10/14/2008 Continental winter tyres available for all passenger cars, light trucks, vans and 4x4 vehicles

Test results underscore market leadership of Continental

Hanover/ Jeversen, October 13, 2008. Continental supplies winter tyres for virtually all passenger cars, light trucks, vans and 4x4 vehicles With more than 130 different tyre sizes, the world leader is in an outstanding position to fit its safe winter tyres to all vehicles ranging from subcompact size to brawny, all-wheel-drive SUVs. The ContiWinterContact TS 810 S is especially suited to high powered cars, the ContiWinterContact TS 810 is the best choice for vehicles of the mid-size category and larger, while small and compact cars will travel safely through the winter on the ContiWinterContact TS 800. The ContiCrossContact Winter has proved to be a great performer on all-terrain 4x4 vehicles. All winter tyres from Continental were rated “highly recommended“ in tests conducted by the trade press. This winter, a total of 20 new sizes have been added, including models featuring ContiSeal and SSR run-flat technology.

Here you can download the press release as a Word-file (74 KB).

Winter tyres for sports cars, standard and full-size cars

The ContiWinterContact TS 810 Sport is designed for tautly tuned cars with powerful engines. Thanks to an extremely asymmetrical tread concept, it offers the very best drivability under all wintry road conditions, outstanding handling characteristics on dry and wet roads and a wide margin of safety on snow-covered roads. With a 270 km/h speed rating, this tyre is a top winter pro in the premium segment. The high-tech winter tyre is available in some sizes as SSR model with extended mobility features.

Even in the event of tyre damage and loss of pressure, SSR tyres can continue on their way at a speed of 80 km/h for up to 80 kilometres, enabling the motorist to reach the next garage. However, they may only be fitted to vehicles equipped with a tyre pressure monitoring system. The ContiWinterContact TS 810 S tyre came second in the test conducted by AutoBild sportscars (issue 11/07).

The ContiWinterContact TS 810 delivers a fine combination of superb properties on winter roads and comfortable design. Another asymmetrical winter specialist, this tyre was developed with a focus on short braking distances and high traction, even on snow-covered roads, good resistance to aquaplaning and minimum rolling noise. A further advantage of the winter tyre is good mileage performance. The ContiWinterContact TS 810 was rated an “exemplary” tyre by AutoBild (issue 39/2008); similarly auto motor und sport: awarded it second place and a "highly recommended” rating.

TS 810 is also available this winter with ContiSeal technology.

The ContiWinterContact TS 800

With the ContiWinterContact TS 800, the Continental range boasts a safe winter tyre for compacts. With top handling features and short braking distances, especially on wet as well as snow and ice covered roads, this tyre is a real all-round winter performer for vehicles like the Skoda Fabia, VW Polo, Ford Fiesta and Opel Corsa. The tyre delivers a wide margin of safety, due essentially to advanced development of the tried-and-tested honeycomb siping in combination with a V-shaped groove structure and a novel compound concept.

In this year’s ADAC, Stiftung Warentest, ÖAMTC and TCS ratings, the tyre for compact category cars also won the best score as “highly recommended” and took second place.

The ContiCrossContact Winter

In the asymmetrical ContiCrossContact Winter, large, stiff tread blocks with sinusoidal sipes on the outer side of the tyre guarantee cornering stability while smaller, more flexible blocks with biting-edge sipes on the inner side of the tyre ensure powerful grip on snow and ice. Sipe density, depth and angle have the combined effect of harmonising circumferential and lateral tread stiffness. It has thus proven possible to reconcile the conflict that arises in aiming for good handling properties on dry and snow-covered roads, on the one hand, and more uniform wear on the other.

Additional elevations in the cross grooves increase the tread’s circumferential stiffness and make for shorter braking distances on dry roads. These tread design alterations were needed to accommodate the enormous weight of SUVs and the related large wheel-load fluctuations. Approved for speeds of up to 240 km/h, the ContiCrossContact Winter tyre is now available in 28 different sizes for rims up to 21 inches in diametre, in widths of between 205 and 295 mm and aspect ratios from 85 to 35 per cent. In the 4x4 winter tyre test conducted by AutoTests (issue 01/09), the ContiCrossContact was rated “vorBildlich” (exemplary). Continental is offering six new sizes of the 4x4 winter tyre this winter.

Range of sizes:

ContiWinterContact TS 810:

ContiWinterContact TS 810 Sport:

ContiWinterContact TS 800:

ContiCrossContact Winter:

With targeted annual sales of more than €26.4 billion in 2008, the Continental Corporation is one of the top automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of tyres, brake systems, powertrain and chassis systems and components, 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 at nearly 200 locations in 36 countries. Further information on the corporation is available at www.conti-online.com.

A quarter of all tyres in Europe are manufactured by Continental, the market leader. When they are first manufactured, more than 30 per cent of all new European cars come out of factories fitted with Continental tyres. The tyre divisions are an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2010™ in South Africa. For further details, please go to www.ContiSoccerWorld.de.