The primary target audience for the Continental ContiExtremeContact DWS passenger tire consists of drivers for whom exceptional efficiency, regardless of weather conditions, combined with ride comfort and long service life, is of utmost importance. Thanks to a range of innovative solutions, the specialists at the German tire giant have largely succeeded in giving this tire practically all of the above-mentioned characteristics.
Excellent traction on dry roads
To ensure reliable traction on dry roads, German tire makers applied the unique Chamfered Edge technology at the time. Translated into Russian, this term means "beveled edges". This refers to the optimized profile of the shoulder zones of the tread, which made it possible to significantly increase the contact patch area. At the same time, the increased stiffness in this part of the tread pattern gave it a practically rectangular shape, maintaining it regardless of the driving mode and road surface characteristics. As a result, the tire demonstrates not only excellent traction on dry roads but also very accurate and predictable handling. In addition, Chamfered Edge allowed for a significant improvement in traction properties.
Excellent performance on wet roads
Among the many advantages of this model, particular attention should be paid to the excellent traction and handling on wet roads. This is largely due to the asymmetrical tread pattern, one of the key features of which is the water drainage scheme from the contact patch. The drainage system of the Continental ContiExtremeContact DWS consists of three longitudinal grooves that serve as accumulators. As water flows in, it is drained from them to the outside of the tread through numerous transverse grooves located at a significant angle to the direction of movement. This feature, combined with significant curvature, allows for the removal of very large volumes of water from the longitudinal grooves, thus providing excellent resistance to aquaplaning.
Excellent traction on snowy roads
The high efficiency of this tire on snowy surfaces is mainly due to the Traction Grooves technology. The aforementioned longitudinal drainage grooves made it possible to form several longitudinal ribs. At the same time, one of them, located on the inside, is not only huge in size but also in structure. It consists of numerous massive blocks, which provide the contact patch with multiple differently directed edges of traction at any moment. Thanks to this, excellent traction properties are ensured for an all-season tire on snow.
Wear indicators
Another distinctive feature of the ExtremeContact DW model is the special indicators located on the longitudinal rib, closer to its outer side. They are designed to inform the driver in a timely manner about exceeding the maximum wear of the tread for different types of road surfaces. The letter D indicates that the tread pattern height is sufficient for movement only on dry roads, W - on wet surfaces, and S - for snow-covered roads.
DTD technology
The DTD abbreviation stands for Dynamic Temperature Distribution, which translates to "dynamic temperature distribution" in Russian. The main functional purpose of this technology is to reduce the destructive effect of high temperatures on the tread rubber compound. This is achieved by evenly distributing the temperature over its entire surface, which allows maintaining the temperature regime at an optimal level under any environmental conditions. In combination with low rolling resistance and high resistance to uneven and abrasive wear, the DTD technology provides a very long service life.
Key features of the Continental ContiExtremeContact DWS tire
- The asymmetrical tread pattern gives the tire excellent performance in any conditions;
- Excellent traction properties on dry roads, thanks to the optimized profile and increased stiffness of the shoulder zones of the tread;
- Short braking distance on wet roads and high resistance to aquaplaning due to the high performance of the drainage system and optimized arrangement and size of the shoulder zone blocks;
- Excellent fuel economy and long service life, thanks to low rolling resistance, efficient heat dissipation, and high resistance to abrasive and uneven wear.