Continental Tyre Malaysia (CTM) formally launched the Continental MaxContact 7 MC7 tyre for the Malaysian market in April this 12 months, bringing its successor to the MaxContact MC6 to market in sizes starting from 16 to 21 inches in diameter.
As a part of the German model’s Era 7 vary of merchandise, enhancements to the mannequin within the guise of the MaxContact MC7 – relative to the MaxContact MC6 – are made within the areas of dry dealing with, dry braking, moist braking, noise and gas effectivity, whereas matching its predecessor in areas of wear and tear mileage and moist dealing with.
To that finish, the said enhancements for the MaxContact MC7 are improved steering precision and highway floor suggestions, shorter braking distances in each moist and dry circumstances, and diminished noise ranges for a tyre relative to its predecessor.
To be able to supply a hands-on expertise with the MaxContact MC7 tyre, we’ve been hosted in Sydney, Australia to pattern the model’s sport-oriented phase of the alternative passenger automobile tyre market.
The defining elements of the MaxContact MC7 are expressed as “Sporty C.T.R.L.” , in reference to its Cornering Macroblocks, Two-in-one Noise Breaker 3.0, Reflex compound and Laser-cut 3D sipes.
By way of roadholding traits, the Cornering Macroblocks maximises the tyre’s contact patch to create a wider footprint, and extra effectively distributes forces to different areas of the tyre for optimum dealing with and stability.
This works hand in hand with the ReFlex Compound, which is crafted for optimum stiffness with a purpose to have the next degree of resistance to tyre deformation, thus yielding improved steering response and precision. The compound additionally gives an enhanced polymer mix for grip in gentle to heat temperatures, and this fits utilization in tropical climes resembling that of Malaysia.
Improved, shortened braking distances are facilitated by the laser-cut 3D tread sipes, comprised of Star-and-Lightning sipes in addition to Aquasipes. These serve to channel water and reduce via standing water movie from a number of angles and instructions, aiding within the efficient ejection of water from the principle tread grooves.
Finishing the quartet of traits is the Noise Breaker 3.0, described as two-in-one within the perform of the tyre grooves which not solely channel standing water, however that are additionally made with horizontal ‘humps’ inside the principle longitudinal grooves to disrupt the homogeneity of the grooves, and thus the continuity of a path for sound waves to propagate which then builds as tyre noise heard by a automobile’s occupants.
The monitor phase of the take a look at for the MaxContact MC7 was held at Luddenham Raceway in Luddenham, New South Wales, roughly a 45-minute drive from the Sydney central enterprise district. Luddenham Raceway is an eight-turn, 1.4 km-long circuit that’s 10 m in width, with 22 m in elevation change and run clockwise, providing a condensed take a look at for autos and parts.
Three segments had been devised for the monitor take a look at of the MaxContact MC7; moist braking, moist dealing with and dry dealing with. For the moist braking and moist dealing with sections, the MC7 was in contrast towards a rival tyre, which had its markings obscured, however which was later revealed to be the Bridgestone Potenza S007A.
The primary train, moist braking, was held on the beginning/end straight of the circuit. This was carried out on the G20 BMW 330i sedan, shod in sizes 225/40R19 in entrance and 255/35R19 on the rear.
We had two runs for every tyre; one for familiarisation, earlier than the second, measured run. Vehicles can be accelerated to 80km/h on the cone markers, at which level emergency braking power is utilized. On the measured runs, the MaxContact MC7 achieved a stopping distance of 21.91 metres, or simply over a full metre shorter than that achieved by the rival tyre, at 22.92 metres.
The second train was much less empirical, although simply as revealing, and a comparability with the identical rival tyre was additionally held, additionally each on G20 BMW 330i sedans. This was held on flip 2 of the circuit, a hairpin downhill right-hander however examined in the other way, making it an uphill left-hander for this train.
Ranging from the strategy kerbing of flip 3, this take a look at was to speed up into the uphill hairpin left, and elevate, however not brake for the flip, which was approached within the area of 55 km/h to 60 km/h. We began with the rival tyre, on which the automobile was noticed to understeer and ultimately be gathered by the automobile’s ESC.
The second run with the MaxContact MC7 within the moist cornering train exhibited markedly much less understeer, permitting extra velocity to be carried in reserve, which we discovered spectacular contemplating the tight radius and moist floor of the flip concerned, which might be attributed to the laser-cut 3D tread sipes at work.
The third and ultimate a part of the monitor take a look at session was the dry dealing with part, by which the G20 330i and Nissan Z had been provided for testing on the MaxContact MC7 tyre; there was no rival tyre to be in contrast with on this train. The 992 Porsche 911 Carrera additionally seen right here was for passenger rides solely.
Beginning out within the 330i sedan after a familiarisation run for the new-to-us part of monitor, the MC7 exhibited good braking stability on this part, the place the dry dealing with run begins after the flip 5 lengthy right-hander the place nook entry into turns 6 and seven are downhill, which demonstrated the ReFlex compound at work within the braking sections, steadfast even with the better calls for of the Z in a subsequent run.
The dry dealing with part was additionally run in the other way, which is thus uphill because it backtracks from flip 7, via to six and the slight kink and crest earlier than stopping for the management submit halfway into the flip 5 sweeper.
If the descent examined braking stability, the climb offered a take a look at of nook exit traction, and within the case of the G20 the superbly balanced 3 Collection remained unflustered, the place the MaxContact MC7 appeared to supply the automobile a surfeit of grip.
The extra highly effective Nissan Z, with its 405 PS and 475 Nm towards the 330i’s 258 PS and 400 Nm, requested extra of the MC7 which remained resolute in near-full energy nook exits within the dry, the tyre solely displaying its hand when the Z’s suspension unloads barely over the crest at large open throttle, and the MC7 continued to be predictable on the restrict of its grip.
On this expertise of the Continental MaxContact MC7 within the managed, repeatable setting of a closed course, the alternative market tyre seems to have demonstrated sturdy efficiency within the prescribed areas of dry dealing with, dry braking, and moist braking, in addition to a formidable displaying within the moist dealing with phase of the take a look at.
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