Absolute Dearth of All-Season Tires for CT5-V Blackwing

[T.O.Blackwing]

See post 33, where I describe driving a 580 HP rear-wheel-drive Camaro ZL1 in 2-3 inches of snow on Pirelli Sottozero high-performance "Winter" tires. The traction sucked! Call me a little skeptical that a true winter tire on a 670 HP rear-wheel sedan will be any better.

If you go easy on the throttle the kind of car you are driving is irrelevant to the traction of the tire.
Completely, totally, utterly irrelevant.
Sounds like the Pirelli’s just weren’t very good winter tires.
In fact I think that’s what you’re saying.
Possibly, but less likely, your Camaro also had an overly sensitive throttle and no slippery conditions mode like the Blackwing (and many other cars) that could moderate it?
Other than that all I can suggest is that maybe you weren’t adjusting your driving style as required by the road conditions as frankly, and again I say this respectfully, what you’re saying is illogical, at least as a general statement about all winter tires.

 

[5VBW Nick]

If you can afford a 5V BW, you can afford a winter car with good tires. There is no reason to be driving a 670hp rwd performance car in the snow unless you wanna have fun and spin around a parking lot.

I bought a 400+HP Focus RS a couple weeks ago for winter driving and fun. Also came with a factory set of winter wheels/tires.

 

[sonny200]

If you can afford a 5V BW, you can afford a winter car with good tires. There is no reason to be driving a 670hp rwd performance car in the snow unless you wanna have fun and spin around a parking lot.

I bought a 400+HP Focus RS a couple weeks ago for winter driving and fun. Also came with a factory set of winter wheels/tires.

View attachment 28550

You need to take that to the track. Those things are SUCH a hoot on a track! Even better -- a snow rally course!

 

[dribs15]

If you go easy on the throttle the kind of car you are driving is irrelevant to the traction of the tire.
Completely, totally, utterly irrelevant.
Sounds like the Pirelli’s just weren’t very good winter tires.
In fact I think that’s what you’re saying.
Possibly, but less likely, your Camaro also had an overly sensitive throttle and no slippery conditions mode like the Blackwing (and many other cars) that could moderate it?
Other than that all I can suggest is that maybe you weren’t adjusting your driving style as required by the road conditions as frankly, and again I say this respectfully, what you’re saying is illogical, at least as a general statement about all winter tires.

Blizzaks on my 2014 & 2016 Chevy SS's and Vredesteins (square set-up... but can't remember if my winters on my SS's were square or staggered) on my 22 5BW seem to be doing the trick for me... for up to 5-6 inches of snow along with (somewhat ) adjusting my driving with conditions (I may or may not be that guy in the empty unplowed parking lot)

... and yes, I doubt the '13 ZL1 had traction control (and if so, I can't believe that it would compare to what we have now)

 

[T.O.Blackwing]

If you can afford a 5V BW, you can afford a winter car with good tires. There is no reason to be driving a 670hp rwd performance car in the snow unless you wanna have fun and spin around a parking lot.

While I put winter tires on my Blackwing (as I have lectured all of you rather tirelessly, sorry), I should add that I do it mainly so I can drive it safely on cold, dry winter days, which are the norm in Toronto most days, most winters.
For example, last night when I had to pick a car to drive to my Friday night pick up hockey game (pretty Canadian, eh?), I chose the wife’s CX-5 because it was snowing a little bit and the main roads were salty while the side roads were snowy and slippy.
The Mazda, but of course, wears winter tires from November to March, too. All wheel drive is all well and good but it doesn’t make much difference in the corners and none at all when you’re emergency braking.
Oh, oh: I’m lecturing again, not very Canadian of me, sorry, eh.

 

[Mcard23]

GM Sends out press cars with winter tires - they do not have 305's on the back. I have to go back to some of the YT videos to see what they outfitted the cars with - I think they were Sottozeros with 285's.

Edit:
There are the tires GM sends their press cars out with: Pirelli Sottozero Winter Tires: 275/35R19 (F), 295/30R19 (R)

I've used the Sottozeros on a 6th Gen Camaro - don't expect these to be snow beasts. They allow you to drive with 90%+ of the performance in cold and wet weather. Once you get decent snow accumulation, it's a crap shoot.

This is what I have on my 5BW except when I bought them only 265s were available for the front. I’ve found they’re “ok” in snow but very very good In cold or cold and wet weather. Loved Michelin Pilot Alpin sports on my Camaro and chargers but sadly no compatible sizes for 5BW last I checked.

 

[conipc]

You'd think that for a $100K+ vehicle Cadillac would have worked with Continental or Michelin to get at least ONE SET of all-season tires in OEM spec for the Blackwing, yes?

Instead, there is ...... nothing in A/S available for our cars.

There's "screwing the pooch", then there's GM...

Anybody actually know of cases where the OE Michelins have failed due to cold? I suspect liability language....

 

[No Usury]

Anybody actually know of cases where the OE Michelins have failed due to cold? I suspect liability language....

Failed? What do you mean by that, exactly?

Have you ever driven on summer tires in 0 degree weather?

 

[BlackwingSwanny23]

If you can afford a 5V BW, you can afford a winter car with good tires. There is no reason to be driving a 670hp rwd performance car in the snow unless you wanna have fun and spin around a parking lot.

I bought a 400+HP Focus RS a couple weeks ago for winter driving and fun. Also came with a factory set of winter wheels/tires.

View attachment 28550

These are such fun hatches. Make sure you go to TunePlus for the tune. He makes monsters out of little ecoboosts

 

[5VBW Nick]

These are such fun hatches. Make sure you go to TunePlus for the tune. He makes monsters out of little ecoboosts

Just finished my custom tune with him this weekend. He believes it is probably around 375whp, 410wtq Not bad for stock exhaust, just upgraded intake and intercooler.

 

[conipc]

Failed? What do you mean by that, exactly?

Have you ever driven on summer tires in 0 degree weather?

Have driven plenty of them at 20degrees with a lot of extra care. In the case of the 5BW there appears to be no viable alternative. Awareness of traction issues is certainly needed. I'm referring to the warning that those tires could actually crack or blowout in the cold, which seems entirely a figment of lawyer imagination in the owners manual. Have reached several experienced folks, none of whom have ever heard of such a catastrophic failure.

 

[T.O.Blackwing]

… In the case of the 5BW there appears to be no viable alternative…

 

[RiptideHTC]

If you can afford a 5V BW, you can afford a winter car with good tires. There is no reason to be driving a 670hp rwd performance car in the snow unless you wanna have fun and spin around a parking lot.

I bought a 400+HP Focus RS a couple weeks ago for winter driving and fun. Also came with a factory set of winter wheels/tires.

I hate comments like this.
If I was going to buy a "nice weather car", it wouldn't be a 4,300lb luxury sedan.
These cars were built to be daily driven.
Buy them with a V8 and a stick, and run all season tires;
or run 2 sets of wheels and tires for summer/winter.

 

[T.O.Blackwing]

If you can afford a 5V BW, you can afford a winter car with good tires. There is no reason to be driving a 670hp rwd performance car in the snow unless you wanna have fun and spin around a parking lot.

… In the case of the 5BW there appears to be no viable alternative…

… Vredesteins, Sottozeros & Pilot Alpins are three options I could find just quickly scrolling through this thread.
I used to store my sports cars/sedans every winter but stopped that nonsense four or five years ago.
It was always a chore taking them in and out of storage, the storage cost reduced half of the insurance savings, and I missed driving them.
Life is too short to put your favourite cars away for four or five months when you can use them all year round with the right tires.

 

[5VBW Nick]

I hate comments like this.
If I was going to buy a "nice weather car", it wouldn't be a 4,300lb luxury sedan.
These cars were built to be daily driven.
Buy them with a V8 and a stick, and run all season tires;
or run 2 sets of wheels and tires for summer/winter.

I hate trolls, go back to the redneck forums you came from.

 

[RiptideHTC]

I hate trolls, go back to the redneck forums you came from.

Ironic post.
I was about to share the details on the square set of wheels and tires I chose for all season driving.
But, since anyone who doesn't agree with the "tolerant left" is a "stupid redneck", why don't you share your superior intellect and your winter tire solution?

 

[No Usury]

Have driven plenty of them at 20degrees with a lot of extra care. In the case of the 5BW there appears to be no viable alternative. Awareness of traction issues is certainly needed. I'm referring to the warning that those tires could actually crack or blowout in the cold, which seems entirely a figment of lawyer imagination in the owners manual. Have reached several experienced folks, none of whom have ever heard of such a catastrophic failure.

Just because you can comment on a thread, doesn't mean it's a good idea. You should really move on from this one because you're starting to look silly.

"A lot of extra care" = an unsafe driving condition. What if you need to stop quickly? Get the proper tool for the job, or put your (and everyone else's) life on the road in jeopardy.

**************

Right now looking at a square setup with some OZ wheels and 275/35-19 or 285/35-19 DWS 06es. Going to need all seasons for winter in the high desert. This is looking like the path.

Bonus - with a square setup I can rotate the tires front-to-back and get several winters out of them.

 

[No Usury]

As for the rest of the tools in here, if you have nothing to offer, kindly take your elsewhere.

If you continue acting like children, I'm gonna tell mom.

 

[RiptideHTC]

As for the rest of the tools in here, if you have nothing to offer, kindly take your elsewhere.

If you continue acting like children, I'm gonna tell mom.

You're literally calling people names, while threatening to tell on them.
Now, who's acting like a child?

Why do you feel the need to censor the free speech you don't like?

Pathetic and disgraceful behavior.
Do better.

 

[conipc]

My point, despite the snide comments, is that here in Southern Texas, truly cold is rare, and a matter of days per year. I don't find it useful to put on tires that are mainly for snow AND cold, in sizes that are not optimal, for those few days. Despite the superior attitudes by the usual kind of self-styled forum experts, I'm a relatively experienced driver in bad conditions having lived in Chicago, Minneapolis and DC for over 30 years. No tires will conquer winter, some will just make it more addressable. I can handle the summer tires for the few days I have to drive in the cold, drive wife's Forester when needed, and drive the 5BW as it should be driven when it can be driven.
I must have mistaken these "experts" for a useful source when I asked a simple and factual question. Silly me....