Michelin Launches New Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Michelin has launched a new tire, the new Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S. The tire is positioned as an ultra-high performance tire that will replace the Michelin Pilot Super Sport. The Michelin Pilot Super Sport was one of the frontrunners in the UHP category for both OE and replacement tires. The new Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S effectively combines the best features of the Michelin Pilot Super Sport with a few characteristics of the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tire.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S offers motorists a lot of driving pleasure due to its outstanding steering precision and directional stability. It has an optimized footprint that will give deliver maximum performance and safety leading to extraordinary grip on all surfaces.

 When it comes to braking performance, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S excels on both dry and wet surfaces, thanks to its Bi-Compound Technology. The outer part of the tread is made of a new hybrid compound that enhances grip on dry ground while the inner side uses a new comprising silica and functional elastomers which have been customized to offer consistent grip on wet surfaces. The tire with its braking performance on both wet and dry surfaces fully aligns with the Michelin Total Performance philosophy, which involves making advances with regard to several criteria simultaneously on the same tire, and overcoming technology challenges.

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S is set to redefine the standards in its category. The tire is ideal for handling the toughest challenges on the road and on the track, and is already the top tire in its category. In tests that were conducted by the third-party testing organization TÜV SÜD in Germany, the MICHELIN Pilot Sport 4 S performed better than five of its five major competitors in key performance areas.
Dry braking

The MICHELIN Pilot Sport 4 S takes only 33.66m to brake from 100 km / h to a complete stop. Even the best of its direct competitors takes nearly a meter more (+0,83m).

Wet braking

On a wet track, 27.73 m is all the distance needed for the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S to brake from 80 km / h to 0. This shows it once again as the best at almost 2.5m (+2,41m) shorter than the worst performer.

Lap time

On a 2.6 km circuit, the MICHELIN Pilot Sport 4 S proved to be between 0.4s and 1.39s faster per lap. When compared to similar tires, it is almost a second quicker on average over this relatively short distance. Even as a difference of one second can make a significant difference when it comes to the driving experience.

Longevity

Wear tests conducted by the Dekra Test Center demonstrated that the new Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S has the best longevity in its class. It is also one of the first tires in its category to get an A rating on the European labelling scale (19 inch tire) in braking distance on wet surfaces. This label is meant to inform customers of the performance of the tires and also gives them information on the energy efficiency of the tire and its road noise level. The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S also set a new milestone when it comes to the rolling resistance as two-thirds of the range are graded C.

The passion, on road and track

Michelin is highly involved in motorsports and uses racetracks as a laboratory for development of future tire technologies. These technologies are then used in the development of its production tires. The data collected during races is used to develop ‘confidential’ tire technologies or special rubber compound recipes.

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, uses construction techniques and materials that were directly developed in competitions like the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), its flagship event the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Formula E and the World Rally Championship. The distinctive design of the tread was inspired by the success of the tires used in Formula E, which are the first 18-inch tires to be used on open-wheeled race cars.

Designed to equip the most distinguished sports cars

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S is ideal for use in sports cars made by premium brands like Ferrari, BMW M, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche. The tire manufacturer is collaborating closely with the leading automotive manufacturers in the world to design and develop tires that can perfectly complement the performance of their most exclusive models. Currently, over 60 original equipment homologation projects are under development.

Velvet-like sidewalls

Like all of Michelin’s high-end tires the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S uses ‘Michelin Premium Touch Design’ to improve the appearance of the sidewall design. The new Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S will be available from April 2017 in Africa and the Middle East, in 19 and 20 inch diameters.