As many Corvette owners know all too well, purchasing
C5 and
C6 tires can get a bit confusing and even frustrating. This is primarily due to the unusual staggering of the wheels. Unlike most vehicles with staggered (different front and rear sizes) tires, Chevrolet has been equipping Corvette wheels, since 1997, in the rear that aren't only wider, but also an inch larger in diameter than the front wheels.
Traction Control
This staggering makes it more difficult to find matching front and rear tires for the Vette. Additi
onally, using sizes that don't match the O.E. front and rear diameters will render the vehicle's traction control (Acceleration Slip Regulation) non-operational. This is because the car was engineered to have a tire that is one inch taller in the rear.
Winter / Snow TiresTo make matters worse, we have many customers looking for winter / snow tires for their Corvette and they're surprised to find that their options are extremely limited. The summer tires that are Original Equipment on the vehicle are nothing short of dangerous when driving on ice and in the snow. The lone winter option for the Corvette is the
Pirelli Winter 240 Sottozero, which is only available in a non-run-flat front/rear match. The good news is that this is a good winter tire, however they can be hard to find in stock.
If you've decided that you want to make the move and install a set of winter / snow tires on your Corvette rims, then take a look at the Pirelli tire
prices for the Winter 240 Sottozero and make this year's winter driving as safe as possible.
Is it time to freshen the look of your 1997-2004 Chevrolet Corvette? How about some new rims or wheels or maybe even a
wheel and tire package to make that personal statement? Tire Rack carries a number of great options for your vehicle.
Here are a few examples:
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17- and 18-inch |
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Sport Muscle ZR
Finishes: Bright Satin, Silver Paint, Chrome 17- and 18-inch |
Both of these options are also very economical with prices currently starting at $159 each.
Wheels are just another name for Rims. Technically the Rim is just the outside edge section of the wheel that "touches" the tire. Among our most popular "rims" are American Racing Rims, Borbet Rims, OZ, and BBS. For the C6 Corvette, I like the lightest weight forged wheel that we sell in the stock, or Original Equipment 18 and 19 inch sizes. Those are the coveted
BBS-GT, the Holy Grail of wheels. These are lightweight (21 lbs. front anf 23.5 lbs. rear) strong and beautiful looking wheels, especially in the Diamond Black Finish (also available in silver).
Check them out and let me know what you think!
I was talking to one of my Corvette customers the other day and he told me that in his Corvette club most members buy their Corvette Rims and New Automobile Tires from Tire Rack. By far the most popular tires I sell for this car personally are the Firestone Auto Tires, we are also one of the largest Goodyear Tire Dealers and I often sell the Original Equipment Goodyears for this car as well. But for people who don't want the O.E. Corvette Goodyear tires the
Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval Run Flat tires are the most popular. People tend to like them because they are very high performance tires comparable to the Goodyears and usually less expensive.
Check back next week for my post on Corvette Rims to go with these tires!
Looking for a new set of rims for your
C6 Corvette? Well then check out our selection of high quality wheels from
BBS and
OZ! Both of these manufacturers produce wheels that can be used on the street as well as the race track. These two wheel manufacturers have won multiple championships in several levels of motorsports.
OZ Superleggera III BBS RS-GT We can also mount and balance a set of tires on your new wheels. An excellent tire choice would be the
Bridgestone Potenza RE-11.
Check out some of the other wheels we have by entering your vehicle make, model and year in the
Upgrade Garage.
Sport Edition Z06 Sport Edition C6 Sport Edition C6
Gran Torinos and Firebirds will always be classic muscle cars. Today, new versions of old favorites like Chargers, Corvettes and Mustangs carry on the muscle car tradition. And just like any vehicle out there, you can never deny a good muscle car a great set of wheels.
That's where
American Racing wheels come into play. In fact, they've been around for years.
All American Racing rims are manufactured to be aggressive performance wheels, which is perfect for the aggressive muscle car. With staggered fitments, modern finishes, larger diameters and design elements taken from racing wheels—there's a reason American Racing rims are so often considered to be standard equipment.
This spring,
Tire Rack has two new American Racing wheels:
Shop by vehicle to see if they'll fit yours.
See all American Racing wheels.
To drive a Corvette is to believe in the beauty of a high performance vehicle. And at
Tire Rack, we tend to think that means you'll also appreciate a beautiful set of aftermarket Corvette rims.
Like, for example, the
O.Z. Racing Botticelli III wheels featured on the Z06 at right. A polished lip and bright silver finish create a winning look that complements the Corvette's existing high style. Same goes for these Corvette wheels, too:
•
BBS RS-GT•
O.Z. Racing Alleggerita HLT•
O.Z. Racing Raffaelo IIIAnd the most beautiful aspect of aftermarket Corvette rims—they increase the performance levels of your vehicle as much as they enhance aesthetics. (
Read more.)
Search for these wheels in our
Upgrade Garage, and we'll show you what they look like on your Corvette. We'll also show you a selection of Corvette tires suited to your vehicle. (In case you're wondering, the Corvette above features
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires.)
