drivers should drive cautiously at reduced speeds if they encounter these conditions. This is especially true of shaved or worn tires. And like other Streetable Track & Competition tires, these tires are not intended to be stored, serviced nor driven in near- or below freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice.

The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 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.

The Pilot Sport Cup 2 ZP’s tread molds Michelin’s Bi-Compound technology into an asymmetric design. Massive outboard shoulders feature a tread rubber whose hardness has been specially designed to deliver maximum adherence and outstanding dry grip on curves, especially on tight corners.

Pilot Sport Cup 2 ZP tires feature Michelin Variable Contact Patch 3.0, an innovation evolved from the Variable Contact Patch 2.0 technology integrated into Pilot Super Sport and Pilot Sport A/S 3 tires. Variable Contact Patch 3.0 maximizes the contact patch size and optimizes its footprint pressure so that more rubber remains in contact with the track when cornering, thereby ensuring superior grip in curves and tight corners.

The tire’s internal structure features twin steel belts reinforced by spirally wound polyamide cord that offers a lightweight, high-strength reinforcement above the steel belts to enhance high-speed durability, handling and wear. Michelin FAZ Technology (Filament At Zero degrees) winds the polyamide cord around the tire circumference, much the same way fishing line is wound onto fishing reels, to allow Michelin engineers to tune tension and strength. The polyamide is applied with variable tension between the shoulders and the center of the tire, and is tightened so firmly that it literally locks the tire structure into a practically inelastic belt. As a result, the tire’s footprint remains constant and centrifugal force is effectively controlled, even at very high speeds.

Michelin’s Pilot Sport Cup 2 ZP features a rayon casing that combines ride comfort with responsive handling. Its bead region is 10% wider than that of traditional sports tires and is strengthened with a high modulus rubber compound that increases the tire’s lateral stiffness and delivers sporty responsiveness, as well as precision steering.

A special mold tooling process has led to the development of Michelin Premium Touch Technology, a process that has made it possible to create more contrast on sections of the outer sidewall using micro-geometry techniques that absorb light. The geometry of the texture permits variable contrast to create shades of black that have the feel of velvet.

SIZEUTQGMAX.
LOAD
Max. Inflation PressureTread DepthTire WeightRim Width RangeMeas. Rim WidthSect. WidthTread WidthOverall Diam.Revs. Per Mile
P285/30ZR19
(94Y)
180 AA A1,477 lbs51 psi5.9/32"29 lbs9.5-10.5"10"11.4"11.1"25.8"807
P335/25ZR20
(99Y)
180 AA A1,709 lbs51 psi5.7/32"32 lbs11.5-12.5"12"13.5"13.1"26.6"782

18 COMMENTS

  1. These tires came on the vehicle and figure they have another 6 to 8K of mileage left on them. My only complaint is not being able to drive on them in the winter. If it’s under 50, the car stays in the garage. I put A/S tires on all my other corvettes so I could drive them year round. With the limited choices available, I will probably stick with the Cup tires when they need replacing. While they are noisy, they are quiet compared to the Goodyears that came on my 04 and 09 Vettes.

  2. I purchased these tires for spirited back road driving, autocross and a few track days a year. I have owned Nitto NT01’s before, using them for the same purposes. I couldn’t get NT01s in a fitment for the C6 Z06 I purchased, so I decided to move to the Cup tires. I had heard that you need to be careful with them and make sure they’re up to temperature. What I also heard was that they are hard to get up to temperature. That really made me hesitate. I like to go out early in the mornings for a drive when it can still be in the low 50’s. Would there be an issue with temperature for me?I took the leap and purchased the tires. What I found was yes, you do need to be aware of temperature for this tire, but they do come up to temp pretty quickly. I keep an eye on my tire pressure in the drive info system and when the pressure has gone up by 2 psi, I’m feeling the tire start to stick like it should. That normally happens within about 10 min of driving with a few hard stops…even on a cool morning.Once up to temp, these tire are magical! While the tire is heavy because of the the ZP sidewalls, it looks like Michelin has used that to the drivers advantage. The stiffness of the sidewall makes turn in immediate and precise. The traction seems almost limitless. The tires are almost on par with the A7’s I run for autocross…they don’t come up to temp fast enough for autocross, but they are close to the A7 after about 4 runs of heat into them.On the track and back roads, once up to temp, you feel like you can place the car pretty much anywhere and once set, the traction just goes on for days. You can tell when the tire starts to stick, so you don’t have to guess. They are very communicative and I feel like they are telling me what is going on at the road level.Down side is noise and stiffer ride than with a non-ZP tire.Bottom line it is a great tire for spirited driving. Just let it come up to temperature and then you’re good to go.

  3. I have about 3, 500 street miles on these tires and 1,500 track miles with my Z07 track car. I don’t care for them on the street and opt to use Super Sports there. On the track as I have told others these tire have grip till there dead! I can usually get 10 to 12 track days from a set. Proper suspension alignment is critical to there life. To little camber and the edges will give up quickly. Proper camber and wear will be as it should across the tread and even. Most of the time I cord them in the center before the outsides. It takes only a lap to get them to operating temps for max grip. I like the ability to drive the car to and from the track with confidence of the run flats. 2 thumbs up !!

  4. This tire is amazing for summer driving or track driving. They are a bit noise on the road and not very friendly in the rain. The tread wear is excellent!!! The grip is insanely good for a street tire.

  5. I have run this tire hard at at driving school for 2 days at a outside temp at 115 and as low as 37 one ——– of a tire

  6. Comfortable and perform well in day to day driving, even in wet conditions. Amazing performance on the track, over 1.2 Gs in corners and these tires stuck like glue, no surprises, no change in behavior throughout the day of racing.

  7. At the same track with same car with similar temps and rubber down, these tires improved my lap times from 2:09 to 2:04’s, which may not sound like much to those who don’t track, but on track those 4 seconds came in the corners from faster cornering speeds. NOT good under 50 degrees, scary under 40 degrees. They love 80 degrees and sunny days when they can get up to 200 degrees at the track. 5 track days in 2 years with mixed city driving, and the performance has dropped but not to 209’s yet at the track. Maybe 1 or 2 more track days and they will be done.

  8. Great track tire. Responsive and awesome traction. No sudden surprises, lets you know when at traction limits.

  9. Had these installed from the factory and have put 5k miles on them in 4 months. Most casual driving was in city/highway, but when taken to the canyons they performed amazingly. Responsiveness is amazing, and they grip like glue. Fair warning though, if you ever drive over gravel, expect your tires to look studded 😉

  10. Tires are very soft-sticky. Will throw plenty of rocks which will scratch your car if you don’t protect it with clear wrap. Don’t seem to get hot or as hot as I would like. Run flat is the worst option. Only way it comes. Over priced. Once I added 100 hp to my 2016 z06 corvette, the tires spin too much because of hard run flat side wall. I now need a better tire and brand.

  11. Tires stick like “you know what” on dry warm tarmac. Any water on road forget about it. Do yourself and your car a favor and park it. Otherwise go out on a nice sunny day and have a blast for about 7 thousand miles. Then get the wallet out because that’s all folks. But those are 7000 fun if not short miles. There is no “stickier” tire. PERIOD!

  12. This tire is amazing. Too many people reviewing don’t know anything about performance cars or performance driving. This is not a daily driver street tire. This is a super car track tire designed to allow you to drive to the race track. Absolutely incredible grip and they last a decent amount of time on track as well. Manage your temps because they wear out and fall off in grip faster when they get too hot. Better grip in the dry than pilot super sports. Slightly noisier and rougher riding than the super sports as well. Will buy again. Running upgraded brakes pads and the tires give excellent modulation with the brakes.

  13. tires are great tire but the rears only lasted 5000 miles til they were showing cord….i have a race car so i don’t drive this corvette aggressively at all…..i had standard pilot sports that came with the car and the fronts lasted 18000 mi and the rears were like new…..i purchased cup 2 tires and the fronts are half wore while the rears are shot after 5000 miles. same car same driving style.

  14. I have a 2011 z06 carbon edition with the z07 package its all stock and I had bought these tires for autocross and track use . These tires like heat and will last for most the day but will start to grease up toward the end of the session. So you really only have around 2 or 3 hot laps . They do well at an autocross but the front tires will cord before the fronts. NOT A DAILY DRIVER TIRE AND NOT MEANT FOR STREET USE. Any tire shop will not touch the tire as they will believe it has no tread . Great tire with a high amount of comprise . I rather use bridgestone 71r or just a straight up hoosier for the price.

  15. It’s a very good tire. It holds the ground well in dry weather, and it doesn’t hydroplane in the rain if you aren’t driving too fast. I’ve pulled 1+ lateral G forces in these tires without any tire squeal, which means they can give much more before losing traction. My only complaint is that they wear too quickly, and I wish they’d last a bit longer since they’re incredibly expensive. Overall, satisfied with the performance.

  16. I have autox/open tracked with this tire for 2 years and have only been beat by a Viper 2017 ACR. The tires are amazing!We race with Sacramento chapter (autox) and HOD track events. With a good, young driver and the Sport Cup 2 tires, the C7 Corvette should be able to beat any car in the SS class (SCCA).

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