Hanover, July 2008. The Barum range now includes a new tyre for compact and medium-class cars, the Quartaris. The primary factors in the development of the tyre were a safe grip on dry and wet road surfaces, as well as in slightly wintry conditions. Therefore, the tread has been designed to combine elements of summer and winter tyres. To do this, Barum has developed a unidirectional tread, characterized by a special, innovative sipe system. The all-season tyre is particularly suitable for drivers who do relatively little annual mileage and who mainly drive around town.

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All-season tyres are particularly popular among drivers who wish to run their cars cost-efficiently and who, therefore, wish to avoid having to switch from summer to winter tyres. Seeking to satisfy these demands, the Barum Quartaris has been developed as a compromise between the requirements placed on summer and winter tyres. A new feature of the Quartaris is the BASSS sipe system (Barum All Season Sipe System). This detail is described by the developer of the Quartaris, Akif Celik: "Thanks to the pronounced trapezoidal siping in the center of the tyre and to the circular snow pockets in the shoulder blocks, the Quartaris grip also works in wintry conditions. The snow pockets have been designed to "collect" soft snow, creating greater adhesion." This design leaves the shoulder blocks of the Quartaris rigid enough for safe driving on dry road surfaces.

The Quartaris comes with the new winter tread-depth indicator to give drivers a clear idea of how suitable the tyre tread is for winter use. The tread grooves, characterized by a snowflake, are raised between the tread blocks. "If this raised area is flush with the surrounding tread, this means that the tyre only has four millimeters of tread depth remaining and is no longer suitable for driving on roads in wintry conditions," explains Celik. "The sipes and snow pockets are no longer deep enough to build up the grip needed to start and brake safely."

The Quartaris not only provides for driving safety in winter, it also comes into its own on wet roads. This is made possible by the unidirectional tread with wide circumferential and lateral grooves which can take up and disperse water quickly. Flat sipes in the center and on the shoulder of the tyre act like windshield wipers which can displace water during braking. In addition, the silica mix creates for good adhesion and short braking distances on wet surfaces.

To facilitate safe driving in summer, Barum has designed the Quartaris with two straight bands running around the middle of the tread, as well as with large, stable shoulder blocks. The bands aid steering precision and short braking distances, while the shoulder blocks allow for precise handling on bends.

The Quartaris is characterized as an all-season tyre with the M+S marking, as well as with the snowflake symbol. Like any all-season tyre, it is a compromise, albeit to the highest possible standard. Therefore, Barum recommends this tyre in particular to drivers who mainly use their cars for trips around town. The new Quartaris will be available in the Fall in 18 tyre sizes of between 13 and 16 inches and in widths of between 155 and 205 mm, and is approved for speeds up to 210 km/h.

Barum is a tyre brand of Continental AG. With targeted annual sales of more than 26.4 billion in 2008, the Continental Corporation is one of the world's leading automotive suppliers. As a supplier of tyres, brake systems, systems and components for the power train and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics and technical elastomers, the corporation contributes towards enhanced driving safety and protection of the global climate. Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication. Today, the corporation employs approximately 150,000 people at nearly 200 locations in 36 countries.

Continental’s tyre divisions are an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2010^TM in South Africa.For further details, visit the websites www.ContiSoccerWorld.de, www.contifanworld.com and www.conti-online.com.