C8 Z06 on Vitour P1s: Test Results from James Elliot
Earlier this season, James Elliot had the chance to put the Vitour P1s through their paces for the first time at an autocross event with the Adrenaline Driving Series—and the results showed exactly why more drivers are making the switch.
The event, hosted by Brian Finch of Finch Performance, featured a fast, technical course with plenty of runs—ideal for dialing in James' 2025 C8 Z06 and getting a true feel for how the P1 responds under real autocross competition conditions.
James ran a 295/345 combo and started with a full scrub-in to prep the tires properly before pushing harder throughout the day. Across multiple sessions, he logged consistent feedback on how the P1 behaved cold, warm, and hot—building a clear picture of its performance curve.
Vitour P1 Performance: Cold Grip and Heat Progression
On the first run of the second heat—after the track had been brushed off—grip was already respectable, even with outside temperatures around 47°F. James noted the P1s felt slightly below a Yokohama A052 on a cold surface but stayed controllable and fast.
How They Came Alive:
The P1s showed a strong response to heat. As tire temperatures built (helped by warmers and back-to-back hot laps), performance jumped significantly. Here's the comparison James recorded over a consistent track layout:
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Cold tires, no warmers (after sitting 1.5 hours): 57.4 sec
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After tire warmers and grid heat soak: 54.0 sec
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Fully up to temp on third run: 53.0 sec
Key Takeaways:
“I feel like these tires are really going to shine in road course time trials. Whenever I ran Yokohama A052s, I was always worried about overheating them and losing grip. These, however, are the complete opposite.”
James also pointed out something we hear often from drivers moving to P1s:
The hotter you get them, the better they perform.
Unlike many Super 200 options that need careful management to avoid overheating, the P1 thrives under consistent, repeated attack without falling off.
Further, one of the P1’s biggest advantages is its ability to recover quickly when pushed over the edge—a key difference from most of the pointy-end Super 200 options, which typically can’t take repeated punishment without losing performance.
Final Results:
James ended the day laying down the fastest times at the event, going up against fast drivers and serious cars. His early impressions reinforce what we've been seeing across events: the Vitour P1 isn't just competitive—it’s built to dominate, especially in challenging autocross conditions where other tires start to fall off.