In preparation for market release of its MaxContact MC7 tyre, Continental invited Driving Enthusiast to Luddenham Raceway to experience firsthand the benefits of the new product, which will be available to purchase from June 2024.
Building on the success of the highly popular and revered MC6, the MC7 promises superior wet and dry weather handling, thanks to significant developments in its water dispersion and noise-cancelling properties.
The result of over 8000 hours of R&D, the MC7 uses the “Sporty C.T.R.L“ principle – which encompasses Cornering macro-blocks, Two-in-one noise breaker 3.0, Reflex compound and Laser-cut 3D sipes – Continental sought to vastly improve on the success of the MC6.
Expanding on Noise Breaker 3.0, the new noise-cancelling technology contained within the grooves breaks sound waves up into smaller amplitudes, suppressing tyre noise considerably, the company says.
3D laser-cut sipes are another feature said to offer class-leading water ejection, cutting through the surface of wet roads from multiple directions utilising ‘Star’ and ‘Lightning’ sipes – which refers to the groove pattern on the tyres.
We were given the opportunity to test these new features of the MC7 in closed sections of Luddenham Raceway. Two BMW 320is – one equipped with competitor tyres and one equipped with MC7 – were tried across a sharp, off-camber wet bend to induce understeer followed by a wet braking course. The tyre size was 245/45 R19. Sizes varying from 16 inches in diameter all the way up to 21 inches, with a width of 205mm to 275mm, will be available.
Against the competitor tyre, the MC7-equipped car understeered far more progressively, providing more feedback through the steering wheel.
Along the road course of our test route, we had an opportunity to test the MC7-equipped car along a variety of conditions, including rough and potholed roads, sweeping bends and it even a heavy downpour, meaning we were able to experience the wet weather capabilities firsthand.
When the heavens opened up, there was such a scantly discernible difference in driving dynamics that it didn’t feel like we were on a wet road – such was the effectiveness of the MC7’s water dispersion characteristics. (We weren’t told what the control tyre was exactly, only it was a Bridgestone, and we weren’t able to determine its state of wear.)
Pitched as an alternative to Michelin Pilot Sport 5, Goodyear Eagle F1 Sport and Bridgestone Potenza RE003, the MC7 offers superior wear characteristics to its predecessor as well, which can often be a sore spot for European-developed sports tyres.
