Continental MaxContact MC7 offers safer, sportier driving

REPLACING the highly regarded Continental MaxContact MC6 premium performance passenger car tyre is the new generation MaxContact MC7 (MC7) that hits the market here on June 1 priced similarly to its predecessor despite advances.

The MC7 was under development for three years in Germany and other countries and has been engineered to deliver superior performance across the board compared with the MC6 and competitor brands.

GoAuto was invited to a test session for the MC7 in Sydney attended by MC7 Project Leader BoonYung Chan who had oversight of the tyre’s gestation from start to finish and who provided interesting insight into the whole process of engineering the tyre.

He said the main aims were to efficiently eject water from under the tyre’s tread and to provide stability when cornering through a refined tread shoulder design that complements the rubber compound and carcass construction.

“This is achieved through Continental’s Cornering Macroblock technology, which maximises the tyre’s contact area with the road to create a wider footprint, thus redistributing force for a more controlled and stable drive experience,” he said.

“Additionally, the silica technology within the ReFlex Compound enhances the transfer of kinetic energy to heat when braking, leading to shorter braking distances on both dry and wet roads.

“The new tyre also features ReFlex Compound that creates a higher resistance to tyre deformation and leads to improved steering response and accuracy. This is the first generation '7' tyre and is a big step up.

“We focused on wet braking, rubber compounds, lateral stability and lower noise levels with this new tyre.”

The tyre’s 3D Laser-cut sipes improve grip and braking in wet and rainy conditions, reducing the risk of aquaplaning by quickly expelling water that flows through the tyre grooves.

“We use computer modelling and design as well as real world testing and we had a good starting point with the MC6 which allowed us to set a base line and then go from there with the new MC7,” added Mr Boonyung.

The MC7 sits in Continental’s range under the SC7 which is an all-out performance tyre suitable for track driving on high powered cars.

The MC7 is a sporty, high-performance tyre designed for enjoyment in both daily use and on weekend adventures that Continental says “fulfils the needs of Australian performance-oriented drivers”.

All of this was put to the test at a demonstration at Luddenham Racetrack west of Sydney.

Against a competitor tyre, the MC7 proved definitively better in terms of directional stability through wet corners averting pushing the front wheels into understeer and delivering on average a two-metre shorter wet road stopping distance from 80km/h compared to the other brand rubber.

In another higher speed test, the MC7 exhibited demonstrably less noise when pushed hard through turns.

According to Continental’s info sheet on the MC7, it uses what’s called “two-in-one Noise Breaker 3.0” to break up sound waves, preventing noise from building up and traveling into the cabin, resulting in a quieter drive.

Continental Tyres Australia managing director Mitchell Golledge said the MC7 was developed and tested by a team of industry-leading engineers and material experts through more than 8000 hours in research and development.

“We engineered a stand-out, high-performance tyre that meets the unique needs of Australian drivers,” he commented.

“Designed to ensure optimum safety, even in wet weather, the new MC7 provides enhanced grip and shorter braking distances to ensure a safe driving experience.

“The MaxContact MC7 is the most recent addition to the Continental Tyres line-up, is available in sizes from 16-to 20-inch in 205 to 275mm width and is EV ‘check marked’ which means suitable for EV applications,” he concluded.