Safe and sporty driving in wet winter weather

Hanover/ Essen, May 2008. The new winter tyres from the rain tyre brand Uniroyal are able to handle central Europe's typical mix of cold and wet weather even better than their predecessors. On the MS plus 6 and MS plus 66, the developers succeeded in achieving further substantial improvements, particularly in aquaplaning safety, handling in snow and braking characteristics in the wet.

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NEW - the Uniroyal MS plus 6, combining economy and safety

The MS plus 6 is a wet winter weather expert for use on compact cars and offers a striking combination of economy and safety. Uniformly wide tread ribs ensure even deformation of the tread pattern. This meant that the tyre's mileage performance could be distinctly improved versus its predecessor, the MS plus 5. At the same time, the developers also managed to enhance safety-relevant characteristics on both wet and dry roads.

"The new FLS 3-sipe system combines outstanding grip in snow with low tread block deformation during braking and cornering" explained Heike Schöpper, Product Manager for Uniroyal winter tyres, "and it is designed in such a way that it can transmit high lateral forces on to snow". As a result, the MS plus 6 excels thanks to its very good traction and lateral guidance in snow, whilst also achieving first-rate handling and braking characteristics on dry roads. The tyre is, however, truly in its element in the wet, when exceptionally short braking distances are possible. The reason for this is that the tread pattern adapts more quickly to the wet road surface, thanks to the use of highly absorbent wet-grip polymers. The specially formed aqua angled sides enhance aquaplaning safety and to ensure faster water dispersion, the groove has a shallow wall.

The new tyre will be available for the coming winter season in 24 sizes for 13" and 14" rims, and will be approved for speeds of up to 190 km/h (118 mph). Sizes range from 135/80 R 13 Q to 185/55 R 14 T.

Uniroyal MS plus 66 - the wet weather-optimised winter tyre

The MS plus 66 was designed as a wet weather-optimised winter tyre for medium range and luxury cars, and was launched last winter. Like all Uniroyal products, what makes this tyre so striking are its outstanding aquaplaning characteristics - the result of concave tread pattern block walls. Comment from winter tyre specialist Heike Schöpper: "This means that under load, the grooves that have to discharge the rain water are virtually unable to constrict." This is why the new winter tyre offers substantially improved longitudinal aquaplaning safety compared with its predecessor, the MS plus 55.

The tyre's performance in snow and ice was improved by the use of long gripping edges in the ground contact patch, enabling the MS plus 66 to achieve excellent traction in snow and during braking on ice. To further optimise the tyre's winter characteristics, the engineers at Uniroyal developed a new generation of compounds with locked-in softeners, which counteract rubber hardening at low temperatures and permit even better interlocking with the ground and transmission of forces to it. An important side effect - the new softeners do not migrate when the tyre deforms, so the tyre retains its excellent winter performance throughout its entire service life.

The tyres were developed for speeds of up to 240 km/h (150 mph). They are available in 39 sizes for 15" to 18" rims, and also as XL tyres with increased load-carrying capacity. The sizes range from 175/65 R 15 T to 225/40 R 18 V.

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 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 www.ContiSoccerWorld.de, www.ContiFanWorld.comand www.conti-online.com.