Thursday 6th May 2004

The 225mph Tyre

Continental launch the ContiSportContact 2 Vmax

---

Continental has created the first ever road tyre to be approved for speeds of up to 225mph. The high-tech tyre, which has been specifically designed for ultra-fast, customized performance sports cars, will be available in four sizes from Summer 2004.

The new ContiSportContact 2 Vmax super-sport tyre boasts the following unique features and benefits:

• Cooler running when travelling at high speed through additional tread grooves
• Improved handling due to a lower than tread depth of 6.3 to 7 millimetres (standard 8mm)
• Improved performance in the wet through optimised tread pattern

Mark Hopkins, Brand Manager at Continental, said, “The Vmax is a natural evolution in our production of high speed tyres. It is designed with drivers of ultra-high performance cars in mind who want to get the most out of their car. I am sure it will quickly prove itself as the indispensable accessory for any serious ultra-high performance driver .”

The emergence of the Vmax onto the market will exceed the tyre speed symbol scale that currently ends with the “Y” index. With a tyre that now surpasses this 187mph upper limit, the classic “ZR” speed category - approved for speeds in excess of 150mph - has been authorised as the service description for the new high-end tyre.

The following tyre sizes of the ContiSportContact 2 Vmax are in preparation:

For the Mercedes E Class, the BMW 5 series and customised vehicles:
245/35 ZR 19 XL
275/30 ZR 19 XL

For Porsche and customised vehicles:
235/35 ZR 19 XL
315/25 ZR 19

[Stig]

Wot no 335s?

[eein]

Will there be one for minis?

[RB Will]

if this is the first type of tyre to cater for this speed what have cars been running on before. Racing tyres?

[agent006]

So i assume they've just bought shares in a 19" wheel manufacturer.

[Frik]

RB Will said:

if this is the first type of tyre to cater for this speed what have cars been running on before. Racing tyres?

Probably bespoke ones as it used to be only expensive supercars that did these sort of speeds.

[8Pack]

Goes to show though doesn't it? Continental (German), Mercedes (German), BMW (German) Porsche (German).

Now you KNOW what our 70mph motorway speed limit is doing to OUR motor manufacturers!

[gt5s_1985]

RB Will said:

if this is the first type of tyre to cater for this speed what have cars been running on before. Racing tyres?

Certain members of the Pantera Owners Club of America run an open-road race in the western US where they average speeds over a 90-mile course of 170-180 mph (that's avg speed, with top speeds slightly higher...) They use Goodyear NASCAR racing tyres, but these are not street legal and have nothing in the way of puncture protection. They also don't last too terribly long ;-) But they are about the only thing that will hold up to the heat of those speeds.

[munky]

So what did the McLaren F1 and XJ220 get delivered with? Old school supercars often came with Pirelli P zeros - what were they rated to?