Tires

[Gutterman]

What is one of the best brand of tires to put on a 2008 Shelby GT500 for everyday driving?

 

[MrBhp]

Your preference of straight line traction, cornering, and/or comfort will decide. This is a question that tends to lead to disagreements. Do you drive your car like a Kia, or like it should be? You gotta fit the tire to what you expect of the car. Also, are you staying with the factory sizing?

 

[skwerl]

Michelin Pilot Sport.

 

[Juice]

Anything in the 200-300 utg range. 200 minimum for dailyduties.

 

[JC SSP]

As stated… What do you plan to do with the car (cruise, drag, auto cross, etc.) and how much can you afford?

Michelin pilot sports will run you $250+ each… I have them in my Audi (second set) and LOVE them but pricey. Have Nitto NT555 on my Mustang GT and they are $150 each but do not grip as good as the Michelins.

 

[millionmilemustang]

Michelin pilot sport has been great for me but they don't last that long. 30k miles or so for me each set.

 

[86GT351]

Michelin is generally known as the best on the market. The question you ask is too generic. What is your goal with the car?

 

[bullitt1011]

I have NT555 G2 great tire, but will be getting Firestone Indy 500's, I've been told they are really good with a great price

 

[StockishS197]

I also have had a few sets of NT555 G2. Good all around decent tire for the price. A little noisy, if the car sits for a while it might get minor flat spots until they warm up in a couple miles. They are also on the heavier side, but have deep tread and good tire life for a DD.

 

[MrBhp]

So many mixed reviews on those Nitto's. I found them to be one of the worst tires I've ever ran. Very poor traction. A burnout would just make them greasy. If you can afford Pilot Sports, that's probably your best bet. Although they can get loud as well. Continental makes a great all-rounder in the DWS. I went with Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 last time. Didn't expect much. They were what I could afford. I found a place that had them clearanced for some reason. I think I was $700 to my door, before mount and balance. And that was 315-35-20 and 285-40-20. I think. Anyway, big tires for a little money. They have been great tires.

 

[JC SSP]

That is ironic, I had Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 255/40-17 on my old 1996 GT. They replaced the Goodyear Eagles which were 10-year dry rotted... I was pleasantly surprised that they performed so well for an economy sport tire. Sold the car to the kid down the street a few years ago and cool to still see it running around on those same tires.

 

[fast Ed]

Continental ExtremeContactSport02 are very good as well. The test results are very close to the Michelin PS4S and they are typically at least $30-40 less per tire, sometimes even more of a price difference depending on size.

I put a set of these on my 12 GT500 last year, 285/35R19 all around. They are comfortable, with good grip dry or wet … yes, I drive my Shelby in the rain sometimes.

 

[Blue03Cobra]

They are comfortable male with good grip dry or wet .

I know it wasn't your intent, but that was a great belly laugh, thanks

 

[Gabe]

If you're staying with the factory sizes, Michelins are pretty much the best option.

The Nitto 555 G2 has zero traction on the back of a GT500, especially if modded.

If you want to increase your traction coefficient, the Nitto 555RII is a great drag radial, and they're somewhat decent in light rain up to 40-50 mph.
Being a DR, they only start at 6/32" tread depth though, so tread life is usually 5-15k, depending on driving style.

 

[Midlife Crises]

I was very disappointed with the NT555G2s I put on my GT. Very poor straight line traction and they got “greasy” to use MrBhp’s word, when hot. When cornering aggressively they gave little or no warning before slipping off track and did not recover well. I replaced them with a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 asymmetric and they are much better all around tires.

 

[07 Boss]

I think I have tried just about every tire and drag radial combo out there. Michelin PS or Continental Extreme Contact would be my first choices. I've also had great results from Mickey Thompson Street Comps. Stay away from Nitto, very unimpressed with even their drag radials.

 

[orthoguy]

I have NT555 G2 great tire, but will be getting Firestone Indy 500's, I've been told they are really good with a great price

Did you ever get the Indy 500's? And if so, do you like them? Thanks

 

[fast Ed]

Indy 500s are an older tire now but still a good value. I ran them for a while on the 17 GT PP I had a few years ago, as well as on an SVO. I’d use them again on certainly vehicles, but IMO a GT500 deserves better tires.

 

[crjackson]

Continental Extreme Contact DWS 06 Plus

 

[bullitt1011]

Did you ever get the Indy 500's? And if so, do you like them? Thanks

Yup put 255/45/18's on grip far superior over the NT 555 G2's. And for the price awesome.