The range of wide tires for sports cars is increasing every year, so that the choice is not easier. With this comparative test of sizes 245 / 35R19 and 265 / 35R19 we think we can at least reduce the choice stress.
Lovers of sporty driving look at the chassis qualities extra carefully when purchasing a car. But however car manufacturers’ technicians do their best, tires can make or break handling characteristics. This is even more true for sports enthusiasts with a high-tech chassis, such as the Mercedes-AMG C63 that we used in this tire test. With such a car, even the smallest differences with regard to the tires stand out. Already during the heating of the tires on the high-speed oval Uvalde in Texas, the subjective assessment of the steering behavior and steering reactions separates the wheat from the chaff.
For example, the front axle of the fast C-class reacts even more directly with the tires from Michelin and Continental. The feedback is also perfect and steering commands are executed immediately. In combination with the two centimeters wider tires on the rear axle, the C63 changes course with great precision and super fast. Even with the simulated evasive maneuver at extremely high speeds (130 and 160 km / h), the car with the tires of the aforementioned brands cannot be disturbed. Only the semi-slicks, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, which we have also tested for reference, went the extra mile in terms of driving pleasure and dynamism.
However, on a wet road surface, this tire quickly throws in the towel. We can still forgive a semi-slick tire, originally intended for track work, but also adapted for use on public roads. However, there is no excuse for the disappointing performance of the tire from the low-budget manufacturer Nankang, which eventually ends up in last place due to the seriously lacking wet grip and braking distances that are too long. If a tire wants to finish high in this test, it must be very successful in terms of driving dynamics and safety. After all, it would be a shame if you pay a lot of money for a sporty car and then your choice of tires throws a spanner in the works.
Conclusion
Two tires achieve the highest qualification ‘excellent’ this year. Overall winner is the Continental SportContact 6. Also an excellent choice is the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S. The qualification ‘good’ is there GoogYear Eagle F1 Supersport, the Hankook Ventus S1 Evo2 and the Vredestein Ultrac Vorti.
The full results of all summer sports tires with all test results can be read this week in Techzle No. 16 (April 15-22), or digitally available at the bottom of this article.
Price comparator
With the Techzle Car Tire Price Comparison we offer you a handy tool to find the best offers on summer tires. At the moment, the price comparison offers an overview of the full range of 19 different tire providers. All tire tests from previous years can also be found here.
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