For this year’s Essen Motor Show, Continental’s main focus of the exhibition will be on its ultra-high-performance tire, the SportContact 7. Labelled as the flagship for the company’s UHP tire family, the SportContact 7 is being introduced to the market following a successful speed record being set on the tire at a test track in Papenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany.
The 1,180bhp Lamborghini Huracan Performance tuned by Klasen Motors was fitted with a set of Continental SportContact 7 in a 245/30R20 on the front axle and a 305/30R20 on the rear axle. The supercar achieved a top speed of 384.12km/h over a 3,000m sprint. The record-breaking Lamborghini will be on show at the Continental stand.
The SportContact 7 is a high-performance tire designed for application to powerful sports vehicles and supercars. For this year, 42 different options of the tire will be available in diameters from 19in to 23in. Continental has already confirmed that over the coming year additional sizes will be added to the product line.
The UHP tire was developed to provide drivers with a handling-oriented, safe product that also offered a higher mileage. When tested on a racetrack, mileage increased by 10% compared to the previous model, while braking distances in the wet were reduced by 8%. Dry braking was 6% better in addition to the tire now offering a service life that is 17% longer.
During the development stage, Continental focused on improving handling in wet and dry conditions while still ensuring the tire delivered performance, safety and sustainability. Engineers developed an adaptive tread design that adjusts to wet and dry roads, working in tandem with the BlackChili rubber compound to deliver maximum levels of grip.
Continental plans to release additional sizes of the SportContact 7 for fitment to other high-end vehicles.
