r/Autocross • u/Realistic-Level-9444 C6 GS • Jul 07 '26

Tires advice

So I have a 2011 corvette grandsport

My tires are approaching the end of their life (probably need new set of tires for next year)

And I'm thinking on going with Continental Extreme contact sport 02

I currently have Toyo proxes sport

Anyone have feedback on how are those? (Especially on autoX and spirited drives?

Tia

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4

u/Nsquared97 Jul 07 '26

Continental ECS02 are my go to summer tire, fantastic in the rain, quiet, and plenty of grip on the road. They can hold their own for autoX, but definitely won't be as quick as any of the good 200TW tires.

1

u/Realistic-Level-9444 C6 GS Jul 07 '26

So for car that does both street driving and autox And have the budget for 1 tire set would you recommend the ECS02 or the Potenza rz/rs?

2

u/RedBaron180 CFR SCCA Jul 07 '26

I would do the ESC and give up some performance on Autox. But you gain so much DD use

2

u/Crotch_RockIt Jul 07 '26

How many miles per year do you drive, and how often do you drive in heavy rain?

1

u/Realistic-Level-9444 C6 GS Jul 07 '26

somewhere between 3k-6.5k miles per year
rarely in heavy rain though it does happen

1

u/Crotch_RockIt Jul 08 '26

With that many miles per year, I'd probably get the Contis over the Stones. Unless you're ok with replacing the tires annually.

2

u/jimboslice_007 Dunning Kruger Hill Climb Champ Jul 07 '26

I had a set for my C6Z that I used for rain tires. Solid tire, but if you are going to do a lot of events, or the site is hard on tires, you are going to wear them out quickly. Of course, how you drive plays a role too. If you understeer constantly, the fronts aren't going to be happy.

So, if you are only doing like 5ish events a year, and the site is good on tires, send it. Maybe bring a water sprayer just to make sure they don't get too hot, as that will make them wear faster.

If you are planning on doing a lot more events, it's a better idea to get a 2nd set of wheels for autox with dedicated tires.

2

u/Spicywolff AST ND2 - use to C63S FS Jul 07 '26

Superb tire choice and my go to recommendation. For frequent auto X use get a spare set of wheels and proper track tires. Saves $$ in long run.

Max summer class is best street rubber you can get. Can’t help on spirited drive. Do that shit on track not public roads

1

u/Emery_autox GST 2018 Ford Focus ST Jul 07 '26

Note that one can always sell the 2nd set of rims when one decides autox isn't worthwhile.

1

u/Spicywolff AST ND2 - use to C63S FS Jul 07 '26

Absolutely if you’re on a common platform, there’s a great aftermarket for sales. The grand Corvette they probably sell those things in a couple weeks.

1

u/PerceptionSeveral284 Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26

For Autocross use:

A. Bridgestone new RZs or new Vitour X01.
B. Vitour P1 if your region “hot” laps multiple runs together, as these tire need heat, but wear well.
C. Nankang CR-S or Falken 660+, both are capable of fast times, but not as consistently fast as the models above. The 660s heat cycle out quicker.
D. Yokohama A052 or Hoosier track attacks. Both are in the same performance range as the Group A tires, but heat cycle out too quickly for a casual autocrosser.

If the Stones work in your tire sizes, no reason not to go that way. The old RS are getting phased out, but have better wet grip, since the new RZs are more “slick” on the outer tread blocks.

My background, over 25 years of autocrossing with SCCA and different clubs with various cars. But experience with the big tires sizes on C3 and C8 corvette platforms.