The Gislaved Speed 616 summer tire is one of the latest models developed by the well-known Swedish company during its time as an independent tire manufacturer, before coming under the control of the Germans from Continental AG. Today, it is produced at the Matador company's plant in the Slovakian city of Puchov.
Improved resistance to aquaplaning
In the development of this model, particular attention was paid to ensuring maximum grip on wet roads. This was achieved largely due to the drainage system, which, due to a number of design features, has high performance. Its main elements are two longitudinal drainage grooves in the central part of the tread, which have a large internal volume. In addition, numerous transverse grooves adjoin them, the throughput of which has been further increased by a curved shape and variable width. The combination of such design features gives the tire excellent resistance to aquaplaning.
Improved longitudinal traction and grip properties
The aforementioned transverse drainage grooves divide the shoulder areas into a large number of separate rectangular blocks. The edges of the contact formed by them are characterized by significant length. In combination with their transverse arrangement, this allows the tire to demonstrate excellent performance during acceleration and braking.
Optimized tread profile
One of the key features of the tread of this tire is the optimized shape of its profile. In the central part, it is practically flat, which significantly increases the size of the contact patch, and thus improves grip when driving in a straight line. When cornering, a large part of the load falls on the shoulder areas of the tread, the profile of which in the side projection has an S-shaped form. This solution made it possible to ensure the stability of the shape and size of the contact patch when the tire is affected by lateral acceleration forces, and thus - improved stability and grip on the road.
Main features of the Gislaved Speed 616 tire
- four wide longitudinal ribs improve directional stability and handling, prevent uneven wear;
- a multi-radius tread profile increases the contact patch, ensuring constancy of its shape and size when maneuvering, which provides the tire with excellent grip in any conditions;
- the S-shaped form of the transverse drainage grooves improves resistance to aquaplaning.