Continental : ContiTireNews | Technology leaders for the “need-for-speed” community

• Continental tires for the tuning sector
• Development partnerships with leading tuners
• On display with top tuners at Essen Motor Show

Sales of new cars in Europe may be falling, but the trend towards customization and tuning remains unbroken. Surveys show that nearly one in five customers spend more than €10,000 on tuning their car. And more than one fourth of all sales in this sector are still accounted for by wheel-and-tire combinations. With top speeds being pushed higher and higher, tire makers like Continental are facing ever-increasing challenges. The broad spectrum of different types of vehicle, combined with massive engine power and unladen weights boosted by additional equipment, make special demands on the performance and robustness of the tires. As a result, relatively conventional tires are increasingly failing to meet the tuning sector's standards at the sharp end of the range. Which is hardly surprising, given how specialized the solutions tuners offer have to be, if they are going to boost the performance of super sports cars that can already top 300 km/h when they leave the factory.

OE-like cooperation with leading tuners
This is a trend that Continental was quick to spot. For many years now, the company has located its entire tuning expertise within a dedicated business unit. And right now, Continental is making a massive investment in establishing a high-tech center in Korbach, Germany. Here, everything will revolve around the extremely demanding field of 19 to 23-inch or "U-UHP" tires. The company's highly professional and extremely flexible OE-like cooperation with leading tuners is successfully based on detailed specifications, and draws on Continental's outstanding development competence. What's more, Continental's unique innovative capabilities and comprehensive experience of providing original equipment for the flagship models of major sports car manufacturers have been crucial in making it a first-choice partner for the tuning sector for many years now. It was with this special group of customers in mind that the development engineers in Hanover came up with the world's first series-production tires approved for speeds of up to 360 km/h.

In 2011, a thoroughbred motor sports event tire, the ContiForceContact, was developed in conjunction with BMW tuner AC Schnitzer, Porsche specialist TechArt, and the expert drivers on the staff of specialist magazine Sportauto. A UHP semi-slick, capable of partnering effectively with cars like the new 991 generation of the Porsche 911 Carrera S, developing up to 400 PS, the ContiForceContact is designed exclusively for active sports car drivers with motor racing ambitions, and combines the ultimate grip with optimum steering precision on the track.

Continental's series production sports tires
However, tuners also appreciate Continental's volume-built sporting solutions, which provide a practical answer right into the upper reaches of the advanced tuning range. The ContiSportContact 5 is aimed at drivers of sporty cars and higher-performance SUVs. This sports tire is approved for speeds of up to 300 km/h and is fitted as standard to all Maserati Ghibli models, for example. The standard version of the turbocharged three-liter six-cylinder engine produces 330 PS. The S version turns up the volume to 410 PS, for a top speed of 285 km/h. For even tougher challenges there is the ContiSportContact 5 P, which is factory-fitted to Audi's R 8 super sports car which delivers 560 PS and a top speed of 320 km/h. Other examples of original-equipment approvals include the Maserati Quattroporte, which is powered by a 3.8-liter bi-turbo V8 with an output of 530 PS. The suffix "P" stands for "Performance", indicating the uncompromising sporty design of these tires. This was also the first time the design of a tire had been perfectly coordinated for axle-specific fitting of the front and rear versions.

Annual high-speed showcase event in Nardo
Every year, the high-speed event in Nardo demonstrates that extreme sportiness is not confined exclusively to brands like Maserati, Ferrari and Porsche. At the invitation of Continental, Europe's tuning elite regularly gather at the high-speed oval in southern Italy in the quest for new speed records. This year 14 top tuners were present, with 16 models. Virtually all classes of vehicle were represented, ranging from a tuned Opel Corsa to a Porsche 997 turbo conversion, and even a campervan complete with built-in kitchen. In all, five new speed records were set. Swiss tuner Novidem, for example, reached 331 km/h to secure the title of fastest Nissan GT-R of all time. At 330 km/h, HGP from Ohmden were only a fraction off this pace with their 550 PS Golf 3.6 bi-turbo - a new record for a Golf. Klasen Motors from Oberhausen propelled an Opel Corsa, also with 550 PS, to a fabulous 309 km/h, while the record for the fastest diesel was set by MTM with a 410 PS Audi A8 bi-turbo. The "slowest" member of the assembled need-for-speed community was a VW T5 Camper by Berlin-based tuner TH Automobile, which boasted 580 PS and swept across the finish line at 270 km/h. As in recent years, the fastest in the field was a Porsche Turbo by 9ff from Dortmund, clocking 368.7 km/h. Without exception, all the cars ran on Continental tires. The speeds were recorded and officially confirmed by DEKRA.

Demand for winter sports tires growing steadily
Obviously, putting down that much power calls for road surfaces that offer reliable grip. But if you think such high performance means that super sports cars and tuned vehicles are purely a summer phenomenon, you're wrong. There is a clear trend toward using these cars in wintry conditions, too. And Continental is playing a key part here. After all, it was the tire developers in Hanover who, in 2000, first dismantled the top-speed barrier for winter tires, with a model approved for speeds of up to 240 km/h. The product of a concerted development effort, the ContiWinterContact TS 830 P closed the final gap in the high-end segment. This winter sports tire, specially attuned to vehicle stabilization systems, even proves a match for the extreme demands of power packs like the Porsche 911 or Maserati GranSport Coupé. In the course of this winter, this model will gradually be replaced by the even sportier, more dynamic, and even safer WinterContact TS 850 P.

Technology leaders united: On display with top tuners at Essen Motor Show
Continental's entire range of ultra-high-performance tires for cars and SUVs can be seen at Essen Motor Show from 29 November to 7 December. At Europe's biggest trade fair and top showcase for tuning, motor sport, series-production sports cars, and classic cars, expected to attract 340,000 visitors, Continental can be found on stand A155 in hall 3. Sharing the stand with Continental this year will be prominent development partners from the tuning sector including Abt Sportsline, AC Schnitzer, HEICO SPORTIV, Sportservice Lorinser, and TECHART Automobildesign. The stand represents a perfect symbiosis of extreme performance and maximum safety, making it one of the show's most powerful attractions for aficionados of top-quality tuning in the premium segment.