DUBAI – When might one see test drivers and engineers from Ferrari, Porsche and BMW working closely together and swopping ideas and thoughts? Answer: When they are busy developing high-speed tyres in conjunction with the development experts at Michelin.
The latest product in a long line of rubberised excellence from the French company is the high performance Pilot Super Sport that will be released early in 2011 for use on the likes of Porsches, BMW’s top performance models and is fully developed and approved for Ferrari’s 458 Italia and 599 GTO. In fact, let’s name drop a little! How about the Carrera GT, Koenigsegg Agera, Lamborghini Gallardo, Audi R8 and Nissan GT-R? At the launch in Dubai we were even chauffeured (we did not drive ourselves) in a Pilot Super Sport-shod Gumpert Apollo!
Continuous improvements to tyre technology are not apparent to the masses, but recent advancements to the materials and chemical processes involved in the production of Michelins are credited for the tyres' improved longevity, reduced rolling resistance and lower road noise levels. A spin-off benefit is that with longer-lasting tyres, energy is saved and long-term cost reduced.
These claimed improvements and refinements need to be tested, of course, and what better place to see if your designs are bearing fruit than to use them at Le Mans during the annual 24 Hour race? The number of sets of Michelin tyres the winning Audi R15 Plus needed to complete last year's race was 11, compared with the 14 used during the previous event. Those tyres set three records: longest distance covered, highest speed attained and the highest mileage. The average speed was 243 km/h. In fact, the last 13 victors at Le Mans used Michelin rubber and the manufacturer tested its tyres over hundreds of thousands of kilometres on race tracks such as as Fiorano, Motegi, Estoril, Magny-Cours, Nardo and Nürburgring.
So how does this tyre company, which was established in 1889, maintain technological advancement? A bi-compound tread is used, one for the outer section and a different compound for the inside. Judicious use of carbon black is one factor that plays a role as does Twaron, a para-aramid substance of immense strength. These fibres are used in varying tension depending on the section of the tread, with increased tension in the centre of the tyre and less towards the shoulders. That, for example, reduces bulging of the tyres when higher air pressures are employed, especially on a race track.
Meanwhile, high-grip elastomers improve grip in the wet and that result can be easily measured by conducting emergency stops and comparing the distances to previous generations of tyres.
We performed some emergency stop brake tests that demonstrated how the new Super Sport tyres fare significantly better than previous-generation rubber… In fact, average braking times (from 100 km/h to zero) are steadily approaching the two and a half second mark thanks to, among other advancements, today's tyre technology.
With research and development funding of 500 million euro per year, that technology is definitely not insignificant. Sales of ultra high-performance tyres are increasing and that trend is expected to continue with growing demand, especially from China's rapidly expanding market.
Michelin Pilot Super Sport sizes range from 18-inch to 22-inch and will become available in South Africa soon.