Continental Tires vs Michelins

[phangz]

I've heard recently on Facebook that some folks are running Continental Tires and getting good reviews. Are any of you using this brand and if so, what set up did you go with?

 

[TexasViper35]

Have you found a set of Continentals in the sizes that you need? I have not seen them as a match / option in the factory fit tire sizes for my Gen III.

So of course I have no experience with Continentals. But I have had many sets of Michelin Pilot Sports and Super Sports and I like them a lot!

 

[SA HEAT]

nm

 

[Blue Vert]

I just received delivery in 24 hours on a set of 4 Continental Extreme Contact Sport summer tires from Viper JonB at Viper Parts Rack for my Gen IV. He recommended these as being specifically designed for Vipers by Continental to fill the Michelin void. I have been checking around for Michelin Pilot Super Sports, but can only find rears, and with a date code of early 2019. Fronts I could only find Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2's. So, not wanting to go with a mix, I'm trying the Conti's. I'm 95% street driving, hence the recommendation. Plus, these are 3 months old!

The setup is factory 275/35 ZR 18 95Y in front, with 355/30 ZR 19 99Y in rear vs. 345/30 R19 factory. According to JonB, these fit and give you an extra 10mm of tread, which I find enticing! I'll post how they ride once I get them mounted. Price was $1,400 delivered.

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[MoparMap]

Interesting, keep us posted! The Michelins have been great tires over the years, so disappointing to see them get so scarce. Hopefully these are just as good and will be readily available for years to come.

 

[Richard S]

Got a gen2 GTS and RT/10 .. I want to keep them original and both require the 17" tires front and rear. It's been gawd awful finding tires over the years. But, with lots of patience (years) and keeping an eye out I've managed to occasionally find them... but barely (Michelin has thankfully put a batch out every few years).

So, no more burnouts and need to be extremely careful not to flat spot 'em (have no abs).. which has taken a bit of the reckless fun away.

I LOVE the Michelins.. never had a white knuckle moment due to tire grip. I HOPE Continental also builds the smaller 17's for us older Vipers.

 

[Viper-10]

I'm sure that they will last longer than Michelins, but if you want the best handling stay with Michelins... they'll give you more advanced warning before letting go laterally. The Michelins were designed for the weight and torque of the Vipers from the beginning. Good luck with the Continentals. I would love to hear how they do at the track.

 

[Blue Vert]

Hi all, getting back to this post on the Conti's. So, first I have to say you have to take this with a grain of salt. I purchased the car 5 years ago and it had the original Michelins on it with 15,000 miles, and 8 years old already. They were like driving on a hockey rink, and I had a ton of wheel hop. I could break them loose in 3rd gear, so pretty dodgy. Rain? Forget about it. Anyway, so far the Conti's are great!! No wheel hop, awesome traction on the street, and I have a hard time breaking them loose after 1st gear. They really hook up, and cornering is what I expected the car to have in the first place. I have not been on track yet, so cannot judge how they would do, but on relatively rough Detroit area roads, even on bumpy corners, they tend to grab immediately after the bounce. Pretty happy with the performance so far.

 

[TexasViper35]

Hi all, getting back to this post on the Conti's. So, first I have to say you have to take this with a grain of salt. I purchased the car 5 years ago and it had the original Michelins on it with 15,000 miles, and 8 years old already. They were like driving on a hockey rink, and I had a ton of wheel hop. I could break them loose in 3rd gear, so pretty dodgy. Rain? Forget about it. Anyway, so far the Conti's are great!! No wheel hop, awesome traction on the street, and I have a hard time breaking them loose after 1st gear. They really hook up, and cornering is what I expected the car to have in the first place. I have not been on track yet, so cannot judge how they would do, but on relatively rough Detroit area roads, even on bumpy corners, they tend to grab immediately after the bounce. Pretty happy with the performance so far.

Wow, you had been driving on 13 year olds tires! That’s not good if the idea of driving all out or a track day was floating in you head. Gotta give it to the Michelin Pilot Sports though for going a full 15K miles, every set that I’ve ever owned went 15K. I’m comparing that to the Pirellis on my Porsche, which last 8-9K if I’m lucky. …One caveat, there is another Pilot Sport, The Cup II. That tire was designed for track use and only comes with 4-5/16 of tread, it will not go 15K miles.

What you had were the original Michelin Pilot “Run Flats” that came with the car, we all had them. Yes, you could force them to predictably break traction at will, which was always a blast for me in low speed corners - just for grins! The later Pilot Sport and then the Pilot Super Sport are completely different animals.

I had asked earlier, did you find your Continentals in factory sizes, or are you running aftermarket wheels? I don’t recall ever seeing them as an option. They are Y speed rated BTW, that is lower than the Z for the Pilot Sports, but I don’t see myself hitting 200 mph anytime soon.

I‘d say keep us posted on how long they last but as it’s a Viper I suppose that will be a few years, at the least.

Congrats on your new rubber!

ETA Oh, I can see the sizes in the photo. Seems they are available for the front, and then 10mm increase for the rears. The later Vipers have 355’s in back. I don’t recall the fronts, but they may be larger as well, maybe 285’s?