I have a 2013 Shelby GT 500. The tires it came with are Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar G2:
Front P265/40ZR-19 98Y
Rear P285/35ZR-20 92Y
The tires are fine for high Summer months here in Alaska, but only marginal during during Spring and Fall. The car is stored when snow is first forecast, around Oct-Nov and not brought out of hibernation until snow is no longer forecast, usually May (we’ve had snow every month of the year, so no guarantees).
What I’m looking for is a more general purpose, high performance tire for the shoulder season.
Anyone have suggestions?
Unfortunately I’m not aware of any all-season tires for the odd sizes this car takes (front and back are different sizes and neither size is common). There are some Michelins that fit, but they are summer tires as well.
EVERY season in Alaska is a “shoulder season”…See what size tire and wheel comes on a Mustang GT and go with those…The difference in performance will not be noticeable except on a skid pad or race track…
@Caddyman. The GT500 has staggered tires, 265/40/19’s up front and 285/35/20 's in the back, Standard Mustang GT tires won’t fit the rims as they are too narrow, also the standard Mustang GT rims won’t clear the GT 500’s massive brake rotors. Though the wheels on the Brembo/Track Pack equipped GT will.
Thanks everyone. I was prepared for the bad news, I’ll just have to be prepared to store the car early or bring it out late. Caddyman, June, July August are spectacular high Summer months. How do you think we grow those giant vegetables?
@alphonse, you can bring it out of the garage in May and still drive it in September. Maybe not every day, but you should exercise a great car like your Shelby Mustange as often as possible.
I bet a set of 8.5X19 wheels and matched same size tires will fit just fine and allow a MUCH broader selection of tires…
There are 16,000 miles of public roads in Alaska of which 1,400 are paved…Somehow, Shelby Mustangs seem a little out of place here…But hey, to each his own…
Caddyman, true about the roads. Almost anything but 4wd is out of place here. The only thing more impractical for the Shelby would have been the convertible model. However, those 1,400 miles connect WIDELY separated places of interest that I need to get to with style and speed. And I already have a 4wd. I’ll ask around about those wheels and tires.
I will say this about the roads near Anchorage - there are 100 times more fun driving miles there than there are near me in Dallas. I had LOTS of fun with a GTI up there.
Will smaller diameter rims fit, like 18" or 17" ?
It’s a matter of clearing the brakes.
Then you can go with higher profile tires.
There are a number of wheel companies that can build up rims with proper offset and diameter to fit most calipers on specialty cars. You can than go with a more all season tire. I read long term road test of newer Audi a8 and they had to buy a new set of 19" a/s tires for it. $2400. Wow.
You tell 'em Texases.
If you didn’t make it this last trip, next time do the Richardson Highway, Alaska Hwy 4, to Valdez. A beautiful drive, you’ll pass glaciers you can walk to (and walk on if you’re feeling crazy), and the last portion of the drive is in a river canyon with magnificent waterfalls.
I agree with @Caddyman and getting another set on one size fits all rims. That will increase your options. Cars like yours are made one dimensional and there is a little added expense to adapting to places like , Alaska. Year round driving in Alaska was not what the engineers at Ford had in mind for your car.
Go for new rims as a concession to having a great car otherwise.
Perhaps a performance car could benefit from very low profile tires. But, I see the new caddy xts sedan has 19 or 20" tire options. Why does a sedate sedan need 40 series, 20" tires? Does grandpa really want to buy $312 tires to drive to church? Are the designers just out of touch with common folk and think the buyers in Nebraska care about the “look” of big wheels filling the fenders?
I’m not sure the Shelby GT 500 would take smaller rims. I believe it has larger discs and calipers. But it’d be easy enough for the OP to check.