Press Release
The Continental WinterContact TS 860:
Even safer on snow and ice, and in the wet
- New winter tires with even shorter braking distances and safe handling
- New tread design and new rubber compound bring performance gains
- WinterContact TS 860 available in retail outlets from fall 2016
Hanover, Germany/Schladming, Austria - February 2016. With the WinterContact TS 860, Continental presents a new winter specialist for compact and mid-range models. On the safety front in particular the new tire brings real progress: When braking on wet wintry roads it performs five percent better than even its outstanding predecessor, the ContiWinterContact TS 850. Braking distances are four percent shorter on ice and there are improvements in snow handling, grip on snow and ride quality as well. Mileage and rolling resistance are on a par with the successful predecessor model.
These advances are made possible by combining a new tread compound with a newly developed tread design. The Cool Chili compound has a high proportion of silica that reduces braking distances on wet roads due to its special damping characteristics. The highly flexible polymer matrix brings a noticeable improvement intraction properties on all wintry road surfaces, thus providing extra grip. Also new are special high-performance resins that maintain the flexibility of the compound even at low winter temperatures, leading to shorter braking distances on cold, wet, icy and snow-covered surfaces.
To enable effective braking even on icy roads, the tire development engineers at Continental have come up withwhat they call Liquid Layer Drainage. When braking on ice, a film of water is created under the tread that significantly reduces the tire's contact patch with the road. The new technology, incorporating an additional drainage channel molded into the tread block, allows the water to drain away faster than was previously possible, effectively cutting braking distances on icy roads.
Also new in the directional V-shaped tread is the SnowCurve technology with its high-grip 3D groove wall structure. With an additional groove in the wall of the tread blocks, it increases the meshing effect with the snow compressed in the tread groove to offer greater grip and provide better traction on snow-covered roads.
The new WinterContact TS 860 from Continental will be available in retail outlets from fall 2016. Initially, there will be 36 items in 21 sizesfor 14 to 17 inch rims. On the EU Tire Label the new Continental winter tire scores a C rating for rolling resistance and a B rating for wet grip.
Continental AG
Continental develops intelligent technologies for transporting people and their goods. As a reliable partner, the international tire manufacturer, automotive supplier, and industrial partner provides sustainable, safe, comfortable, individual, and affordable solutions. In 2014, the corporation generated preliminary sales of approximately €39.2 billion with its five divisions, Tire, Chassis & Safety, Interior, Powertrain, and ContiTech. Continental currently employs approximately 208,000 people in 53 countries.
Tire division
The Tire division currently has 24 production and development locations worldwide. The broad product range and continuous investments in R&D make a major contribution to cost-effective and ecologically efficient mobility. As one of the world's leading tire manufacturers, with more than 47,000 employees the Tire division achieved sales of €9.8 billion in 2014.
Passenger and Light Truck Tires
Continental is one of Europe's leading passenger and light truck tire manufacturers and is the world's fourth largest passenger and light truck tire manufacturer in the original equipment and replacement business sectors. Product development for the Continental premium brand focuses on optimizing all safety-related features while at the same time minimizing rolling resistance.
Media database
Alexander Bahlmann
Head of Communications/PR, Passenger and Light Truck Tires
Continental AG
Tire Division
Büttnerstraße 25, 30165 Hanover, Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 511 938 2615
Fax: +49 (0) 511 938 2455
/ Klaus Engelhart
Press Spokesperson, Passenger and Light Truck/Two-Wheel Tires DACH
Communications/PR, Passenger and Light Truck Tires
Continental AG
Tire Division
Büttnerstraße 25, 30165 Hanover, Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 511 938 2285
Fax: +49 (0) 511 938 2455