The RainSport 2 - maximum grip in the rain and on dry asphalt

Hanover, February 2008. Uniroyal's new RainSport 2 follows in the brand's successful tradition of sporty rain tyres. The combination of safety on wet roads with high grip for handling and short braking distances demonstrates that further progress is possible in the development of rain tyres. New structures in the base and sides of the grooves, together with their V-shaped profiles, enable water to be channelled even more quickly out of the contact patch, whilst a special silica compound makes even higher deceleration values possible. The particular design of the tread ribs has also meant shorter braking distances on dry asphalt. The wear indicator on the tyre shoulders shows up faulty track alignment, which reduces mileage performance. The new RainSport 2 is now available from the tyre trade in 51 different sizes, with approvals up to 300 km/h (187 mph).

Further enhanced aquaplaning safety

When designing Uniroyal's new sporty rain tyre, development engineer Oliver Woidtke implemented new structures in the sides and base of the tread grooves. These enhance water dispersion by channelling it out to the side of the tyre even before the tread elements touch the ground. "A 3D structure in the sides and base of the grooves on this sporty, directionally-orientated V-shaped tread pattern is the right solution" he explained. "This accelerates water dispersion so much that aquaplaning safety is even greater on this tyre than on its very safe predecessor." The innovative curved rib on the V-shaped tread pattern offers further protection from aquaplaning by ensuring that ground pressure builds up from the centre of the tread out to the sides. Explaining the effect of this detail, he said: "Water can then be channelled even more quickly out of the contact patch and into the tread grooves." The uniform ground pressure distribution under each individual tread block is a further benefit of the curved tread pattern. As a consequence, braking distances on dry roads can now be further shortened. "Here we managed to improve the result by 3% compared with the previous model" Woidtke remarked.

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New silica compound shortens braking distances in the wet

The tyre developers also achieved progress in terms of the tread compound, which makes driving performance on wet roads even safer. Using an innovative compound (Red-Hot Silica Compound) improves grip, whatever the driving situation - thanks to the silica filler particles in this compound, the tread is able to adapt substantially to the roughness of the road surface. This increases the contact patch between tyre and road, thereby improving grip on both wet and dry roads.

Indicator ensures higher mileage performance

The Visual Alignment Indicators - a further feature on the new RainSport 2 - benefit the tyre's mileage performance. These can be found on each tyre shoulder and consist of three sipes each. If these are worn down to different degrees, this indicates faulty track or camber alignment. By picking up on this early and correcting it, the problem of reduced mileage performance caused by faulty track alignment can be avoided.

Extensive size range for launch of the new RainSport 2

With a range consisting of 51 sizes for 14" and 19" rim diameters, Uniroyal covers 93% of demand in the high-performance sector right from the very start. The rain tyre manufacturer will be supplying widths between 195 and 275 mm, in cross-sections from 55 to 30, thereby ensuring that the requirements of more sporty drivers are also met. Tyre options will carry the Speed Indices V (approved for speeds up to 240 km/h - 150 mph), W (up to 270 km/h - 168 mph) and Y (up to 300 km/h - 187 mph), which represents a wide choice for cars with a sporty bias.

The RainSport 2 is Uniroyal's latest development in its range of rain tyres for sporty vehicles. The previous models -

RTT 1, RTT 2 and Rainsport 1 - already combined high safety on wet roads with sporty driving performance. This was something they demonstrated when used in the legendary 24 hour race on the northern loop of the Nürburgring, as well as when they were fitted as standard tyres in the Uniroyal Funcup, the racing series held right across Europe.

The Belgian rubber goods manufacturer Englebert produced tyres from 1895 and the company's customers included Continental AG. When the firm merged with US Rubber in 1958, it was then known as Uniroyal Englebert. Uniroyal, the inventor of the rain tyre, has been a European brand within the portfolio of Continental AG in Hanover, Germany since 1979.

With annual sales of more than €25 billion (based on 2006 figures), the Continental Corporation is one of the top five automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of tyres, brake systems, systems and components for the powertrain 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 und www.conti-online.com.