Continental

19-inch Continental CrossContact LX Sport tyres as well as 21-inch CrossContact RX tyres can be seen factory- fitted on the Maserati Grecale SUV. 20-inch Continental EcoContact 6 tyres have also been approved for the vehicle.

The sharp end of the performance tyre spectrum is the domain of the supersports or ultra-ultra-high performance (UUHP) tyre. Completely road legal but also designed to deliver superior performance on the track, these products are tasked with the weighty remit of providing a dynamic yet safe driving experience to the world’s most powerful cars in both wet and dry conditions. WhatTyre has identified five supersports tyres that excel at this.

Winter tyres are a very small part of the UK tyre market compared to their year-round alternative, all-season tyres. But if you want to guarantee traction in the most extreme cold weather, they remain the best tool for the job. WhatTyre’s Winter Tyre of the Year 2023 shortlist offers the ten best-performing options for an optimal cold weather driving experience. The ten tyres selected represent the best the winter tyre market has to offer, according to both the latest seasons of the best independent European tyre tests and our newest algorithm, Tyrescore 2.2 “Bugatti”.

Eco tyres and EV tyres have a very close relationship in that both focus on delivering high energy efficiency and high longevity. As we mention in our recommendations for electric car tyres, the lines are blurred considerably by the broad range of “EV-Ready” (to borrow Bridgestone’s term) products now on the market. While the specialist EV tyres generally start with performance principles tuned specifically towards enhancing range, reducing noise and providing greater longevity, the tyres on our eco tyre list have evolved from generations of touring tyres for cars. This means that they are generally well-rounded products, with features that promote enjoyable, comfortable driving as well as improving efficiency.

Yet another crossover enters the fray in the shape of the Alfa Romeo Tonale, which in UK spec is exclusively available as a mild hybrid or plug-in hybrid model. Continental tells us that it is supplying tyres for vehicles equipped with 18-inch rims, as well as a 17-inch tyre for markets where that rim size is offered. Alfa Romeo will fit the Continental EcoContact 6 to Tonale models built at its Pomigliano d’Arco plant in Naples, Italy in sizes 215/60 R 17 96V and 235/50 R 18 97V.

Creating a tyre tread by hand may seem old-fashioned or even quaint, but even the best-known tyre brands rely upon skilled carvers when developing new patterns. We visited Continental in Germany to see how this is done and to find out why technology hasn’t consigned engraving to the history books.

More 205/55 R16 tyres are sold in the UK than any other size, and this is the dimension Auto Express chose for its summer 2023 tyre test. In association with Blackcircles.com, the Auto Express team headed to the Contidrom proving ground in Germany and compared the performance of 11 tyre brands.

It’s been raining a lot lately, and that is great news for tyre developers testing the wet performance of their latest products. Not so good if they’re trying to test tyre performance in the dry, and it would be better to go indoors in search of better weather. Continental has done precisely this.

Six years after launching its first all-season tyre for Europe, Continental has introduced a second-generation tyre that offers increased mileage and good market coverage. Deliveries to dealers and garages across the UK began this month, and a range of 99 dimensions for 15- to 21-inch rim diameters will soon be available.