Hanover/Essen, May 2008. From small cars to luxury models, the Semperit brand provides safe mobility, whatever the driving situation. The Comfort-Life, Speed-Comfort and the brand new Speed-Life offer an impressive balance between quality and price.

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NEW - the Semperit Speed-Life, a high-performance tyre for powerful saloons and medium range cars

The Speed-Life will be making its appearance at tyre retailers this summer for the first time. This tyre replaces the Direction-Sport and has been optimised in all aspects versus its predecessor, with the development focus on obtaining best handling characteristics. According to Lukas Kosmala, Product Manager for Semperit's Summer Ultra High Performance Tyres, this was achieved mainly via the tyre's innovative tread pattern design, in conjunction with optimised stiffness distribution. As a result, the tyre transmits lateral and longitudinal forces more directly to the road - for safe handling on winding and tortuous roads.

The new tread pattern is, however, not just of benefit to sporty drivers; it also offers advances in terms of driving comfort. "The tyre ensures constant quiet running, whatever the driving situation," explained Lukas Kosmala, "because the tread blocks in the centre and the shoulder sections differ in length." Their entry into the ground contact patch is therefore staggered.

Improvements were also achieved in braking in the wet and aquaplaning, with a 9% increase in braking characteristics on wet roads. The potential for improvements in aquaplaning performance is 4%. "To this end the latest generation of full silica compound was used on the Speed-Life" emphasised Lukas Kosmala. "This allows us to take a major step forward not only in terms of wet grip, but also in reducing rolling resistance."

The Speed-Life is approved for speeds of up to 270 km/h (168 mph). Right from the start there will be 34 sizes available from 15" to 19". At its launch, the size range will extend from 205/60 R 16 V to the sporty 225/35 R 19 W XL. According to current planning, around 25 new sizes will be added next year.

The Semperit Speed-Comfort - comfort and driving stability for medium range vehicles

Unlike the Speed-Life, Semperit's Speed-Comfort is aimed at drivers of medium range cars with a lower weight and less powerful engines. This does not mean, though, that demands on the tyre's performance are any lower. Development focused on a combination of driving stability and comfort, together with good characteristics in the wet for safe driving. "Wide circumferential grooves and lateral sipes reaching far into the tread centre thus ensure efficient water collection and fast dispersion from the ground contact patch" explained Lukas Kosmala, Product Manager for the Speed-Comfort. "There are moreover stable shoulder lugs which, together with a raised base section in the tread centre, ensure high tread stiffness." Good handling characteristics and high driving stability are the result. These design features mean that there is minimal deformation in the ground contact patch and uniform tread wear is achieved in the centre and shoulder sections."

Thanks to a comfort-orientated casing structure, combined with a tread pattern design specifically adapted to this, the tyre has a lower noise level and improved rolling characteristics, giving outstanding driving comfort.

The Speed-Comfort was last tested in 2006. The Swiss motoring organisation TCS rated the size 195/65 R 15 H as 'recommended'. The magazine 'AutoBild' awarded the size 185/60 R 14 H the rating 'good'.

The Speed-Comfort is approved for speeds of up to 270 km/h (168 mph). It is available in 34 different sizes from 15" to 18". The current size range extends from 205/60 R 16 V to 225/35 ZR 19 W.

The Semperit Comfort-Life - low rolling resistance and individual design for compact cars

What makes the Comfort-Life for compact cars so attractive is its unusual design with wide circumferential grooves and elliptical tread blocks.

"These elliptical tread blocks roll exceptionally gently, so the tyre is extremely quiet running" explained Petra Engels, Product Manager for Semperit's compact summer tyres. "The wide circumferential grooves prevent aquaplaning by collecting and dispersing extremely large amounts of water on wet roads." The combination of the two elements creates numerous block edges, which interlock perfectly with the road surface and ensure short braking distances in the wet.

The Comfort-Life is also convincing in the economy it offers. Its low rolling resistance actively helps to save on fuel. "This benefit is a result of the flat tyre contour combined with a low rolling resistance tread compound" according to Petra Engels.

In current tests run by the 'ADAC motorwelt' magazine (issue 3/2008) and the 'Touring Club Schweiz' (also issue 3/2008), the Comfort-Life, size 175/70 R 13 T, was rated as 'recommended'.

The Comfort-Life is approved for speeds of up to 210 km/h (131 mph) and is available in 38 sizes for 13", 14" and 15" rims.

Semperit is a tyre brand of Continental AG. With targeted annual sales of more than i26.4 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.

The tyre divisions are an Official Sponsor of UEFA EURO 2008^TM, which will be held in Austria and Switzerland in June 2008. For further details, visit the websites www.ContiSoccerWorld.com, www.ContiFanWorld.com and www.conti-online.com.