Continental ContiSportContact 5 P UHP, Tuning Tyre: Details

Continental has announced the availability of its new tyre for high performance sports cars from the spring, the ContiSportContact 5 P. The tyre is already fitted as standard on several Mercedes AMG models, displayed alongside the new Audi TT RS at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The tyre’s official launch in Portimao, Portugal this week is marked by a particular focus on the sorts of technological developments for which Continental is often lauded; representatives of the manufacturer describe the brand as “technology-driven”. The launch took place at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, acclaimed already by specialists as one of the best racing tracks in the world. Located in the south of Portugal in the District of Portimão, it was recently voted “Motorsport Facility of the Year” by ‘Professional Motorsport World Expo Awards 2009” and is preparing to get its ISO 9001 certification (Quality Management System) and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System).

Developed with differently sized rear wheel fitments in addition to front and all-position sizes, Continental highlights in particular the speed of the development time for the new CSC 5 P, displaying two prototype “EVOlution” models and explaining how targets were set to achieve the balance of performance and safety features it has achieved. The tyre uses a new asymmetrical hybrid block and ribbed tread design alongside the company’s “Black Chilli” compound in order to achieve the high levels of handling precision, and short braking distances required on the UHP market.

In terms of the market for the tyre, head of Passenger/Light Truck Tire at Conti Nikolai Setzer declared the company optimistic; while the market has experienced a considerable slowdown over the past 15 months, he stated, “we don’t see growth halting” in the 17”-plus, W/Y/Z speed-rated European market. Setzer claims that the segment will experience a continuing, linear upward trend of consistent growth, leading up to the release of the ContiSportContact 5 – a brother to the 5 P – in 2011. At Continental, he said, there has been “no postponement in [research and development] investment.”

The Hanoverians are optimistic about the expected sales of the ContiSportContact 5 P. Tyres approved for speeds in excess of 240 km/h have been gaining favour among customers in Europe in recent years, Conti says. Their market share increased from 12-16 per cent between 2005 and 2009; a share that will continue to grow until 2012 if Conti’s projections transpire. In European countries with a large stock of vehicles with high-performance engines such as Germany and Great Britain, their market share is currently at 23 and 24 per cent, respectively; a further, though more moderate, increase in market share is also expected here, the manufacturer states.

The reason for the increase in “fast” tyres, says Conti, is the continually improving engine performance of new vehicles. Today, even mid-class passenger cars and light trucks require tyres of speed-class Z (approved over 240 km/h), W (approved up to 270 km/h) or Y (approved up to 300 km/h). At the same time, the requirements of vehicle manufacturers for complicated original equipment approvals are continually rising – particularly among manufacturers of faster sports cars geared toward handling.

Even before its official debut, Conti says the signs are good for the tyre: it has already been approved by AMG for the C 63, as well as by Audi for the TT RS and by Renault for the Megane III Sport. At the same time, the manufacturer’s technology partners in the high-end tuning area are enthusiastic about the new sport tyre from Hanover: Abt, AC Schnitzer, Techart and Lorinser are praising the good handling, grip and breaking characteristics of the ContiSportContact 5 P. End consumers, however, will need to be patient until the end of the winter tyre season in spring 2010. Continental is not aiming for a price increase with the new tyre – it will be on sale with the same pricing as the tyres sizes currently available.

The benefits of different treads

Conti explains that vehicles with high-performance engines and rear-wheel drive have a distinct advantage in terms of accelerating, braking and handling if they have different sized tyres on their axles. There is an even greater driving advantage to be had when the tyres on the drive and steering axles are designed to correctly transfer the forces that arise.

The tyres of such high-performance vehicles have been designed in such a way that the acceleration forces from the rear axle will be transferred with maximum traction. To this end, the tread design has been developed with a large contact area to optimise the transfer of forces. The two solid central ribs of the asymmetrically formed tread guarantee the best traction for the rear tyres. They also ensure that no thrust power is lost during fast acceleration. At the same time, the block structure of the outer tyre shoulder ensures that lateral forces are transferred well. This mainly benefits direct handling, because steering commands are implemented quickly and safely. Aiming to enhance this effect, the tyre developers left out one of the two central ribs in order to position the block structures for handling more widely. In order to allow for as short and finely controlled braking as possible, tread blocks in the middle of the tyre support one another via short bars so that the blocks do not give way.

The tread of the CSC 5 P is a hybrid of the otherwise customary block and ribbed tread patterns, combining the advantages of both: block treads provide excellent traction when cornering because the blocks can adapt well to the road surface; ribbed tread patterns provide high longitudinal rigidity, helping to ensure short braking distances and good steering into corners. The combination of both tread types is designed to enable handling right up to the performance limits, short braking distances and a quick steering response.

For cars with high-performance engines, short braking distance is not only an absolute must in terms of road safety, it also increases driving enjoyment because you can brake quickly and safely when cornering. The CSC 5 P therefore features a groove in the block edges angled at 45 degrees. This groove has the advantage of preventing the edges of the individual blocks from ‘rolling in’ under extreme pressures. This provides a larger contact area making the braking distance shorter because of the additional surface available for the transfer of forces.

Continental also reports that its tyre developers found new solutions for the composition of the tread compound and the reinforcing material in the new ContiSportContact 5 P tyre. New carbon blacks and resins were introduced into the compound to support the flexibility of the rubber—important for good traction—and the rigidity of the tyre—important for handling. A hybrid reinforcing material was developed to further enhance both characteristics of the tyre. Instead of using nylon in the carcass, as is typical for sports tyres, Continental’s engineers decided on a mixture of aramid and nylon threads. The combination of both materials further improves the flexibility and rigidity of the tyre’s contact area, ensuring that steering and braking commands are transmitted from tyre to road even more safely and directly. The manufacturer’s “Black Chilli” compound – also found in motorcycle tyres developed by Conti – was used in the making of the new tyre.

In terms of safety measures, which were repeatedly referenced as “most important to our customers”, the tyre also offers new tread wear limit indicators, alongside all new Conti summer tyres, called the “Summer TWI”. Its position is marked on the side of the tyre by two raindrops with an ‘X’ underneath. If these bars are level with the surrounding tread blocks, the tread has been worn down to the limit of 3mm. Continental – along with the Bundesverband Reifenhandel und Vulkaniseurhandwerk (Federal Association of Tire Dealers and the Vulcanizer Trade) – strongly recommends that summer tyres with a tread depth of less than 3mm be replaced with new tyres. Conti says that only with sufficiently deep slots between the tread blocks and grooves can water be quickly diverted from the contact patch, thus permitting safe driving on wet surfaces.

 

Available sizes for front axle / all positions:

40 series:                

235/40 ZR 18 Y XL MO             

255/40 ZR 19 XL

 

35 series:

225/35 ZR 19

235/35 ZR 19 XL MO

245/35 ZR 19 XL

245/35 ZR 20 XL

255/35 ZR 19 XL

255/35 ZR 21 XL

 

30/25 series:            

245/30 ZR 20 XL       

255/30 ZR 20 XL R01

265/30 ZR 21 XL

315/25 ZR 23 XL

 

Available sizes for rear axle tyres:

35/30 series:            

255/35 ZR 18 Y XL MO             

255/30 ZR 19 XL MO

265/30 ZR 19 XL       

275/30 ZR 19 XL

285/30 ZR 19 XL MO

295/30 ZR 21 XL

 

25 series:

295/25 ZR 20 XL

305/25 ZR 20 XL

325/25 ZR 20 XL

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