UHP tyres

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.

You’ve heard of the Ariel Atom and the off-road loving Ariel Nomad. Last August Ariel Motor Company entered supercar territory with the launch of the 1180 bhp electric-powered Hipercar.

Continental has launched the SportContact 7, the latest in its ultra-high performance tyre line. It will initially be available in 42 sizes for rim diameters between 19 and 23 inches and will be joined by further sizes during 2022. Announcing the new-generation product, Continental states that the tyre is oriented towards handling and high mileage, with safety at its core.

Major Chinese tyre manufacturer Linglong is launching a range of Master tyres designed specifically for the European market. Its new ultra-high performance tyre, the Sport Master is a big leap forward for Linglong. This is especially true of the new tyre's ability in wet road conditions. The manufacturer says the tyre has recorded a 17% improvement over its previous UHP products. The tyre gets the A grade on the tyre label for wet grip. The tyre has also been designed with technologies from Linglong's race-winning racing tyres. These technologies were proven as the Linglong Tire Drift Team Orange won two annual championships in the Japanese D1 Grand Prix 2020.

After the event’s successful debut in 2019 at Shelsley Walsh, event organisers will be hosting two events in 2021. Supercar Fest: The Runway will take place on 30 May at Sywell Aerodrome in Northamptonshire, which will see the supercars go head-to-head on a one kilometre runway. Meanwhile, Supercar Fest: The Hill Climb will be returning to the historic Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb, in the heart of the picturesque Worcestershire countryside on 29 August 2021.

It is now time to name the finalists for the WhatTyre UHP Tyre of the Year, and again we’re looking at the popular sizes 245/45 R18, 245/35 R19, 265/35 R20 in Y or higher speed ratings. We have added the requirement that our finalists should have at least one original equipment approval to their name – car makers have exacting requirements when selecting OEM tyres, and manufacturer approval thus serves as a useful barometer of tyre competence and quality.

When it comes to tyres the term ultra-high-performance has lost some of its cachet, but in doing so has grown in significance. No longer synonymous with the supercar posters found in many a teenaged bedroom in the 70s and 80s, chances are good that UHP tyres are available for the car you drive. Evidence of the UHP tyre segment’s evolution into the volume market can be seen in our long-list, which includes products ranging from strictly performance-oriented tyres to those with a greater emphasis on comfort and economy. Today’s super and hypercars run on UUHP (no prizes for guessing what the second ‘U’ stands for) rubber, and these products are also included in this category.

A set of UHP tyres can cost more than a grand or less than half that, but you get what you pay for. This is what Auto Bild Sportscars found in its latest tyre test – the pricier tyres nudged the top end of the results table, while the two cheapest brands were also by far the worst performers.

New year, new flagship ultra-high-performance tyre. As 2021 begins, the Bridgestone Potenza S001 passes the baton to the Potenza Sport. Bridgestone says the newcomer possesses “excellent capabilities in both the dry and wet” as well as higher mileage potential than its predecessor. All 96 dimensions in the Potenza Sport range have an EU label rating of ‘A’ for wet grip.