Energy and then some

MANILA, Philippines - I‘m going to let you in on a little secret here. Most tire tests are full of hot air. Believe me, I’ve been on enough of them to know. And the awkward truth is that just about every seasoned journalist I know feels the same way.

It’s not necessarily a reflection on the manufacturers, it’s just that expecting someone to give an informed opinion on a family-car tire during a controlled launch can be about as subjective as judging a mineral water comparo. Sure there are some differences, but let’s face it, regardless how much we crease our foreheads and nod during the presentations, these features and benefits that they go on and on about are usually only evident throughout the life of the tire. And quite frankly, we really don’t have the time for that. My deadlines are on Mondays. So unless we take several competing sets home and try them out, the idea of spending four or five hours in an oversized parking lot trying to discern the advantages between one general purpose tire and the next always seems a bit cute.

Forgive me if I sound pessimistic; it’s just that I know I wasn’t the only one on the bus to the military facility outside Pattaya, Thailand thinking about how this new Michelin Energy XM2 could be significantly better than any of the top competitors out there, much less the already impressive Michelin Energy XM1. And if it was, how exactly did they plan on convincing us? If we were racing in them then it would be a different story – but that’s just it, that is not their intended function. Besides, with all the baby sitting that goes on these days, most driving exercises end up being about as dangerous as the lunch buffet.

So as much as I hate to admit it, I entered the launch of the new Michelin Energy XM2 with those expectations.

Don’t get me wrong, the event itself was world class – Michelin doesn’t seem to know how to do things any differently; fantastic hotel, fabulous testing site and of course top notch engineers and product personnel to answer any questions. But that was never the worry. Most of us seemed more concerned with how they thought they could show the international press stuff we haven’t already seen. Comfort tests? Check. Road noise? There’s an app for that. Understeer and oversteer? Fun, but nothing new.

But I guess they were on to us. Because right off the bat was an all-out high speed lap around a wet and dry track. This was not the kind of lap that allowed you to flirt with the limits of the tire; this was a lap where you went straight for statutory rape. Sure it happened to be in a Honda Civic, but at these speeds, even a shopping trolley would have been fun. The idea was to basically drive the car beyond its limits in mixed weather conditions and feel the reaction of the tires.

The results were pretty awesome, and back-to-back drives in similar cars with the competitors tires actually showed significant differences in grip, especially in the wet portions of the track, which seemed to channel out the water a lot quicker. What a difference a bit of speed can make!

Without getting too technical, the Michelin Energy XM2 uses Optimum Void Grooves, which evacuates up to 20% more water compared to the Michelin Energy XM1. Admittedly, there was no scientific equipment on hand to measure this, but then again, neither was there one that measures confidence – and I can only tell you that I had far more of that in the XM2 than the competitor’s tire that wouldn’t turn in and kept nailing the orange cone.

This was followed by a series of comfort tests and road noise tests, including an on-road portion outside the base. Now, as impressed as I was with the track test, I would be lying if I said I felt or heard anything different here. It was as unobtrusive and anonymous as you would like a tire to be, which in case you’re wondering, is generally a good thing.

But the real shocker was the last two tests. And it needed to be, too. Because when a manufacturer claims up to 20% better fuel economy for any product, they open themselves up to industrial levels of skepticism.

I had thought I’d seen it all when it came to showcasing tires, (at least economy tires for everyday cars) but when they lined up two identical Toyota Camrys on a purpose-built ramp, with matching tire pressures, released the brakes, and the one shod with Michelin XM2 actually rolled almost 20% further purely from the effects of its improved rolling resistance, I was starting to choke a bit on my own words.

They actually had to do the test several times, swapping the cars to different sides of the ramp just to convince us it was all fair because the difference was that drastic. Some even went as far as checking the trunk and cabin for ballast. But it basically all came down to Michelin’s Alternating Bridging technology, which reinforces the rigidity of tread blocks causing them to move less, reducing resistance as well as the rate of tire wear.

This technology, as well as the full Silica compound that generates less heat, is what Michelin boldly claims to be responsible for up to 20% fuel savings in real world conditions.

Obviously this will vary from terrain to terrain and driver to driver, but to demonstrate, Michelin challenged us journalists to drive two identical Corollas around the exact same course in different tires. Being as consistent as we possibly could, with a pre-prescribed time limit to boot, we each set out to post a benchmark. All engine data was recorded on sophisticated computers that measured everything from throttle and steering inputs as well as an exact reading of fuel consumed.

While results did vary between driver to driver, the average fuel savings of the combined groups hovered around 17% from the XM2 and the competing tire. Personally, I was able to set a new record with something along the lines of 27%, but we were looking for averages here, not peaks and valleys.

It’s becoming rarer and rarer these days to attend a launch that leaves the press impressed. And while the Michelin Energy XM2 may just seem like just another tire, believe me, there’s more. Around 20% more to be precise.