Continental ContiSportContact 5P tires

Continental ContiSportContact 5P tires

The ContiSportContact 5P is the latest generation high-performance tire from Continental and has been designed for optimal performance in both dry and wet conditions.

To achieve this balance, Continental’s tire developers found new solutions for the composition of the tread compound and the reinforcing material in the tire. New carbon blacks and resins were introduced into the compound to support the flexibility of the rubber--important for good traction--and the rigidity of the tire--important for handling.

The tire also features a large number of small tread blocks on the middle and side areas of the tread, resulting in a large number of transverse edges on the tire surface. These transverse edges cut through the film of water on the road like a windscreen wiper, quickly diverting water away from the tread blocks and improving grip levels.

The story doesn’t end there as Continental also developed a special hybrid reinforcing material to further enhance both characteristics of the tire. Instead of using nylon in its composition, as is typical for sports tires, Continental’s engineers decided on a mixture of aramid (a special heat-resistant synthetic fiber) and nylon threads. The combination of both materials improves the flexibility and rigidity of the tire’s contact area.

So far the ContiSportContact 5P has already been approved on the Mercedes-Benz C63 and E63 AMG models, as well as the Audi TT-RS, but we suspect many other automakers will follow suit.

[Continental]