Improved C8 Corvette ZR1 Tire Spec To Eventually Make It To Z06

When we sat down with recently retired Corvette chief engineer Tadge Jeuchter, he clued us in that the Chevy C8 Corvette ZR1 has its own unique tire spec. “Because of the incredible performance in the ZR1, we had to tweak the tire construction a little and bump up [the tire spec],” Juechter told GM Authority Executive Editor Alex Luft during the model’s reveal in Miami.

Although the ZR1 and the naturally aspirated C8 Z06 have the same tire options on paper, they have slightly different Tire Performance Criteria (TPC). On both variants, the standard tire is the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, and the optional tire is the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R (with the ZTK package on the ZR1 and the Z07 Performance Package on the Z06).

Luckily for future C8 Z06 buyers, Chevy will take the ZR1-spec tires and put the same rubber on the Z06 from the factory. It’s unclear what the timeline is for the ZR1 tires to migrate to the Z06, but when it happens, it should make the Z06 an even more competent track car.

It’s unlikely that ZR1-spec tires will ever be the factory tires for the C8 E-Ray since the hybrid Corvette uses a different tire altogether. However, current C8 Z06 and E-Ray owners could, in theory, just order the ZR1’s TPC-spec tires and put them on their Corvettes. All of the above have the same factory wheel and tire sizes.

TPC is GM’s tire specification that measures factors like wet and dry traction, efficiency, and longevity. GM works with tire manufacturers to get the tire compounds just right for their given applications. For example, the Cadillac V-Series Blackwing models have their own unique TPC codes for their tires to optimize performance with the daily duties of a luxury sedan. “They are TPC [Tire Performance Criteria] spec, which means they are uniquely built for our V-Series Blackwing cars,” Cadillac Performance Variant Manager Mirza Grebovic told us in an interview. “So when you go buy them on Tire Rack or anywhere else, it will say TPC, which means they were made for our cars.

It’s good to see GM taking every detail seriously for the most high-performance Corvette models, and we’re happy that a little ZR1 DNA will be shared with the Z06.