Continental launches new super sports tire ContiSportContact 5 P
June 2nd, 2010Continental is opening up a new chapter in super sports tires with its new ContiSportContact 5 P- and the company is keen to highlight the approvals already gained from sports car manufacturers and top class customisers. Moreover the new summer tire from Northern Germany is designed in such a way that it neatly fits into a new niche created by the vehicle manufacturers. This niche in the tire market came about through the need for appropriate fitments for the Audi TT RS, Mercedes AMG C 63 and other top class sports cars. In the past these cars were often equipped with tires from existing series, which were adapted to meet the manufacturers’ high requirements. However, with its new super sports tire Continental now has a fresh product which is not only designed specifically for the Original Equipment sector, but which also meets the highest demands of the replacement market.
Front and rear axle – the benefits of having different tread patterns
For vehicles with powerful engines and rear wheel drive, having different tire sizes on the axles provides substantial benefits in terms of accelerating, braking and handling. If the tires on the drive and steered axle have been specifically developed to efficiently transmit the forces occurring, this can further enhance the vehicles’ dynamic driving benefits.
ContiSportContact 5 P mounted on Audi TT RS (Image: Continental)
The ContiSportContact 5 P was therefore developed to ensure optimum transmission of the acceleration forces from the rear axle of these high performance cars. This involved designing the tread pattern in such a way that the large ground contact patch ensured maximum transmission of forces. Two rugged central ribs in the asymmetrical tread pattern mean the rear axle tires deliver optimum grip. These tires also ensure that no propulsion power is lost, even during harsh acceleration. At the same time the block structure on the tire outer shoulder means good transmission of lateral forces. This particularly benefits direct handling, as steering commands are implemented quickly and effectively.
To reinforce this effect, the tire developers dispensed with one of the two central ribs on the front axle tire to make the block structures for handling even wider. To achieve braking action which is as short and appropriate as possible and to prevent the tread blocks in the tire centre from caving in, these are interlinked and supported by short ridges.
The designs of the front and rear axle tires have been perfectly matched to suit each other and their position on the respective axle, thereby ensuring sporty dynamic performance as they have the flexibility to adapt to different road conditions.
A short history – the ContiSportContact tire family
In terms of its name, the new sports tire follows in the tradition and nomenclature of the ContiSportContact family, which has been a success story for over sixteen years. These tires grow with the demands placed on them – the CV 90, the first official SportContact, fell into the 13″ to 16″ tire category common in the 1990s. Its successors, which from 1994 onwards carried the name ContiSportContact, then had to meet the demand for tires up to 20″ in size. The ContiSportContact 2, which was launched in 2001, attained the impressive size of 22″. Its successor, the ContiSportContact Vmax, was optimised for high speeds and in 2004 was timed by the tire developers in Nardò, Italy, at over 360 km/h (225 mph), a speed it surpassed in 2007 when it reached 409 km/h (255 mph) on a Porsche 9ff.
In 2006 Continental introduced the next high-tech sports tire – the ContiSportContact 3. When this tire was launched, its maximum size was also 22″. The ContiSportContact 5 P constitutes a new product line in the UHP segment – with maximum grip for fast acceleration and braking, perfect handling for driving right up to the limit, and fun at the wheel coupled with safety.
Continental is also confident about the expected sales figures for the new ContiSportContact 5 P. In recent years customers in Europe have shown a decided preference for tires approved for speeds from 240 km/h (150 mph) upwards. Between 2005 and 2009 the market share for these tires increased from 12% to 16%. In those European countries with a larger fleet of powerful vehicles – Germany and the UK, for example – their market share is currently 23% and 24% respectively.
This recent rise in the number of ‘fast’ tires is due to the higher performance which new cars are increasingly capable of. Nowadays even medium range cars require tires with Speed Index Z (approved for over 240 km/h – 150 mph), W (approved for up to 270 km/h – 168 mph) or Y (approved for up to 300 km/h – 187 mph). At the same time the demands made by vehicle manufacturers before Original Equipment approvals are granted continue to rise – particularly in the case of fast sports cars, where handling is of the utmost importance. For tire producers it therefore makes good sense to offer car manufacturers, leading customisers and sporty drivers tires which have been developed specifically to meet these requirements, as these products can more easily be adapted to suit individual vehicles.
The ContiSportContact 5 P had therefore already been given the green light long before its official debut, with initial approvals being granted by Mercedes-Benz AMG for the C 63, E 63 and SLS, as well as by Audi for the TT RS and Renault for the Mégane III Sport. Continental’s technology partners in the high-end customising sector are also visibly impressed by the new sports tire from Hanover – Abt, AC Schnitzer, Techart and Lorinser have all praised the good handling, grip and braking characteristics of the ContiSportContact 5 P. From this spring, consumers will be able to order the new super sports tire from their tire dealer. The new ContiSportContact 5 P will be available from the tire trade in the existing sizes at the same price as the previous models.
