Michelin OE for hybrid Porsche

Michelin’s tyre supply and co-development relationship with Porsche dates back to 1961, and this long joint history continues with the French manufacturer’s selection as sole tyre supplier to Porsche’s new hybrid supercar, the 918 Spyder. The 918-specific Sport Cup 2 will be fitted in size 265/35-ZR20 at the front and size 325/30-ZR21 on the rear.

Production of the new Porsche begins on 18 September and only 918 units of this model will be manufactured, nevertheless during the vehicle’s development Michelin tested 550 prototype tyres. 150 hours of testing took place on five European circuits – the Michelin Research and Technology Center in Ladoux, France, the Nürburgring (Nordschleife) circuit in Germany, the Nardo circuit in Italy, the Idiada circuit in Spain and Contidrom in Germany.

Michelin praises for Pilot Sport Cup 2 for “delivering superior performance in three conflicting areas”, these being performance on dry surfaces (particularly track), energy efficiency and safety on wet roads. “In short, the performance required from Michelin’s tyres perfectly reflects the features of the supercar, which, with its dual thermal and electric powertrain, combines sportiness and lower fuel consumption,” comments the tyre maker.