Continental Tyre Malaysia (CTM) formally launched the Continental MaxContact 7 MC7 tyre for the Malaysian market in April this yr, 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 damage mileage and moist dealing with.
To that finish, the acknowledged enhancements for the MaxContact MC7 are improved steering precision and street floor suggestions, shorter braking distances in each moist and dry situations, and diminished noise ranges for a tyre relative to its predecessor.
So as to supply a hands-on expertise with the MaxContact MC7 tyre, we have now been hosted in Sydney, Australia to pattern the model’s sport-oriented phase of the substitute passenger car tyre market.
The defining features 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 to be able to have the next stage of resistance to tyre deformation, thus yielding improved steering response and precision. The compound additionally affords an enhanced polymer mix for grip in delicate to heat temperatures, and this fits utilization in tropical climes corresponding to 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 minimize by way of standing water movie from a number of angles and instructions, aiding within the efficient ejection of water from the primary tread grooves.
Finishing the quartet of traits is the Noise Breaker 3.0, described as two-in-one within the operate of the tyre grooves which not solely channel standing water, however that are additionally made with horizontal ‘humps’ inside the primary 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 automotive’s occupants.
The observe 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 automobiles and elements.
Three segments have been devised for the observe 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 drive 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 wrong way, making it an uphill left-hander for this train.
Ranging from the method kerbing of flip 3, this take a look at was to speed up into the uphill hairpin left, and carry, 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 automotive was noticed to understeer and finally be gathered by the automotive’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 closing a part of the observe take a look at session was the dry dealing with part, by which the G20 330i and Nissan Z have been supplied 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 observe, 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 larger calls for of the Z in a subsequent run.
The dry dealing with part was additionally run in the wrong way, which is thus uphill because it backtracks from flip 7, by way of to six and the slight kink and crest earlier than stopping for the management publish halfway into the flip 5 sweeper.
If the descent examined braking stability, the climb introduced a take a look at of nook exit traction, and within the case of the G20 the superbly balanced 3 Sequence remained unflustered, the place the MaxContact MC7 appeared to supply the automotive 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 exhibiting its hand when the Z’s suspension unloads barely over the crest at extensive 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 atmosphere of a closed course, the substitute 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 exhibiting within the moist dealing with phase of the take a look at.
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