Supercar-rated

MANILA, Philippines -  It takes some guts to launch a new performance tire at one of the world’s foremost race circuits, Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. The tire, after all, should be good enough that it can demonstrate its abilities on a track where 250 to 300 km/h is the norm. But it probably takes balls of steel to let a bunch of motoring journalists from the region experience its newest and greatest products as fitted to some of the world’s fastest cars: a Renault Clio Cup race car and a Subaru Impreza STI at the “low end”, and the Porsche 911, BMW M3, and the Ferrari 458 Italia at the super high end.

There were no dancing girls, fancy pyrotechnics, or hyperbolic press releases to introduce Michelin’s Pilot Sport Cup and Super Sport performance tires. Instead, there was a technical, point-by-point presentation of the latest improvements to its Pilot series, followed by dozens of fast laps at Sepang at the wheel of some seriously fast machinery.

Taking off from its predecessor the Pilot Sport PS2, which has been used as original equipment for more than 200 high performance vehicles, the Pilot Super Sport incorporates several new technologies for better braking performance, increased roadholding, and higher tread wear.

The Pilot Super Sport uses a Twaron fiber belt instead of conventional steel. A high density fiber used in cutting edge equipment for sports like tennis, sailing, and mountain biking, as well as in aeronautics, protective military gear and motorsports, the Twaron belt allows for variable tension. With a belt that tightens the tread more than the shoulders, centrifugal force is more effectively overcome and pressure is more evenly distributed. A bi-compound tread originally developed for racing tires features a unique, carbon black-reinforced elastomer for exceptional endurance in tight corners. Meanwhile, the latest generation high-grip elastomer enables the tire on wet surfaces to break through the water’s surface and stick more closely to the road. Finally, a variable contact patch evens out pressure and temperature across the tire’s contact patch.

According to Michelin’s test data, the Pilot Super Sport gives 10% more mileage on the road and a whopping 50% more mileage on the track compared to the Pilot Sport PS2. In addition, it is 1.5 seconds faster on a dry 2.7 km track and brakes 1.5 meters shorter on a dry surface. In the wet, it stops 3 meters shorter than the PS2.

Michelin was also keen to demonstrate its Pilot Sport Cup, a street tire designed to perform like a race tire. With a race inspired tread compound, a semi-slick outer tread, and a wet-optimized inner tread, the Pilot Sport Cup is intended for club racers and enthusiasts who want the best of both worlds.

Our Michelin Pilot Sport Experience began with several hot laps in the Renault Clio Cup race car. The frisky little front-wheel drive was shod with the Pilot Sport Cups, and between the tires, the lightweight chassis, and the point-and-shoot nature of the race car I had no problem keeping pace with the aggressively driven Lotus Exige pace car. Slick-like grip aside, I was also impressed with the tires’ pliant ride despite the stiff suspension of the Clio. On the wet-dry slalom track, the Pilot Sport Cup-equipped Subaru STIs had no problems carving up the turns at a little over 80 km/h.

Then it was time for the big guns. Hot laps with the BMW M3s (one of which was equipped with a competitor tire for comparison) demonstrated the Pilot Super Sport’s confidence-inspiring grip and progressive nature. At the onset of understeer or oversteer, you can feel the tires gently breaking loose so you can trim the car’s throttle or steering and get things back under control. Even when an afternoon rain shower temporarily slowed us down, we were still going through the turns at a brisk pace.

And then there was the Ferrari. With more than 570 horsepower on tap, 170 more than I’d ever driven in my life, I approached the car with both excitement and trepidation. It’s not everyday you can drive a Ferrari, but you also don’t want it to be the day you crash one. Even an imprudent stab at the throttle was enough to temporarily break the tail loose at Turn 4, but after coming to terms with the car I proceeded to do my laps at a respectably quick pace. On the main straight a full bore run reaped 80 to 230 km/h in less than 10 seconds before it was time to stand on the brakes to prepare for Turn 1. The music of an Italian V8 at full throttle is something everyone should hear at least once in their lives. Absent from all this excitement was the screeching of tires or, well, the screaming of my instructor to please, please God slow down before the day ends in disaster. Instead, just a very calm series of instructions on how to attack the next turn as the tires did the work of keeping us on the track. My driving skills may not be worthy of a supercar, but the Michelin Pilot Super Sport can certainly tame any that come its way.