Pilot Sport Cup 2 to debut on new Mercedes-AMG coupé

Michelin reports its Pilot Sport Cup 2 will premiere on the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Black Series. All versions of this particular car will be fitted with the new tyre, which Michelin says was developed together with Mercedes-AMG.

The tyre maker says Mercedes-AMG set demanding criteria for the tyres that will equip its supersport model, and the resulting Pilot Sport Cup 2 “complies fully with the carmaker’s specifications.” The new range, adds Michelin, delivers the “total performance required by the auto manufacturer and is the only tyre to display Mercedes-AMG´s own certification markings for the new SLS AMG Coupé Black Series.”

Claimed features of the Pilot Sport Cup 2, which Michelin says operate in “perfect harmony with the car”, include continuous precision steering, whether the driver is taking to the track with cold tyres or leaving it with heated tyres; agility and enhanced responsiveness that enable drivers to get the most out of the model’s sporty engine and chassis; maximum grip, for faster lap times; exceptional heat resistance to ensure consistent performance lap after lap; and adherence, balance and stability on wet surfaces for carefree driving, even when weather conditions worsen.

Michelin states that the delivery of performance in these areas is the result of a co-development project involving teams from the Michelin Technology Center and engineers from the German car manufacturer. It sums up the combined project with the following figures: Over 100 dynamic evaluations and test sessions conducted on tracks in Northern and Southern Europe – in Italy, at the Michelin Technology Center in Ladoux and on the Nürburgring circuit; 1,800 prototype and special series tyres; 800 pre-series tyres; and testing up to 315 km/h in safe driving conditions.

Compound and belt technology

Produced with the same tools used to manufacture racing tyres, the tread compound for the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 is a dual-compound formulation, with different rubber compounds on the tread’s inner and outer areas. The outer rubber is made with a high molecular weight elastomer chain whose hardness has been specially designed to deliver maximum adherence and outstanding dry grip on curves, especially on tight corners, while the inner side of the tyre uses rubber made with a more rigid elastomer to ensure precision steering.

Under the surface is the tyre’s aramid belt; Michelin says the belt’s main feature is its heightened tensile strength. This composite is both light and highly resistant, five times more resistant than steel at equivalent weight. Positioned on the crown under the tread, the strip rubber is applied with variable tension between the shoulders and the centre of the tyre. Michelin says it is tightened so firmly that it literally locks the tyre structure into a practically inelastic belt. As a result, the tyre’s footprint remains constant and centrifugal force is effectively controlled, even at very high speeds.

Additional technologies

The Pilot Sport Cup 2 features an evolution of the contact patch technology integrated into the Pilot Super Sport. The Track Variable Contact Patch 3.0 optimises pressure in the tyre’s contact patch so that more rubber is always in contact with the track, thereby ensuring superior grip in curves and tight corners.

The tyre’s bead region is ten per cent wider than that of a traditional sports tyre. It is strengthened with a high modulus rubber compound that increases the tyre’s lateral stiffness and delivers sporty responsiveness as well as precision steering.

The new Michelin tyre features ‘velvet sidewalls’. Okay, so they’re not actually made of velvet; the French manufacturer explains that a “special tooling process in the moulds” combined with Michelin’s “unique expertise” has led to the development of Michelin Velvet Technology. This solution, it elaborates, has made it possible to create contrast on certain sections of the outer sidewall using micro-geometry techniques that absorb light. The geometry of the texture thus generated allows technicians to vary the contrast and create shades of black that have the look of velvet.