October 13^th, 1999                          

Pilot Sport - tyre technology for the new millennium

Michelin Australia has announced the release of the company’s latest high performance tyre, the Pilot Sport.

Developed by the Michelin Technology Centre in conjunction with leading car manufacturers, the Pilot Sport owes its heritage to the race winning research and development program created for the famous Le Mans 24-hour endurance event.

The criteria for the research and development program for the Pilot Sport range was to provide the highest levels of safety and comfort in an overall performance package that improved ride quality, handling and adhesion.

In meeting these criteria Michelin designers have surpassed the original design brief.

Compared to its predecessor the Michelin SX MXX3, the Pilot Sport offers up to a 12 per cent improvement in wet road grip when cornering, a reduction in the wet weather braking distance of up to 6 per cent and up to 9 per cent more contact with the road surface at high speed in heavy rain.

Additional benefits include excellent dry weather performance, a 10 per cent reduction in vibration transmitted from the road to the car, and improved steering control.

Also of immense importance to manufacturers and vehicle owners, the new Michelin Pilot Sport achieves a 30 per cent reduction in the audible noise level (1 dB) to significantly enhance the appeal of driving a high performance, sports oriented vehicle.

The components of the Pilot Sport include high-strength steel bracing plies and low deformation casing plies, with a zero degree band laid within a precision of 100 microns.

It’s this accuracy in tyre building that ensures the stability of the vehicle at speeds up to 300 kph. It also significantly lowers the effect of centrifugal behaviour on the tyre during high speed cornering, by reducing tyre deformation and keeping the central tread area in flat contact with the road.

All of these advances in technology incorporated in the design and construction of the Pilot Sport have benefited tyre life. Dependent on the vehicle concerned, tyre life is anticipated to increase by as much as 12 per cent on rear wheels and by as much as 20-30 per cent on front wheels.

The advantages of the Pilot Sport continue with a reduction in weight of up to 10 per cent (dependent on tyre size). This weight reduction, which directly reduces the inertia of the tyre and improves handling behaviour, is largely attributable to the use of new high strength steel in the bracing plies.

Further advantages of the Pilot Sport include a four per cent reduction in rolling resistance, leading to reduced fuel consumption.

Many of these significant performance enhancements are the result of new tread patterns and a recently developed casing construction utilising new materials.

Two distinctly different tread patterns are used in the Pilot Sport range - Delta "V"-shaped for tyres up to 265mm wide and Delta "W"-shaped for greater widths.

With a tread pattern that extends down to the base of the shoulder and as far as the tyre wall, the new Michelin Pilot Sport continues the emphasis on an innovative and elegant tyre, with a strong low-profile appearance.

"The new Michelin Pilot Sport is designed to meet the power and road holding requirements of vehicles in the sport (300 hp) and super sport (over 400 hp) segments," said a Michelin spokesperson.