The Continental ContiWinterContact TS 860 winter tire was developed to replace the TS 850 model, the most titled model in the history of the German tire giant. The novelty has surpassed its popular predecessor in most operational properties, primarily in braking, snow traction, and driving comfort.
With a similar V-shaped design to the previous generation tire, the tread of this model has a number of significant differences. First and foremost, this is the SnowCurve technology. Its essence lies in the presence of special grooves in the block walls. These elements allow the tread to capture and hold more snow, which is why the tire shows better efficiency on such surfaces.
The advantage over the predecessor in braking is provided by the Liquid Layer Drainage technology. This solution is represented by additional drainage grooves located directly inside the tread blocks. They dry the contact patch when moving on ice, which allows to significantly reduce the braking distance on such surfaces.
The tread of this tire is made from the latest Cool Chili compound. It is characterized by an even higher content of silicon dioxide, as well as the presence of special resins in the composition. This allowed to additionally expand the temperature range, and also to improve the strength of the rubber mixture on tear.
Main features of the Continental ContiWinterContact TS 860 tire
- special grooves in the side walls of the blocks improve the tire's performance on snow;
- additional drainage grooves in the blocks increase efficiency when braking on icy surfaces;
- increased silica content and special resins in the rubber compound provide it with improved elasticity at low temperatures and tear strength.