In anticipation of the launch of Continental Tires‘ MaxContact 7, the brand’s new high-performance tyre tailor-made for Asia-Pacific markets, Continental invited us to experience at its Contidrom facility in Buccholz, Germany.
Located just over 40km from Continental Tires’ headquarters in Hanover, the experience also gave us an exclusive peek at the facility where Continental Tires also develops its other products.
AIBA is located on the site of Continental’s oldest proving ground.
CONTIDROM – WHERE CONVENTIONAL AND TECHNOLOGY MEET
In operation since 1967, Contidrom is Continental Tire’s private tyre test facility that is comprised of a 2.8km high-speed oval track, along with a 1.8km wet-handling course, and a 3.8km dry-handling track.
As a full-fledged tyre testing facility, the Contidrom also has various other tracks, including a lateral wet-grip track (a small wet circle track), rail-guided braking test track, and noise-testing tracks, among others.
Contidrom is also home to the brand’s proprietary Automated Indoor Braking Analyzer (AIBA) facility. The AIBA facility is a main highlight of our visit to the Contidrom. It is able to conduct precise and repeatable braking tests on a myriad of surfaces – wet, dry and even on ice.
In the AIBA, the cars are guided by rails, and are automatically accelerated to speeds up to 120km/h, then braked on a 75m long braking track. As the cars are accelerated with an electromagnetic linear drive borrowed from modern roller-coaster technology, there is no need for fuel. This eliminates the need for an extensive track, as the cars get up to speed in just three seconds.
On the high-tech side of things, we also had a glance of Continental Tire’s latest facility: Dynamic Driving Simulator, a highly-detailed simulator system for virtual tyre testing.
These are not your typical driving simulators though, as Continental’s system focusses on the accurate simulations of tyres, down to parameters such as tyre construction, belt material, belt angle, compound, and tread patterns.
With this system, a tyre can be created and tweaked virtually. A test driver will then test the tyre virtually, and provide his feedback to further develop the tyre virtually before an actual prototype is made, reducing development hours and materials.
MAXCONTACT MC7 WET-HANDLING
After the tour of the impressive facility, it was time for the main event – getting behind the wheel of a car equipped with the new MaxContact MC7.
Continental’s MaxContact MC7 is developed with three key performance markers in mind: Maximum control, shorter braking distance, and a sporty silent ride.
It took a team of 25 engineers and material experts more than 8,000 hours in research and development to achieve the characteristics that Continental Tires wanted for the MC7. With safety and performance in mind, the MC7 is designed not only for dry roads, but also for stable and confident driving in wet weather conditions.
To demonstrate the wet-handling prowess of these new tyres, Continental prepared two identical BMW i4 eDrive40s – one equipped with the MaxContact MC7 and the other fitted with a rival tyre to compare on Continental’s special wet-handling course.
Said course is a narrow and curvy that is perpetually wetted by pipes on either side of the track. This maintains a consistent layer of water atop the tarmac without any puddles, creating a controlled wet surface for tyre testing.
The first car that I drove was equipped with the MaxContact MC7.
As my own car is fitted with ultra-ultra high performance tyres that do not perform particularly well on wet surfaces, I am naturally extra cautious when driving in such conditions.
However, after the first lap with the MaxContact MC7, it was clear to me that there’s substantially more traction than I’m used to; following behind the instructor, I was able to carry a fair bit of speed through the curves on the wet surfaces without the rear of the car stepping out.
The communicative steering feel and effective wet-braking performance resulted also built up the confidence for me to go quicker. Before long, I found myself enjoying the drive on this unique course.
During the development of the MaxContact MC7, the team had placed a particular emphasis on wet performance, utilising 3D Laser-cut Sipes to improve wet grip and braking, and to reduce the risk of aquaplaning by quickly expelling water that flows through the tyre grooves.
The use of silica technology within Continental’s ReFlex compound works to shorten braking distances on both dry and wet roads as well.
Hopping over into the car with the comparison tyre made the benefits of these technologies on the MaxContact MC7 clear. In contrast, the comparison tyre had subpar wet performance.
After a few frigid laps, I ended up choosing to slide the car a little to have some fun, instead of insisting on the futile attempt to replicate the speed that I could carry with the MC7.
NOT JUST A WET WEATHER TYRE
Apart from its reassuring wet-performance, the MaxContact MC7 is also designed to perform in dry conditions.
Continental Tires maximised the contact area with the road to create a wider footprint with the use of Cornering Macro-blocks for a controlled and stable drive. It also features Noise Breaker 3.0 to break up sound waves for a quieter drive despite its sporty credentials.
We were told that the Asia Pacific Region has stricter regulations on tyre noise and it was one of the challenge that the team has to overcome – the typically inverse relationship between performance and low-noise characteristics makes it even more difficult.
As part of the experience, we were each given a taxi ride in the Brabus 750 Bodo Buschmann edition with professional race driver Lance Arnold behind the wheel. With 740bhp and 900nm of torque from its bi-turbo 4-litre V8 engine, this car is the prime candidate to test the limits of the MaxContact MC7’s performance.
The driver’s razor-sharp skills and familiarity of the Contidrom Dry-handling course ensured an exhilarating experience. Bends and corners were taken at incredible speeds with the tyres refusing to relinquish their immense grip. This taxi ride in the Brabus was both a literal and figurative eye-opener.
My experience with the Continental MaxContact MC7 at the Contidrom has got me very excited about these tyres. To be able to handle the extreme torque and power of the Brabus machine while providing immense grip, and at the same time, able to provide a safe and confident drive in the wet, these tyres sure are something special.
The new Continental MaxContact MC7 tyre is available in sizes ranging from 16 inches to 21 inches and is exclusive to the Asia-Pacific region.
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