New Goodyear Tires Complete the Package

One of the big stories for the Z06 revolves around the new tires that have been specifically engineered for it by Goodyear. Called the Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires, they are wider, with more gripping power, to make the Z06 handle, brake, and ride exceptionally well.

The Eagle F1 Supercar tires are non-extended mobility tires, and reduce mass by 10.6 kilograms (23.4 pounds). "Taking mass out of the tires is extremely beneficial for wheel control, by reducing unsprung weight," notes Mike Neal, Corvette Ride & Handling Development Engineer. "It also reduces rotational mass, which is better for acceleration and braking."

Specific Tread Pattern

The Z06 tires have an asymmetric tread pattern to enable the high cornering capabilities of the Z06. With this asymmetric pattern, the outside shoulder of the tire can perform well in the dry, while the inside tread of the tire performs in the wet. "Goodyear made a tremendous contribution to the Z06 in developing this tire," says Neal. "They did whatever we asked in pursuit of this performance tire."

The end result, based on Corvette test data, is a tire that is a tremendous enabler to the Z06's handling characteristics:

• Very easy to drive quickly

• Grippy, but with excellent track wear attributes

• Great recoverability at handling limits

• Strong cornering power

• Quick, transient characteristics — nimble

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2001 Front and Rear Tread Dimensions:

GM Tire Inflator Kit

Chevrolet has provided the GM Tire Inflator Kit for Z06 Corvettes in the case of tire punctures. It is able to seal small punctures in the tread area of the tire.

The Kit includes a squeeze bottle that is filled with a tire sealant, a sealant filling hose, an air pressure gauge, a mini-air compressor that plugs into the accessory power outlet, and a 55-mph sticker.

Similar inflator kits have been used by Mercedes-Benz and BMW; in fact, Corvettes sold in Japan have been equipped with tire inflator kits since the introduction of the C5 in 1997.

Tire Pressure Monitors Deleted

The latex compound used in the GM Tire Inflator Kit is incompatible with the tire valves used with the tire pressure monitoring system. As a result, regular tire valves are used and the tire pressure monitoring system is not offered on the Z06 package, reducing mass by 0.3 kilograms (0.66 lbs.).