Continental ContiPremiumContact 6 205/40 R18 86Y XL

The summer tire Continental ContiPremiumContact 6 appeared later than other models of the German concern with the same number in the name. The delay is due to the position of this tire in the "passenger" line, where it occupies the position of a flagship. It is confirmed by the use of all the most effective technologies and materials in its design, borrowed, among other things, from the SportContact tires.

New compound

One of such borrowings was the latest iteration of the Black Chilli rubber mixture. Compared to its two-year-old predecessor, it has an enhanced ability to smooth out small road irregularities with the tread. This allowed for a significant improvement in the tire's performance, primarily in rainy conditions. The German manufacturer claims a 14% reduction in braking distance on wet pavement. At the same time, the ability to use the tire's oscillations in various driving modes has been preserved in full. As before, the tread changes its temperature regime depending on road conditions, heating up when accelerating and braking, or cooling down when driving at a constant speed. In the latter case, fuel consumption is reduced and the tire's lifespan is increased. All these changes are ensured by the use of polymers with different molecular chain lengths. During braking, the shortest ones are activated, and during uniform movement without changing speed, on the contrary, the longest ones are activated.

Tread pattern Force Vectoring

The "macro-block" technology used in the previous generation model has been further developed in this tire. The rigidly connected elements in the shoulder area on the outside of the tread are supplemented by several longitudinal ribs in the central part. This significantly increased the speed of transmission of transverse acceleration forces, which improved several operational properties. The tire has become even more responsive, making the control process easier, especially in difficult conditions. Additionally, the directional stability and speed, as well as the accuracy of the tire's response to the driver's actions, have been improved.

Reinforced breaker

Another innovation is the reinforced breaker design. It features an additional cord, which is a grid of aramid and nylon threads covering the entire surface under the tread. The physical properties of the material, named Aralon 350, provide additional stability to the tire against continuous deformation, making its behavior more stable and reliable, especially when driving at high speeds.

Even more resistance to aquaplaning

Compared to the previous generation tire, this model's drainage system has fewer elements, but the grooves have a significantly larger capacity. This has allowed the tread to better resist aquaplaning. Additionally, some drainage grooves have acquired additional functionality. In particular, those located along the ribs in the central part have a semi-circular bottom shape. This solution has improved directional stability and handling.

Key features of the Continental ContiPremiumContact 6 tire

- the new version of the Black Chilli compound improves traction, especially on wet surfaces;
- the "macro-blocks" in the outer shoulder area, supplemented with rigid longitudinal ribs in the center, increase stability when maneuvering;
- the reinforced breaker design simplifies and facilitates the control process, thanks to clear feedback and faster, more accurate reactions to steering wheel turns.