What are High Performance Tyres?
Over the last couple of decades there have been numerous advancements in the automotive industry – one such advancement lies in the tyres. Since the development of mass production, tyres manufactures have gone above and beyond trying to develop a variety of cutting edge tyres that are intended to improve the driving experience. One of these cutting edge tyre types is the performance tyre. These have been designed with a tread design and a contact patch that provides a sensational grip. These tyres are designed for drivers to feel comfortable when driving at high speeds, whilst also providing agility and an exceptional ability to handle. Choosing the right tyres to suit your needs can, in some cases, be discouraging as the choices are wide and varied. This article was designed to walk you through performance tyres before you decide if they are the right choice for you, your car and your driving needs.
Advantages of High Performance Tyres
In order to fully appreciate the intended design and purpose of high performance tyres, they should be fitted on a high performance vehicle, as they are best suited for the specification demands of high performance vehicles. Sport cars can also benefit from these tyres, as they are both designed with the same intention: creating a sporty and dynamic driving performance. If you are in need of tyres that’ll maximise your speed and increase your driving performance, then high performance tyres might be the way to go. There are a variety of benefits to fitting high performance tyres on your vehicle:
- Noise – High performance tyres are quieter that normal tyres because they are fitted with an acoustically tuned asymmetrical tread pattern that moves with the flow of the ground it’s being driven on.
- Steering and handling – These tyres have the ability to handle precisely when taking corners at high speed because of its four-groove tread design that was inspired by the designs from Formula One vehicles.
- Stable Cornering – Performance tyres were ultimately designed to make cornering as stable as possible when driving at high speed.
- Grip – The high performance tyres are built to offer superior gripping in any weather condition. The treads are designed with grooves for water evacuation on the inside shoulder. It also features a sticker tread compound that maximises its grip and handling without having to sacrifice the tread life.
- Seasons – High performance tyres are made from rubber compounds that are often all-season tyres and generally get lower tread wear and a shorter lifespan.
Who needs High Performance Tyres?
The simple fact is that people who makes short journeys in their cars will require a different set of tyres than someone who drives long distance – just like someone who drives in the city would require different tyres to someone who drives in the country. The factors to consider before deciding on tyres, are the type of car, the speed, distance travelled and the needs of the driver. If you drive at high speed and require something with stability and precision, then a set of Michelin Ultra High Performance tyres is possibly what you need; but if you just need something to get you from home to work and then back home, then a high performance tyre might not be a suitable investment for you.
It’s worth noting that during the manufacturing process manufactures had to decide if they want their tyres to have better grip capabilities or to have increased tyre life, and for the purpose of high performance, the manufactures opted for the better grip option. To simplify it, if you drive a nice family van then you could save yourself some money by fitting it with standard tyres; but if you drive a sports car then you might benefit from high performance tyres.