Tire manufacturers continue to push the limits of modern technology and production processes. New chemical formulations, tire tread designs, and advanced manufacturing techniques are being combined to raise the quality standards of tires. Over the past five years, an increasing demand for sporty handling tires that can be used in a variety of road conditions has created a new category – Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires.
Ultra high performance all-season tires are designed to maximize precision handling while delivering year-round versatility including light snow traction. These tend to be ultra low profile tires branded with the M+S symbol. The speed ratings are typically V, W, and Y.
1. A state-of-the-art directional tread pattern and wet-weather silica compound combine for extreme wet-weather control.
2. TriFusion – three different compounds bonded together on the tread face to provide a balance of all-weather performance.
Source: Michelin
Many tire manufacturers now offer some type of ultra high performance all-season tire. They use proprietary technology, specialized polymer and silica compounds as well as unique tread design to achieve their desired results.
According to Motor Trend, “Performance tires currently account for a 23-percent share of the tire market… In fact, performance tires have outgrown the rest of the tire industry in each of the past six years.” Industry analysts expect this trend to continue. The driving force for this shift to high performance tires is that automobile manufacturers want to showcase their vehicles to prospective buyers under the most favorable conditions. For this important reason, there has been a recent trend for new vehicles to ship with performance tires as original equipment. Automobile manufacturers want their vehicles to demonstrate precision handling, responsiveness, safety, and ride comfort – specifically during test drives.
For example the Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS Pole Position uses “advanced technologies, including a silica-rich performance compound, ‘stealth’ tread elements and 3D siping,” The silica enriched tread compound supports enhanced wet and dry performance – while the 3D siping helps to improve breaking and traction.
The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric is another example of an ultra high performance all-season tire. In manufacturing these tires, Goodyear uses “race traction resins and polymers to make the tires sticky in the dry, and grip in the wet, while encouraging a longer tread life.” Goodyear’s TredLock technology embeds microgrooves into the tire’s tread that provide extra biting edges that aid traction and lock together in turns for better grip. The Traction Teeth aid traction in inclement weather.
Other popular tires in this category are Pilot Sport A/S Plus, Continental ContiExtremeContact, Pirelli P Zero Nero, and Yokohama Advan S.4. These tires are all designed to deliver precision handling and smooth comfort for today’s high performance luxury sedans and coupes. For example, drivers of a BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Infinity, etc. may find a set of ultra high performance all-season tires to be the perfect complement to their vehicle.
Keep in mind the term “all-season” means a lot of different things depending upon your location and year-round weather conditions. The ultra high performance all-season tires are tested in “light snow” conditions. Some regions have very little if any snowfall during winter – while others like upstate NY and northern PA can anticipate several feet of snow. In our area, the ultra high performance all-season tires work well from April to November. These tires are not truly a year-round tire for heavy snow. We’d recommend a quality set of winter tires to get the best performance during the winter months. If you’ve used ultra high performance all-season tires, we’d love to hear about your experience.