New tire for Continental inspired by nature

When optimising the distribution of tyre forces on the road, Continenetal's 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 the cat brakes, thus transmitting more force to the ground than it would if the cat were walking, or in our case, if the car were driving normally. Continental has enhanced this performance characteristic by applying their 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 cobweb is one ofnature's most flexible constructions. Structural threads running fromthe edges into the centre make for high stability, while the web'sflexibility comes from the catch threads woven in circles. Continental's engineers haveapplied this principle to the tyre. The tread compound consists of twoprecisely matched networks, each of which has its own job to do. Theflexible network provides a strong degree of interlocking with the roadsurface, while the firm network delivers the necessary stiffness forthe tyre's tread. This means excellent transmission of forces to wet and dry roads, plusprecise handling, especially at high speeds.

Source: conti-online.co.ukAdded: 2 June 2006