Cat's paws and spider's webs

When optimising the distribution of tyre forces on the road, our tyre engineers oriented their ideas on the wonders of nature.

For the tyre's contour, they took the well-known model of the cat's paw used for the ContiPremiumContact™ and advanced that technology with the aid of extensive test procedures. A cat's paw widens when a cat slows down or lands, thus transmitting more force to the ground than if the cat were walking, or in our case, if the car were driving normally. We have been able to enhance this performance characteristic by applying our new Advanced Mould Concept (AMC) to the contour of the tyre. The ContiSportContact™ 2 enlarges more than average during a braking manoeuvre and thus causes more rubber to make contact with the tarmac, which in turn shortens the braking distance.

The tread compound is also responsible for optimum grip (adhesion between the tyre and the road surface).

A spider's web is one of nature's most flexible constructions. Structural
threads running from the edges into the centre make for high stability,
while the web's flexibility comes from the catch threads woven in circles.

Our engineers have applied this principle to the tyre. The tread compound
consists of two precisely matched networks, each of which has its own
job to do. The flexible network provides a strong degree of interlocking
with the road surface, while the firm network delivers the necessary
stiffness for the tyre's tread.

For our customers, this means excellent transmission of forces to
wet and dry roads, plus precise handling, especially at high speeds.