[Jmueller]

I will second, third or fourth, wherever I am, that these tires on puddles are downright butt clenching. In the rain, they are not bad, but when I see a puddle and I cannot avoid it, I know that the hydroplane is coming at any speed over 45mph. I will also be going to PS4S when worn out. I just wish the stock tires wore out before summer time here in South Florida. See you in the slow lane (on rainy days).

[Ten4Lou]

This is very good information. I've not driven in the rain and don't plan to, however I was just not sure about how cautious I would have to be if I ever got caught in a heavy down pour. based on this thread, I will be very cautious and not try to find the edge of the envelope

Good info

[F1FTY]

Agreed. I was surprised how little grip the S3's actually have when the car hit a puddle for the first time and I white-knuckled it back into the highway lane. Now I avoid driving in the rain altogether with the car, which is difficult to live with as a DD. I'm going to go with some PS4s once I can burn through these.

[Ron66Vette&10SS]

Originally Posted by rmh3

I am putting on the Nitto 555 G2's on mine in prep for the upcoming winter/rain in CA (though we don't get much of a real winter or rain).
I'll report back later on when I get them installed and have some wet/rain to compare.

VERY interested in how much straight line traction (from a dead stop and from a roll) the 555 G2's give up compared to the stock S3's in the dry.

[20181le]

I would be terrified to drive one of these in the rain

[MtnYankee]

Interesting responses.

My car is a daily driver and I have driven through at least 5, probably more, medium-to-heavy rainstorms with the stock F1 tires n various stages of treadwear. I never had any issues, never felt insecure at all. Of course I slowed down a little compared to dry conditions, but nothing more than I would do with any vehicle. I now have Michelin PS4's and actually think they are a little worse in the rain than the Goodyear tires.

I guess your results may vary...

[Oil Man]

Originally Posted by EDFHOBBIES

Standing water with 325, 305 or 285 width tires are a no no now matter what brand. Anything over 45 and you will hydroplane.. The bridgestone RE11s have the deepest tread I've seen and have given me some great confidence when i get stuck in it though..

Agreed.

This basically was the root cause of putting my 2SS into the wall in March. It had Michelin PS4S's that were about 40% worn when it happened during a random spring downpour. I had just reached the top of a freeway onramp, and was casually merging, when it hit a low section of standing water.

It happened faster than I could believe. It was as fine and sure-footed as ever... and then it wasnt...yawing 90+ degrees to the left, and into a spin before I could even begin to counter-steer.

I'm grateful that I was alright, and I replaced my SS with a ZL1, but I won't be driving it where the possibility of standing water exists.

[BlaqWhole]

I've driven mine plenty of times in the rain. It was raining the night I bought the car, lol!! It stopped raining but the roads were still wet and I remember driving home at 80 MPH on the GSP. I even have a PDR video coming home from work one day in a torrential downpour. Granted when it is heavy rain I don't go over 35 MPH. But I never had to stop or felt like it was unsafe to drive. I have the ZL1 tho, not the ZL1 1LE.

[Ten4Lou]

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

I've driven mine plenty of times in the rain. It was raining the night I bought the car, lol!! It stopped raining but the roads were still wet and I remember driving home at 80 MPH on the GSP. I even have a PDR video coming home from work one day in a torrential downpour. Granted when it is heavy rain I don't go over 35 MPH. But I never had to stop or felt like it was unsafe to drive. I have the ZL1 tho, not the ZL1 1LE.

From what others are telling me, it isn’t the rain or wet roads that are the concern. What’s being shared as the caution here is standing or puddling water that causes the hydroplaning. It can also happen if the rain is pouring so heavy that the depth of the water trying to run off of the road is deeper than whatever tread depth remains on your tires.

[Snakebt6]

I don't know..I drove mine home new the day I picked it up in the pouring rain and I drive home from work just about every other day in the rain it seems. (Jacksonville FL)

Maybe I drive slow but Ive never had a problem.

Need to be careful and pay attention to your speed, road conditions, and driving in general while its raining, Yes.

Unsafe in the rain? No.

Maybe the 1LE is different from the base ZL1 but I don't feel unsafe. Just my opinion.

[Gunkk]

The stock Goodyears tried to kill me 2 weeks into ownership while on a local 45 mph road. Was going a steady 42 mph. Road has a crown and it was a light morning rain with no standing water. Car got loose without any abrupt throttle or steering inputs.

The MPSS on my daily with 20k miles on them and 4/32s remaining hold the road far better at 85 mph on I-75 in a blinding 2 in/hr rain than the Goodyears do at 45 mph in light rain on local roads.

The stock goodyears are top shelf for a hot dry track, but they are just plain lousy DD rain ties.

[kaamacat]

Not so much the rain itself, its the roads that are "worn in" from tire weight where water can puddle. In that case any wide profile tire... especially ones that do not evacuate water like the R3s are really bad. (So I, in that case, drive a tad off-center to the right...) When I was doing the break-in miles, we headed south to Pensacola area and got caught many times in rain. I think that the Florida roads are just so much nicer than Georgia it was not much of an issue. (Our roads suck wind!)

[Badgerbimmer]

I did the PCA DE at Road America last week Friday in the GY SC3s in the rain. I thought they were not bad at all. I have been on much worse in the rain.

[BlaqWhole]

Originally Posted by Ten4Lou

From what others are telling me, it isn’t the rain or wet roads that are the concern. What’s being shared as the caution here is standing or puddling water that causes the hydroplaning. It can also happen if the rain is pouring so heavy that the depth of the water trying to run off of the road is deeper than whatever tread depth remains on your tires.

Originally Posted by kaamacat

Not so much the rain itself, its the roads that are "worn in" from tire weight where water can puddle. In that case any wide profile tire... especially ones that do not evacuate water like the R3s are really bad. (So I, in that case, drive a tad off-center to the right...) When I was doing the break-in miles, we headed south to Pensacola area and got caught many times in rain. I think that the Florida roads are just so much nicer than Georgia it was not much of an issue. (Our roads suck wind!)

I get what you're saying. But couldn't the same be said for any car out there in such conditions? It isn't necessarily a Camaro tires thing.