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Sad Z06 Convertible Experience!

8K views 42 replies 24 participants last post by  RCjr 
#1 ·
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CorvetteBlogger said:
Here’s a sight most Corvette enthusiasts don’t like to see.

This is the first time we’ve seen a 2015 Corvette Z06 Convertible out in public wearing the new Daytona Orange Sunrise. Unfortunately, the 650-hp super car made somewhat of a spectacle of itself by losing control on wet roads and taking out another vehicle on its way to a ditch on I-94 in Jackson, Mississippi over the weekend.

We got an email from a witness to the accident who was very concerned that a Corvette with Manufacturers Plates from Michigan was operating on wet roads with “bald tires”. She describes the accident as happening like this:

The vette spun out and took another vehicle with it through a cable wire median, shredding the vehicle to the point where the cable almost came through the drivers seat, and as youll [sic] see from my pictures, ended up facing backwards on the opposite side of the barrier that it originally spun out from.

The Corvette Z06 looks to be equipped with the Z07 Performance Package which includes Michelin’s Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. (Not only is the clear wicker bill spoiler on the car but you can see the huge Brembo carbon ceramic rotors clearly in one of the photos as well.) To those that may not be familiar with the tire, it can definitely appear to be “bald”. It’s hard to tell from the pictures how much rubber is actually remaining on the tires as once they went off-road, they appear to be have picked up a ton of dirt and debris.

The pictures of this crash come just as Chevrolet begins retail production of the Corvette Z06. The first customer cars will hopefully be delivered in time for Christmas. Unfortunately, that means pictures of the first customer-owned Corvette Z06 to be involved in an accident won’t be that far behind.
[ACCIDENT] 2015 Corvette Z06 Convertible Wrecks in the Rain in Michigan
 
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#2 ·
I saw the photo a few hours earlier but no info. Thanks for the 411.
 
#3 ·
Wow that is a pretty horrific sight tangled in the cable. Hope all involved are alive and doing OK.
 
#4 ·
Looks like the owners who opted for ZO7 packages will have to be a tad smarter on the rainy streets. Even the regular ZO6 owners should definitely drive safe anytime.
 
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#8 ·
This is a brand new Z06 Pilot Cup 2 tire. Imagine how much tread there will be after 5,000 miles, and if one were to be caught in a rainstorm then.


Tire Synthetic rubber Automotive tire Tread Auto part
 
#5 ·
Looks like driver just missed being beheaded...how lucky for him/her.....that cable almost sheared the car in half..
 
#7 ·
"operating on wet roads with “bald tires”." That's just plain STUPID! 99% of the time it's the nut behind the wheel causing the problem.
 
#9 ·
As John's picture shows, Cup 2 tires look almost bald, right from the factory. Not a good rain tire.
 
#10 ·
Also, I wonder what the temperature was in Michigan that day. Note, if you click through to the source article, you will see it was in Jackson, Michigan, not Mississippi.
 
#12 ·
Man, you said it! Why not put saws and land mines in the center divide? They would only be slightly more dangerous than those cables.
 
#14 ·
Accident was in Michigan not Mississippi.
 
#17 ·
It was Michigan and just a couple days ago, it was COLD! and rainy!!! Sport Cup tires are not good street tires. If you're buying a Z06 with the Z07 package, get another set of tires and wheels for street use. I got scolded on another forum for "trying to scare people" - well whattaya know, they SHOULD be scared! Those tires are designed for SUMMER weather, not cold, rainy fall days. I am not getting the Z07 package on mine, and although caution should still be taken in wet weather on any rear wheel drive car, they Pilot Sport be a much safer tire than the Sport Cup. Now, I may end up buying a set of wheels and tires for autocross use, that's where the Sport Cup will come in handy!
 
#18 ·
Chevrolet should really consider offering an alternative tire. Even on the non z06 cars. Most of us drive in the real world, not on some imaginary track in our heads.
 
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#19 ·
I agree. At the risk of dating myself, we used to call tires like these "quasi legal". They were DOT approved, but we all knew they were being purchased for competitive use, not street use. Now such tires have evolved and are finding their way into production cars...enhancing the handling of an "as delivered from the factory" car. But like you Milliwatt, I'm not so sure they make sense for the street. Especially in cool temps and/or wet pavement. Let's hope that our Corvette friends with these tires stay safe and enjoy their cars.
 
#20 ·
Unfortunately, it will probably take several other serious accidents to happen before Chevrolet learns this. You should have to specify when you order your car which tires you would prefer, and possibly have 3 choices, ie: street, street/track, or track only.
 
#21 · (Edited)
Is it Chevrolet's fault, or the people who will buy the Z07 option when they actually should not have checked that box?
 
#23 · (Edited)
It isn't going to take anything to change GM's mind because they aren't going to change anything.

Porsche has been delivering GT3's with cup tires for years and people don't wreck them in any significantly higher numbers than plain Jane 911's.

If Z07's end up with a higher crash rate it's much more of an indictment of the Corvette owner than GM or the tires.
 
#26 ·
Actually, the reason why McDonalds lost that lawsuit is not because the purchaser had no negligence. It was because the coffee was served at a ridiculously high temperature, something like 185 F, which is undrinkable and dangerous, and the company was aware for many months of dozens of earlier instances of customers being burned by the coffee, but never did anything to direct its franchisees to lower the serving temperature. The company was routinely serving this dangerously hot coffee at its drive up window, and knew, or should have known, that spillage in a car was a common occurrence.
 
#27 ·
Let's keep in mind this is a GM mule, which is a test vehicle driven by a GM employee. Hopefully the GM employee driving the Z06 was not injured and 2 will report that the cup tires don't handle well in the rain... ( if in fact it was equipped with these tires). Restating the obvious, capable barriers and C7 do not play well together...
 
#28 ·
My two cents. As with many high performance cars, the chassis begins with the tires and often the parameters are given to the tire manufacturer first for the tire development. The tire used on the ZO6 has a long history of performance on several other cars so it was a good choice for the ultimate goal. Maybe those folks that live in the more challenging areas should consider an additional set of grooved tires with similar parameters. I ordered the ZO7 package, but judicious driving in the rain here in Florida is paramount or just pulling over.
 
#29 ·
What ever happened to personal responsibility????? Some of the comments in this thread really depress me as I realize we have become a society expecting, above all else, for someone else to look out for us.

If someone orders a Z07 and is not aware of it's performance envelope then Darwin's theory of natural selection will thin the herd.......
 
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#31 ·
I'm sure that the accident was caused by several factors which could include weather conditions, tires which were ill suited for those conditions, and most definitely.....driver error. I also wonder if the power characteristics of the LT4 make it extraordinarily difficult to handle in low traction situations even with traction control nannies. I would of thought that the auto press would have cars for testing by now and that we would be reading about the qualitative attributes of the car. Didn't the car magazines have test mules to review before the Stingray's release? I'd like to know how approachable the car is. I haven't heard a single word about how the Z06 will drive. I know it's a rocket. I know it corners so hard that I could black out from the G's. I really want to know that this car is the complete package.... My father's buddy had a tricked out, and completely modded 930 turbo that scared me so badly that I questioned my ability to drive a high performance car. The thing was insane and wanted nothing more but to boost me into the nearest power pole.
Derik
 
#40 ·
My guess is that a good number of Z06/Z07 Corvettes will meet their fate around power poles or upside down in ditches. We've already seen several photos of the Stingray in that condition. Most had comments that they had the nannies off when the accident occurred. I think a lot of people over estimate their ability with the car. I think that may be why there are not many original 427 Cobras in existence, i believe most were wrecked. People need to respect the machinery, the power and the ability that it has to both thrill or kill, depending on how it is used.
 
#33 · (Edited)
The 2015 owners manual is over 300 pages. They do not send it to you in advance. It was not available to download on the US Chevrolet site. It is available on the Canadian Chevrolet site. I suppose at delivery, they should have sat me in a room, had me read it cover to cover, and then take a quiz before tendering me a car?

While my orientation to the car was excellent, at no time was it mentioned that the tires are not suitable for low temperatures. This is an issue that I first heard of here.

Last, while you disagree with my logic, my ultimate conclusion is that all season tires should be offered as an option. In evaluating that option, a customer would become aware of the differences between the summer tires, and all season tires. Do you disagree that all season tires should be available as buyer specified substitutes for those of us who live in cold climates?
 
#34 ·
Yes, I disagree that all season tires should be a factory option. Corvettes have come with high performance summer tires for years as do all its competition, that isn't going to change.

It's somewhat telling that the only sports car community that has an issue with summer tires seems to be the Corvette community. I don't recall this ever being an issue with the Porsche or BMW M community.

The fact your dealer wasn't savvy enough to discuss the tire warning with you is completely a dealership issue. During the required sales and service training GM points out this issue and instructs the dealers to make sure their customers are aware. But then again, it's points out the difference between a premium car dealership and Chevy.

And people wonder why it's so hard for corvettes to get respect as a world class sports car?
 
#35 ·
Actually, Porsche has a publication for consumers that specifically addresses the need for winter tires in cold climates, and to support the consumer in using the vehicle 12 months a year, Porsche tests tires for winter suitability to earn its "N" rating. And Porsche sells winter tire and wheel sets,as described in this publication. The link is very long. If it does not work, you can find it as the first non-ad link by Googling "porsche 911 all season tires"

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...KYuQKvb-RRPQuJiIQ&sig2=uqzjvNpeJpLu-R_KAVL0cQ
 
#36 ·
Let's keep additional posts on this thread closer to the initial post and save the potential histrionics as to personal accountability vs OEM responsibilities for another thread.
 
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