Uniroyal means safety and economy on the road:
The new Uniroyal RainMax 2 for MPVs and light vans

Hanover, April 2009. The RainMax 2 is Uniroyal's new summer tyre for MPVs and light vans. The tread pattern on this new rain tyre has been completely re-developed to ensure safe, economical performance on both wet and dry roads. Typical features of the new design are the safe driving characteristics, which further enhance the tyre's performance - braking distance on wet roads, for example, is 17% shorter than that of the previous model.

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Economy - a must for MPV tyres

Both commercially and privately, MPVs and light vans are used in a wide range of applications. They have to serve as family vehicles with ample loading space, as well as delivery vehicles that can easily handle longer distances;  they also have to transport heavy loads when used as a mobile workshop. At the same time, they have to be economical, a requirement that is often as important as safe driving characteristics. Tyre engineer Frank Stadler has developed a tread pattern where stiffness is evenly distributed across the tread ribs and lateral grooves, offering very even wear and thus high mileage performance. This will make the RainMax 2 a popular and economical tyre option for vehicles in both commercial and private use.

Safety in the wet - mandatory for Uniroyal tyres

All Uniroyal tyres traditionally deliver best driving performance in the wet. To ensure that the RainMax 2 is as safe as its predecessors, a few special features were added to reduce the risk of aquaplaning and to make both braking and handling in the wet safe. So three wide and deep longitudinal tread channels collect water swiftly, discharging it rapidly from the contact patch via an arrow-shaped groove structure to prevent the occurrence of the dreaded aquaplaning. A multiplicity of gripping edges and lateral sipes in the tread lugs work together in a similar way to windscreen wipers to disperse water, thereby ensuring good handling characteristics and shorter braking distances, even on wet roads. Compared with its predecessor, the RainMax 2 offers 17% shorter braking distances, plus a 5% improvement in handling.

Short braking distances and safe grip on dry roads

To achieve short braking distances on dry roads, too, tyre developer Frank Stadler has integrated a large number of stiffeners into the lateral grooves between the tread lugs. These prevent the lugs from tilting over during braking and thus shorten the braking distance. The stiffeners also enhance handling, as they provide positive support when lateral forces are  encountered and they stabilise the tread during cornering. All in all, the RainMax 2 delivers short braking distances and a 3% improvement in handling bends, compared with its safe predecessor.

The new RainMax 2 - available from stockists from May

The new Uniroyal RainMax 2 is already in production and will be supplied to the tyre trade from May onwards. Initially, a core range will be manufactured; this will gradually be built up to include a total of 20 sizes in widths from 165 to 235mm suitable for 13" to 16" rims. The tyre has been approved for speeds of up to 210 km/h (131 mph), with a maximum load capacity of 1,215kg per tyre (8PR).

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 sales exceeding i24 billion in 2008, the Continental Corporation is one of the top automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for the powertrain and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tyres 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. The corporation currently employs approximately 133,000 at nearly 190 locations in 35 countries.

Continental is Europe's market leader for car tyres. In the Original Equipment sector, over 30% of all new European cars leave the factory on Continental tyres. The Tyre Divisions are an Official Sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa^TM. For further details, visit www.ContiSoccerWorld.com.