Ultra-High-Performance tires

Safety at the limit for the world’s most advanced cars

The distinguishing characteristic of an ultra-high-performance tire is not just the size – which is 18 inches in diameter or larger – but also its superior competency in the most demanding of situations. With a set of UHP tires fitted to your performance car, you can expect a sporty ride, smoother lane changes, plus enhanced steering precision and cornering stability.

The engineers at Continental have worked tirelessly to develop a range of UHP tires that can handle the increased speeds, torque, and G-forces produced by the extra horsepower, enhanced brakes, and sports-tuned suspension of the vehicle. These tires will deliver performance characteristics and safety margins you can rely upon, so you can sit back and enjoy the drive.

The special features of UHP tires at a glance:

Optimum grip in all driving situations;
Precise steering behaviour;
Short braking distances in dry and wet conditions;
Very high safety during braking;
Continental focuses on asymmetry in tread pattern design. This means that the outer shoulder of the tire is different from the inner shoulder. This has a particularly positive effect on handling and cornering;
Massive centre bands on the tyre ensure high stiffness in the tyre, providing fine steering precision and responsive feedback to the driver.

Characteristics	Situation	Standard Tires	Performance Tires
Dry	Driving on dry surfaces		+
Dry	Braking on dry surfaces		+
Wet	Braking on wet surfaces		+
Wet	Aquaplaning	+
Wet	Driving on wet surfaces		+
Snow	Driving on solid snow		+
Snow	Traction in soft, deep snow	+
Snow	Braking in soft, deep snow		+
Ice	Driving on ice		+

Exceptional handling, precise cornering, zero compromise

Continental UHP tires are specially designed for high performance cars. They deliver exceptional handling and precise cornering for drivers who need uncompromising levels of safety with shorter braking distances on wet and dry roads.

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High-tech and innovation boost performance

Over time, the world-class engineers and technicians at Continental have devised a vast number of technologies to dramatically enhance tire performance characteristics.

These technologies were initially reserved exclusively for UHP tire development, but can now be found in replacement and original equipment tires, too.

Below are three of the most significant technologies and materials in use today, and an outline of the properties which make them so unique.

Black Chili delivers shorter braking distances in all weather conditions

More than just a new rubber compound, Black Chili is based on the latest findings in polymer and raw material research. A “Micro Flexibility Compound” ensures optimal interlocking between the tire and the surface of the road, providing better acceleration and shorter braking distances at high and low temperatures – in either wet or dry conditions.

Force Vectoring tread pattern for maximum cornering control

Steering precision is improved by an inner and outer tread pattern that delivers incredible support for lateral forces while cornering. Force Vectoring has an advanced “Macro Block Design” with stiff center ribs and asymmetric concave longitudinal grooves to greatly enhance overall stability.

Aralon 350 is an adaptive hybrid cap ply for high speeds up to 350 km/h

Reinforcing material called Aralon 350 increases the tire’s load-bearing capacity for high-speed driving. Embedded in the rubber just beneath the tread is a synthetic textile fiber which behaves like an additional steel belt. It provides extra stability to counter the massive centrifugal forces generated at very high speeds.

High Performance Technology Center in Korbach

Korbach is one of the most important locations for Continental in Germany, and traditionally one of the company’s world-leading centers for technology.

The High-Performance Technology Center (HTPC) has been in operation here since June 2016, and currently produces extremely sophisticated high-speed tires for performance sports cars and SUVs. Some 350,000 tires roll off the production line every year.

And it’s a fitting location, too. It’s in Korbach where Black Chili technology has its origins, formerly a product of the bicycle tire development division. Twelve thousand meters of space is now given over to machines designed for high-end production, to manufacture test tires and prototypes, and to trial innovative new production methods.