SAFETY AT THE LIMIT

SAFETY AT THE LIMIT‍‍‍

For the world’s fastest cars - Ultra-ultra high performance (U-UHP) tires can be relied upon to maintain optimum performance levels at speeds of 360 km/h and above. A whole department at Continental is dedicated to developing bespoke tires for performance-modified vehicles from renown-ed manufacturers and brand tuners.

Pushing performance skywards

The increase in performance is also reflected in top speeds: Where series-produced models are electronically limited to 250 km/h, the tuned versions are largely capped at 300 km/h.

But not all of these hyper-powerful models are fitted with speed governors. A Brabus-tuned roadster based on the Mercedes S 600 can hit a maximum 327 km/h, while specialist Porsche tuners 9ff offer 911s that can crack the 380-km/h mark on a test track.

“We view our involvement in the high performance and tuning sector as a technological spearhead for tire development,” says Siemons.

His colleague Andreas Krause, the Product Development Manager responsible for the technical implementation of ultra-ultra high performance tyres, adds “Our work makes us one of the company’s technological driving forces. Constantly pushing back the boundaries of what is possible in the tuning sector brings us a massive advantage in experience terms.”‍‍‍

U-UHP tyres in series production: the SportContact 6

It can take up to three ye‍‍‍ars to develop an ultra-ultra high performance tyre.

“We ensure we bring our best experts together for every tuning project so we can meet the most ambitious goals,” explains Krause.

Achieving the knowledge transfer required for the best results and to ensuring the development and application of new technologies invariably means sharing ideas and collaborating across departmental boundaries.

High-tech and innovation boost performance‍‍‍

In recent years, Continental’s technicians and engineers have developed a large number of new technologies that can give tire performance characteristics a significant boost. These technologies were initially used by U-UHP car tyre developers and are now being utilised in the development of replacement and original equipment tires as well. The three most important technologies and materials have been given their own brand names and are quality features and USPs of Continental tires.

For example, while Black Chili technology has its origins in the development of bicycle tyres, it is also used in high-tech car tyres. This innovative new rubber compound lies at the heart of treads whose Micro F‍‍‍lexibility Compound ensures optimum interlocking between tyre and road surface – making for outstanding g‍‍‍rip in dry or wet conditions.

Other technologies for cars designed to be pushed to the limits include the new Aralon 350 material component and Force Vectoring for the development of optimum tread structures.

Through its many years of involvement at the top end of tire development, Continental has established itself as one of the leading suppliers to car tuners in Europe and around the world.

Among the elite specialists who fit their modified cars with Continental tires are Abt, AC Schnitzer, Arden, Brabus, Heico, Lorinser, edo competition and TechArt, to name ju‍‍‍st some.

At Continental, these tuning companies have the same status as car manufacturers, as Siemons confirms, “Our customer relationships here are comparable with those we maintain in the original equipment sector.”

When even the range-topping variants of standard production cars no longer cut the mustard, individually-tuned models become the obvious answer. Tuning specialists give customers something special.

Outfits such as Brabus and Alpina do a lot more than just adding individual tuning components to elevate a car above the masses, but by creating overall concepts tailored to the driver and featuring a finely balanced choreography of details with exceptional performance as their aim.

“We see tuning companies as specialist manufacturers and refiners,” says Henry Siemons, who heads up the Tuning department at Continental.  “These firms turn the most powerful series-built models into even faster and, in many cases, even heavier cars. For this breed of vehicle you need tyres that offer unbeatable dynamic performance and safety – at speeds of up to 400 km/h,” Siemons adds.

Developing the right tyres for the tuning sector is one of the most challenging jobs in the business. For example, while a Mercedes SL 500 leaves the factory with an output of 455 hp, the tuned variant offered by Brabus produces 850 hp.

A tuner like Lorinser boosts the power of a Mercedes S-Class by almost 100 hp to 530 hp and whilst a Competition Package adds a furth‍‍‍er 150 horse to the 450 hp alrea‍‍‍dy on tap from a BMW M6. This is the sort of performance that can only be transferred safely onto the road by tyres of the highest quality and calibre.

A tuned Porsche 911 Turbo S by edo competition set a record-breaking speed of 341 km/h on ultra-ultra high performance tyres from Continental at the proving grounds in Papenburg.

U-UHP and tuning: a growth market

Sales in the U-UHP and tuning segment are experiencing uninterrupted global growth. In Europe, sales of 19-inch tires are forecast to exceed 4,500,000 units. And the outlook is also promising in the USA, Russia and China.

Market‍‍‍ development for U-UHP tyres in Europe‍‍‍

By tyre sizes from 19 to 23 inches in Europe‍‍‍

Grow‍‍‍th 2014 – 2020

The U-UHP market in Europe remains on a positive track. 21-inch tyres and larger are seeing particularly strong growth.

So what are U-UHP tyres?

Ultra-ultra hig‍‍‍h performance tyres are designed primarily to deal with very high speeds and loads. And UHP tyres are also defined by size. After all, the larger the wheel rim, the lower the sidewall of a tire and the greater its stability and resilience. U-UHP tyre sizes range from 19 to 23 inches.

Patented by Continental, Black Chili technology with special grip resins is a high-grip compound that delivers optimum microflexibility. At the same time, fleeting atomic bonds in the contact patch act like nanoscopic suction pads to ensure maximum adhesion. Together, these two factors provide maximum grip in all directions when braking, cornering, and accelerating on wet or dry roads.

Force Vectoring technology uses the different tread elements of a tyre to ensure optimal force transfer and maximum transmission of lateral forces. Tread blocks on the outside are connected to interlinked elements in a second row of blocks. This way the blocks provide mutual support during fast cornering and can best transfer the high lateral forces. The tread’s asymmetrical design increases the stability of the ribs, leading to a perceptible improvement in the translation of steering commands to the road.

The use of a new reinforcing material by the name of Aralon 350, specially designed for the SportContact 6, increases the tyre’s load-bearing capacity for high-speed driving. This synthetic textile fibre, in which two strands of highstrength aramid are twisted together with a strand of flexible nylon, is embedded in the rubber. Located beneath the tread, this endless cap ply acts like an additional steel belt, providing extra stabilisation to help deal with the enormous centrifugal forces that are generated at very high speeds.

Fast and heavy: Tuned SUVs, like the Range Rover by AC Schnitzer pictured here, present particularly stern challenges for tire developers. In addition to the high speeds these cars are capable of, the extra kilos they carry also need to be factored in.

Picture: AC Schnitzer

Tuning: Market with a Big Future

“Our aim in the tuning market is to provide the desired performance in impressive style and, in so doing, show that we have already got this sector well covered,” says Siemons.

“The image gains are huge and experience shows that the wider market ultimately follows these trends,” Siemons adds.‍‍‍

And indeed, its innovations in the U-UHP sector have ensured Continental is often one step ahead when it comes to the latest requirements in the replacement and original equipment (OE) sectors.

Highest Safety Rating for High Speeds: The Continental SportContact 6

Innovation leader and technology trailblazer Continental has laid down another significant marker in the tuning segment. Tuning aficionados unwilling to settle for second-best in the premium segment can now add the new SportContact 6 to their wish list.

Steering precision is up by 14 percent over its predecessor (the ContiSportContact 5 P) and handling on dry surfaces shows an eleven percent improvement. Grip in track conditions is four percent better than before. And the new SportContact 6 raises the high bar set by its predecessor for overall performance in the wet by another two percent.

In addition, mileage and ride comfort both see a seven percent improvement. Extreme performance and optimum safety at up to 350 km/h are the key attributes of the SportContact 6.

The SportContact 6 features new technologies in the shape of Black Chili, Aralon 350 and Force Vectoring.

The new tyre emerged victorious in a test conducted by German magazine “AutoBild sportscars”, earning the verdict “exemplary”. And in the “best brands” readers’ survey carried out by “AutoBild” at the start of 2016, over half of the 60,000 respondents chose Continental in the “tyres” category. Under the heading of “quality”, almost 70 percent of readers voted for Continental, while the company’s tires again came top as the best value for money.

” A VDAT survey of vehicle owners in Germany found that tuning is an attractive market here too, with 73 percent of drivers now keen to invest more money in their cars again.

Young new-car buyers up to 30 years of age are particularly eager to set their cars apart from standard production models. Continental’s commitment to the tuning sector therefore represents a sustainable investment not only with regard to future cars, but also when it comes to future customers.