Conti Launches ExtremeContact Sport

Continental Tire the Americas unveiled its latest ultra-high performance tire—the ExtremeContact Sport—at an event in Palm Spring, Calif., this week.

The next generation of the ExtremeContact DW, the all-season UHP street tire is built for car enthusiasts and engineered for extreme grip in dry and wet conditions.

“We took our knowledge from the track to the street in a whole new way with the ExtremeContact Sport,” said Travis Roffler, director of marketing for Continental Tire the Americas. “We chose five of the best sports car drivers in the world to help deliver the performance driving enthusiasts demand in a tire. These drivers pushed our tires to the limits to help develop a tire that includes superb dry handling while not sacrificing any of Continental’s award-winning performance in the wet. This summer tire is ideal for sports cars and sport and luxury vehicles.”

To help develop a tire, Continental called upon five of the top drivers in International Motor Sports Association’s top series, the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the tiremaker said.

“It was great to see the dedication and passion all the drivers had for this project,” said Bob Liu, product manager performance tires for Continental Tire. “For the engineers to be able to ride with the drivers and experience what they were reporting was invaluable. The level of detail each driver gave was extraordinary and we think the combined expertise of the driver’s knowledge and our technologies will give car enthusiasts the precision and grip they expect in a UHP tire.”

The ExtremeContat Sport features Continental’s SportPlus technology that is designed for precise handling, security on wet, roads, and tread life, the tiremaker said. The tire also features Continental’s Tuned Performance Indicators; The D (Dry) and W (Wet) letters in the tread indicate the tire’s optimal performance levels in dry and wet conditions.

The ExtremeContact Sport is backed the Total Confidence Plan. Under the tire has a 60-day customer satisfaction trial and 12 month road hazard coverage as well as a 72-month manufacturer’s limited warranty program. Also included is a 30,000 mile limited mileage warranty and three-year flat tire roadside assistance.

The ExtremeContact Sport comes in 71 sizes ranging from 15” – 20” wheel diameters with a W and Y speed rating.

The ExtremeContact Sport will be available in February 2017.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has named Ryan Waldron as president of the company's Americas business unit, reporting to Chief Executive Officer and President Mark Stewart. He succeeds Steven R. McClellan, who retired on April 1.

"At Goodyear, our customers are at the center of everything we do, and in Ryan Waldron, we have a customer-centric, execution-focused business leader with a deep understanding of both the marketplace and all aspects of our business, as well as a proven track record of delivering results," Stewart said. "I am thrilled to announce him as president of Goodyear's Americas business and have enormous confidence that under his leadership, both the company and our customers will reach even greater levels of success."