From Track To Road - Road Tyres Rooted In Racing DNA

You might not be aware of all the technology behind the tyres on your car, but it's good to know that those lessons were forged in brutal and unforgiving fire of motorsport.

As exciting as the notion of taking the lessons of motorsport and applying that for use on the road is, you’d be surprised at how little that actually translates to in practice. The wisdom here is to take certain parts of motorsport that have inherent value in making ‘normal’ cars drive better, faster, and safer.

Not all parts of the ‘racing equation’ have any bearing on that car you have sitting on your porch (or designated parking spaces, for you condo-dwellers). In fact, very little does. However, tyres are one area where the differences could be profound. And as you may already know, those four patches of rubber are probably the most important investments you could make for your car apart from the car itself.

Balancing Act

You wouldn’t necessarily fit track tyres to your daily driver, and so it follows that the innovation which brings the right kind of benefit to the majority of driving conditions, would impact the most people. However, car enthusiasts are always hungry for that edge, explaining why aftermarket tyres are one of the first upgrades undertaken.

Again, it probably delivers the most noticeable difference and is instantly felt, but satisfying a desire for ultimate handling by opting for the most aggressive tyre package with as much contact patch as possible can mean sacrificing other important aspects of a road tyre such as ride comfort, wet performance, and tread wear.

These are at odds with what we expect from a good road tyre. For example, fewer grooves would mean more contact area with the road and would improve grip levels in ideal conditions, but would be useless in wet weather where the tread pattern and grooves are required to evacuate water and prevent aquaplaning. A stiff sidewall is great for responsive steering feedback and quick direction changes but leads to a very harsh ride and makes the tyre more susceptible to impact damage from, say, potholes.

Ultra High Performance (UHP) tyres are the go-to category for enthusiasts, and here’s where this balancing act becomes really important. Ultimately, UHP tyres such as the MaxContact MC6 are designed to be capable of high top speeds, provide nimble handling, clear steering feedback as well as extract as much dry and wet grip as possible, yet do it all with minimal compromise to fuel economy, ride comfort, all while simultaneously maintaining long tread life.

It seems like we’re asking too much, but this is why these kinds of tyres are the true flagship of any brand as they’re the most capable across so many criteria. A lesser product would buck under the pressure of needing to excel in more than a few areas, but manufacturers like Continental have made an art of this, utilising cutting edge chemistry, fabrication techniques, and a combination of rubber and synthetic compounds.

Fitted To The Best

The German tyre maker is no stranger to innovation. Continental pioneered grooved tyres, belted and ribbed construction, and was one of the first to supply Formula One in the 1950s and 60s. The company was also instrumental in the development of specialised tyres for high performance cars and continue to be a leading force in the original equipment (OE) space for all kinds of cars, including the fastest and most exotic.

Continental’s advanced compound technology is so sought after that they’ve essentially conquered the high end automotive sector, with car manufacturers fitting Continental tyres from the factory on both luxury and sport models, often even tuning a car’s chassis balance to complement its planned tyre fitment, which speaks volumes about the level of trust and consistent high quality and performance of their products.

Fine Tuned

However, the devil is in the details, and the MC6’s unique tread pattern and compound makeup have been tuned to meet and exceed the needs of Malaysian drivers given our road surface conditions and climate.

This level of fine calibration means that your drive would be backed up by the confidence of having the best of Continental’s tyre technology, tested and proven to ensure that you will be able to extract the most thrills and refined driving in the safest manner possible.

Nothing To Prove

As mentioned previously, the Continental brand is one of the most established and respected tyre manufacturers in the world, if not the oldest among the premium ‘big six’. It has dabbled in motorsport and continues to prove itself again and again in real world testing, but has left the high profile promotional efforts and sponsorship deals to the others as they would only get in the way of its constant push for refinement.

They’re not interested about shouting their own praises, nor slapping their name on as many racing banners, sidewalls, or liveries as possible, but rather have chosen to remain focused on delivering the best tyres year after year. Still, like a fighter silent before a match, Continental could wallop the pretenders in a single swing anytime it wants.

As mentioned at the start, there are fewer investments more crucial to your car than a set of high quality tyres, so of course you’d want all four corners fitted with something truly outstanding, backed by the kind of performance and technology trusted by the best automakers in the world with the most demanding of standards.

Right now, Continental Tyre Malaysia are running their Merdeka Value Treats campaign between 26th June to 31st August 2020, making this the perfect time to consider that crucial upgrade to your car. Up to RM 1,000,000 in e-cash vouchers are up for grabs with the purchase of new Continental tyres, just click here to find the nearest participating Continental tyre dealer to you, and get rolling.

Also be sure to check out the official Continental Tyre Malaysia website or their official page on Facebook.