How do we get a company to make good tires for a Cobra?

[Moriarty]

-Lastly, we have the Avons. Lots of you hate to hear this, but they are NOT good tires. No one really uses them but us, because they're just reasonably good, essentially marginal tires, but at a super premium price. No other performance vehicle owner who has another reasonable choice uses them. They're just not very good, they're simply the best available of a bad group. Porsches, Camaros, Vettes, BMW's, etc - no one uses them! You can get Michelins, Bridgestones, Nittos, Pirellis, Hankooks, Toyo's and the list goes on for these cars for half the price of Avons and get a tire that's state of the art, likely twice as good. The price they charge for these Avon's is laughable.

I’d be perfectly happy with a more affordable Avon. Do we know why they cost what they do? Is it because they are the best available - effectively holding the position of this new perfect tire you’re hoping to have built? Is it possible to build something better, or would it just optimize different trade offs? Are those state of the art tires listed above in 15”? Is perhaps that responsible for the difference in performance?

[767Jockey]

Originally Posted by Moriarty

I’d be perfectly happy with a more affordable Avon. Do we know why they cost what they do? Is it because they are the best available - effectively holding the position of this new perfect tire you’re hoping to have built? Is it possible to build something better, or would it just optimize different trade offs? Are those state of the art tires listed above in 15”? Is perhaps that responsible for the difference in performance?

As many have pointed out, the Cobra tire market is a limited market. Avon can charge whatever they want. They choose to charge this. I doubt that this tire is keeping Avon afloat, it's probably a drop in the bucket to them, and they probably wouldn't break a sweat if no one bought another. It's not a question of building the "perfect" tire. A good tire at a reasonable price would be fine. The Avon is unquesionably a decent tire. The problem is that it's a decent tire at a super premium tire price. I don't know offhand what the M/T's cost, lets say for arguments sake $160 each. The Avon is a better tire than the M/T. If the Avon was $200 or so it would be a no brainer. For $400, it's insane. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires are less than $400 and they are a tremendously superior tire to the Avon's.

Going to a larger diameter wheel opens up the maket available with regard to tires that are far superior to the Avon's, at about half the price. However you have to be willing to compromise on the looks. That's all up to the individual owner. All I am saying is that it would be nice to have a tire that is better than what's available at a price commensurate with the quality and performance of the tire, more in line with the existing tire market for more modern cars. We obviously have a more limited market and have to expect to pay more for that. However paying more than double is simply abusive and opportunistic, and that has nothing at all with what each individual owner can or can't afford. I don't care how much money a guy has or doesn't have - no one likes getting boned.