Quadrifoglio and Corsa in rain?

[rassi]

As a new owner I apologise in advance if this has been covered ad nauseam but how are owners finding the Pirelli P Zero Corsas in the rain? US owners seem to complain of treadwear and lack of grip in the rain, but doesn’t it have an A rating?

My driving is mostly motorway, and will be fitting proper winter tyres when temperatures drop, but very interested in knowing if the Corsas are not suitable at all to rain, under UK/Northern European conditions?

[generationx]

With the traction control on (I.e. not Race mode) they’re fine. Just remember you have 500bhp under your right foot and drive accordingly! When they lose traction I find they tend to follow the camber but a quick dab of oppo will see you right...

[ecain63]

They are absolutely fine in the rain, at this time of year. Once temps get below 7c you'll notice them dropping off when wet. Below zero and wet they are pretty dodgy.

There's no need to plump for winters on this car. A new set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S will sort it for all seasons.

[rassi]

Thanks for reassuring me! Winter tyres are a must, as I am in Belgium and drive to Denmark, Germany and France throughout the year, so they will be fitted from late October/November but good to know that the Corsa are not lethal in the rain!

Always had winter tyres on previous M cars (E92 M3, E39, E60 and F10 M5 so aware of how capable a RWD car is with the right tyres.

[smarty156]

It's the cold that's the problem.
Cold and wet is pretty lethal.

[BlackPorker]

smarty156 said:

It's the cold that's the problem.
Cold and wet is pretty lethal.

Would agree totally with that, but I managed to get through last winter on Corsas. Can't say it was fun though!

[rassi]

What is "cold" in this context? Below 7 degrees (when I start using winter tyres), or actually closer to zero?

[smarty156]

Below 10c you need to run them for a bit to get heat in and then they're ok. As you get colder from there it gets harder to get heat in. Throw in rain and that's when it's no fun.

[virtualm]

I kind of agree about the Corsa's in cold wet weather...but I picked my QF up in January this year and it was -2c light snow for a few weeks and they were perfect. Obviously not giving it the beans as being new, and the tyres were brand new. But not as bad as people make out, there's a lot of scaremongering.

[footsoldier]

Drove mine for first time last night, in the rain. (It was delivered yesterday morning)
Definitely twitchy to begin with, but ok after getting some heat in them.
Easily manageable, even at good cornering speeds, as long as you pay attention.

Not as good as Michelin Cup2s in the wet though, and looking at them, you can see why!
Haven’t tried the PS4 that everyone seems to recommend for these, but think ‘winters’ will be going on, for cold temps as much as any snow. Have been doing that for last few years and makes a huge difference.

Edited by footsoldier on Saturday 15th September 16:59

Edited by footsoldier on Saturday 15th September 17:00