Continental has announced the introduction of its new ContiPremiumContact™ 2 summer tyre. Specifically developed for medium range and luxury cars, the new tyre aims to set new standards in braking on wet and dry roads, thanks to its exceptional tread pattern design.

The tyre?s distinctive feature is a 3D groove, which has shallow and steep sides to ensure high tread block stability, even in critical driving situations such as making sharp manoeuvres.

"The steep flank of the tread groove functions much like a windscreen wiper, penetrating the film of water and thereby ensuring that direct contact between the tyre and the road is maintained" explains Dr. Frank Walloch, developer of the new summer tyre designed for cars in the medium range segment and above. AThis reduces braking distances on wet roads. The shallow side of the tread groove stiffens the tread pattern, thereby shortening braking distances on dry roads. Thanks to the sturdy tread lugs, there is always a very large contact area between the tyre and the road. A sturdy, circumferential rib on the tyre outer shoulder also helps to keep breaking distances short on dry roads.

A further benefit of the 3D groove is the accelerated water dispersion from the ground contact patch. The interaction between the steep and shallow sides creates a swirl effect in the grooves, which accelerates water dispersion. The wide longitudinal grooves in the tread pattern pick up the water quickly, thereby ensuring good tread grip in the centre of the tyre. The combination of longitudinal and lateral grooves means that aquaplaning occurs later than usual, an additional bonus in terms of safety.

The asymmetrical tread pattern enabled the tyre developers to further improve both handling and comfort. The sturdy tread lugs found on the outer side of the tyre increase lateral guidance. They make the design more rigid and transmit steering commands quickly and precisely. The inner side of the tyre now features more tread blocks: "This design allowed us to achieve low rolling noise and thus high driving comfort" explains Dr. Frank Walloch.

Further improvements to the tread contour have made the ground contact patch more harmonious with even pressure distribution. The flat belt contour below the tread reduces the slip, which occurs both when driving on the straight and cornering; meaning improvements in mileage performance. In addition the use of a new compound processing method, combined with a new type of silica and the integration of active carbon blacks, has made the tread stiffer, further enhancing mileage performance.