Not a driver of the car (unfortunately) but based on what I read here and there on forums and press, I have the feeling that the Pirelli, whether standard or Corsa, are not the best choice for the car and that it would be better with others. What do the drivers feel and think about it ? Anyone has talked about that with McLaren ?
Would you say the MP4-12C has bad tyres
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Not the best tyres for the track? Or not the best tyres for the road? Or both?
The majority opinion certainly seems to be that there are better tyres fo setting faster lap times but I've not really seen anyone yet comment that there are better tyres for daily drive use. I've got no issues with the standard P Zeros on a daily basis.
It's going to be difficult to say what is better until other makes become readily available and that doesn't seem to be happening quickly.
For what it's worth, evo voted the P Zero the best in this month's tyre test. Admittedly a different size for a different application .... but it does tend to indicate the tyre isn't so bad as a road tyre
The majority opinion certainly seems to be that there are better tyres fo setting faster lap times but I've not really seen anyone yet comment that there are better tyres for daily drive use. I've got no issues with the standard P Zeros on a daily basis.
It's going to be difficult to say what is better until other makes become readily available and that doesn't seem to be happening quickly.
For what it's worth, evo voted the P Zero the best in this month's tyre test. Admittedly a different size for a different application .... but it does tend to indicate the tyre isn't so bad as a road tyre
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The standard tyres are slow to warm up and rubbish , when cold, in the wet. Fine when warm and give remarkable mileage..........but grippy tyres wear, don't they?
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I like them a lot. But yeah, on track, there are much faster tires. But I use the car as a daily driver, so I love the longevity of them.
So no, I would not say they're bad.
So no, I would not say they're bad.
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The P Zero is certainly one of the best road tires around (well known Pirelli problems like vibrations aside..). I would rate it second after the Michelin Super Sport in terms of grip.
For track use, the Corsa is probably the badest route McLaren could have gone for. They are plenty of better semi slicks on the market. A Trofeo or Direzza might be a bit over the top, but a N2 Style MPSC would have been just perfect. And would have saved the 12C at least 5 or 6 seconds around the 'Ring.
I have extensively talked to a McLaren representative about this topic and he told me that with such a low volume car like the 12C, you don't have the choice to choose the "best tire" around but the tire company that gives you the best support - or any support at all. So sadly, the choice of Corsa (and P Zero) was purely based on economics.
For track use, the Corsa is probably the badest route McLaren could have gone for. They are plenty of better semi slicks on the market. A Trofeo or Direzza might be a bit over the top, but a N2 Style MPSC would have been just perfect. And would have saved the 12C at least 5 or 6 seconds around the 'Ring.
I have extensively talked to a McLaren representative about this topic and he told me that with such a low volume car like the 12C, you don't have the choice to choose the "best tire" around but the tire company that gives you the best support - or any support at all. So sadly, the choice of Corsa (and P Zero) was purely based on economics.
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Holy cow they're completely gone!!!
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Tires are like shoes... Its all compromises. And yes I do agree with the mclaren reps that choice is limited. Im sure that Ferrari has done some sort of exclusive use of michelins to insure that they get the best tires possible. And relative in terms of size and ability, Michelin is by far the largest tire maker, dwarfing Pirelli. so you can imagine the R&D capabilities of one over another... I would think once the super sport is available for the mac that it would be a very different scenario...
Std are imo very good for everyday use or for a few trackdays, their longetivity is very impressive and they are not very expansive.
The problem is that corsas arent just easily available !!! And why MCL hasn't proposed as a true track tyre the trofeo ?
The problem is that corsas arent just easily available !!! And why MCL hasn't proposed as a true track tyre the trofeo ?
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Lacking cage, harness, and track tire option, I'm not sure the 12C is a track car. Rather, the track is the only place with hope of approaching its potential safely and legally, lap time another issue. For such use, it excels in the hands of brave and knowledgable McLaren life members AND does everything else well too.
Pzero is above average versatility below average grip maybe?
The 12C is "built around" Pirelli. I hope that means software and not geometry. if so, we could hope for flashes addressing sottozeros, Michelin SS, etc. If not, there is still hope that next year's pzeros will be gripper than last
Pzero is above average versatility below average grip maybe?
The 12C is "built around" Pirelli. I hope that means software and not geometry. if so, we could hope for flashes addressing sottozeros, Michelin SS, etc. If not, there is still hope that next year's pzeros will be gripper than last
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