Ready for winter – Continental launches TS 860 S

A successor to the Continental TS 830 P and WinterContact TS 850 P is coming to our roads in time for winter. Designed with sports and high-powered cars in mind, the new Continental WinterContact TS 860 S will be produced as customised versions for original equipment supply and also for the replacement tyre market. The range for the coming winter contains 14 dimensions for 18- to 21-inch rim diameters and approvals for speeds of up to 168mph.

With the WinterContact TS 860 S, Continental says it is responding to the many different needs of those who manufacture and those who drive high-performance cars. During the tyre’s development, the priority was therefore upon short braking distances and precision handling in the dry, as well as on top-class handling properties on snow. A short braking distance was achieved by means of its ‘braking groove – a wide groove running through the centre of the tread, offering a large surface with which to build up grip.

“Stiff, broad shoulder blocks deliver maximum grip for a precision steering response, while the many tread grooves and traction sipes in the tread blocks make for good interlocking with snow, enabling dynamic driving even on typical wintry roads,” shares Continental. For the replacement sector, Continental has prepared a compound it says delivers high flexibility even in winter. On the original equipment front, Continental is intending to meet the specific and different needs of automakers such as Audi Sport GmbH, BMW M Gmbh, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche with customised rubber compounds in each case.

On the sidewall, the new winter tyre displays not only the product name and the many mandatory identification marks but also the stylised chequered flag from the U-UHP summer tyre SportContact 6, as well as the familiar snowflake motif that appears on the other winter tyres from Continental. The tyre has passed the necessary tests for the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol that all approved winter tyres coming onto the market from this winter onward must bear. On the EU Tyre Label, the new winter tyre achieves a Group C rating for wet grip and, depending on the specification, a Group B, C or E rating for rolling resistance. In the noise rating, this very quiet tyre was awarded the two black bar symbol.

As mentioned, the launch range will consist of 14 sizes. Six of these will feature SSR run-flat technology and ContiSilent technology for particularly quiet running. The WinterContact TS 860 S will be available in widths of between 225 and 315 millimetres with aspect ratios of 60 to 30 percent and W speed rated. Continental shares that the new WinterContact TS 860 S is already undergoing approvals testing with leading European vehicle manufacturers ahead of its market launch.