How much better ARE regular P Zero's in damp cold weather

[controlz]

So, I'm on the verge of purchasing my V12 but have a few concerns. When I first test drove one it was bone dry and phenomenal, on the contrary, I went for a final long test drive in the cold, wet weather yesterday and was shocked to say the least

Perhaps the word 'shocked' alone is an understatement, but I'll be using the V12 as an everyday car, and where I live it's damp and wet 80% of the time, and because my commute to work is short, the tyres will never get a chance to warm-up. So, in conclusion, I don't think the Corsa's are viable!

I wouldn't consider myself a mad driver, I don't track my cars, and certainly don't push them to the limit in the dry, so I'd be happy to sacrifice some dry grip in order to have a much better all-weather tyre. For me, the car would be a waste if I'm unable to drive it in all types of weather without having to worry about spinning wheels the whole time. As such, I was wondering how much better the regular P Zero's are, or perhaps there's a Bridgestone/Michelin/Toyo tyre that's even more suitable? (The tyre needs to be suitable for all-year)

P.S - If I do buy the car and change to regular P Zero's, I'll have a set of Corsa's all with 5mm on if anyone is interested?

[controlz]

AdamV12V said:

I drive my V12V to work every day on Corsa's and whilst they are significantly compromised in the cold (note that its the cold that affects performance far more than the wet does), they are not unusable if you just drive with care, attention and a delicate right foot. .

I do agree they aren't unusable, BUT when I've forked out the best part of £90,000 for a car, I want to be able to enjoy it all year, and to me driving incredibly carefully (not dangerously of course) and never being able to put my foot down for 80% of the year seems like a waste. I could probably drive my smart car faster in the damp than the V12 on Corsa's, and it would be more fun too! Hence I need a compromise.

Edited by controlz on Wednesday 9th July 10:20

[controlz]

V12woollie said:

^^^^^ this

Given your weather conditions and daily use the V12V is not the car you should be considering. A V8V is much better suited to daily commutes in inclement weather.

That said, I find the V12V rather entertaining in the cold and wet and I know the limits of the car and the DSC

It may be too late.. I may have actually bought one already

[controlz]

Cockernee said:

Lotto had the Girly tyres fitted to his V12V and found significantly better grip in the colder weather than Corsa's. Lotto

Haha! Which ones are the girly tyres? I may have to opt for these!

I appreciate you guys love the Corsa's in the wet, but unfortunately not for me, so any suggestions? Also, as I mentioned, I'll have a set of 4 x Corsas's with 5mm on when I change, not sure if these have any value to people on here looking for a spare set?

[controlz]

ShrekV12VR said:

I swapped from the Corsa's because I just wasn't comfortable with them in the cold and wet. I've just got back from a 2500 mile trip through Spain and France with an Ariel Atom, an M3 and a GT3 and have been more than happy with my choice, there is a lot more feedback on what the tyre is doing for a mere mortal, which for me was more important than ultimate grip. I certainly wouldn't have enjoyed Mont Ventoux after a thunderstorm as much if I'd still had the Corsas. The 11.2 mpg average trip fuel consumption by the time we reached the Col de Turini 1,500 miles in was less welcome though :-)

Was it the regular P Zero's you switched to? If so, how did you find the general traction in damp/cold compared to the Corsa's? I'd like to be able to give the throttle a bit of a push in 2nd gear without constantly spinning the wheels in the wet!

[controlz]

DB9VolanteDriver said:

If not getting the P Zeros as a swap and you have to buy them outright, then do yourself a favor and do a little research on this forum and others regarding what's a better tire choice, such as the universally praised Michelin Pilot Super Sport.

Interesting - I've searched the forum's plenty in regards to V12's and tyres and all I found was talk of the P Zero and nothing on the Michelin's. Perhaps I'm looking in the wrong place... Are these a lot better?

[controlz]

quench said:

Where in the UK do you live? What is the approximate percentage of winter driving you will do in temperatures of less than 7C? Even if you will be spending a large part of the winter in temperatures of 10C or less, my advice is to go with winter tires. You will get more traction from winter tires the closer you get to freezing, and even at 7C I would bet they would stick better than PZeros. In my experience, people who have never used winter tires consistently underestimate their importance; if you use or have used them, my apologies.

Then keep your Corsas for the best of both worlds!

I live on the outskirts of London, and drive a short 4-mile commute to work everyday. Unfortunately come September, the road's are going to be wet most of the time so a) my tyres won't warm up, and b) it will be cold! I;m not concerned about the snow, as I'll drive my Range Rover then, but I want something good for the wet autumn months.

Are winters okay even in dry conditions - E.g. can still use the car fine on 100% dry roads and sunny spells during the winter months?

[controlz]

DB9VolanteDriver said:

Miles better (no pun intended) in ALL areas of performance, wet and dry. If you don't want to search this forum, just look at Tirerack.com for their comparisons and user ratings/comments for ultra performance tires. P Zeros are yesterday's news.

Thanks - I'm going to look into these. I'm not very clued up on tyres and can see that on websites like camskill they have the same tyres suitable for specific cars. Am I just looking at regular Michelin Pilot Sport?

[controlz]

quench said:

^^^ Exactly. Winter tires are for .... winter! A lot of people still think they are only for snow, but the tread design and siping for snow and ice traction is only half the story - it is the rubber compound used in these tires that gives them superior performance to warm weather tires even on dry roads at cold temperatures.

I'm tempted to just buy some winters now and put them on! I won't drive the car in the dry anywhere near it's maximum so winters will be fine and protect me on rainy days!

PM me if you want my Corsa's!

[controlz]

mrteegrassgill said:

f you have somewhere you can get them fitted, I got mine from http://www.tyreleader.co.uk/, they are based in france. Massive saving over the prices here, quick delivery, great service and the date on the tyres is 2014

Christ, and I thought blackcircles was cheap. This sounds too good to be true?

[controlz]

V8V Pete said:

No brainer if your worried about using the car in cold/wet but want to enjoy it at its best in the summer.

Well its mid-summer now and raining outside - That's the problem I have with semi-slicks in summer.. it's still the UK!!

[controlz]

Minglar said:

I know that today is not a cold day, but in my opinion the Corsas are not suitable for all year use in the UK. They are fantastic on a hot, dry summers day, but clearly they have weather related limitations and I think the fact that AM went on to approve the regular P-Zero shows that they are well aware of this. How many early adopters were warned on taking delivery of their cars to be careful in the wet and below 7C with regards to the Sport button? If I remember correctly there were actual documents which required signing too? We all know the V12V is a great drivers car, and the Corsas help this, but for those of us who do not want to have the hassle of changing tyres and wheels, plus the added pain of storage, the regular P-Zero offers a viable and sensible alternative. So if you are worried, go for either the regular P-Zero or perhaps the Michelin PSS. Let's not forget that a V12V is a road car first and foremost.

Best Regards

Minglar

Amen