Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres OE on new Volvo Polestar
Polestar engineered cars are Volvo's fastest production cars ever
All of the new Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar cars, which will be sold on four continents around the world from June 2014, will be fitted with 245/35 R 20 Michelin Pilot Super Sport ultra-high performance tyres as standard. Also, for winter driving, the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 and X-Ice North 3 tyres are recommended fitments. The Polestar engineered cars are Volvo’s fastest production cars ever and with their 350hp six cylinder turbocharged engines are able to accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in just 4.9 seconds.
Speaking about their decision to fit the Michelin Pilot Super Sport to the cars, Henrick Fries, Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar Project Manager said: “The Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres suit the Volvo S60 and V60 very well and are capable of delivering the high levels of performance required for our cars”.
“The Michelin Pilot Super Sport perfectly conveys the Michelin Total Performance strategy by combining excellent wet and dry grip performance along with high levels of safety and longevity”, said Anders Svensson, Michelin OE Commercial Account Manager. “And it was this combination of performance characteristics that Volvo was looking for to complement its new cars.”
The tyre features a unique combination of three technologies: an aramid fibre belt, a bi-compound tread band and what Michelin calls “the Variable Contact Patch 2.0”. Originally developed for race tyres, Bi-Compound technology uses different rubber compounds on the left and right sides of the tread. On the outer shoulder, the tread compound contain a specific elastomer which ensures exceptional endurance during cornering, while on the inside, a different elastomer in the compound combines with a special tread design to enable the tyre, on wet roads, to break through the water’s surface and adhere to even the slightest irregularities in the road.
The idea behind the Variable Contact Patch 2.0 is that it changes shape depending on actual driving conditions, thereby offering better vehicle control. This way, even as the patch’s shape changes when cornering, the amount of rubber in contact with the road remains the same.
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