GQEBERHA, South Africa, 1 July 2022 – Continental’s new SportContactTM 7 is already building on the success of its predecessor, with victories in numerous independent tyre tests under its belt soon after its launch in Europe, along with a pair of international design awards.
Continental’s SportContact 7 came first in the test by specialist German magazine sportauto, receiving the title “Outstanding.” The new high-tech sports tyre managed to outperform three competitors from the ultra-high performance (UUHP) segment of European and Asian manufacturers; the test vehicle was a Hyundai i30N, fitted with 235/35 ZR 19 size tyres. The test was published in sportauto issue 4/22, and the title “Outstanding” was awarded for the first time in a tyre test by this magazine.
The testers stated that, in view of the “outstanding braking safety of the SportContact 7,” the competitors’ handling characteristics are “simply swept away” and that the tyre “ushers in a new era,” especially in wet braking.
The editorial team concluded: “Outstanding deceleration – for both wet and dry – in everyday road and tyre temperatures.” In addition to testing UHP and UUHP tyres, the experts also tested semi-slick tyres intended for use on race tracks. In their final verdict on everyday and semi-slick tyres, they report: “Here, Continental shows that sportiness and sustainability are still compatible thanks to low fuel consumption. Objectively and rationally, this brings the test victory; subjectively, the knowledge of always being safe on the road in wet conditions but without losing ground to the others in dry.”
“Exemplary” in AutoBild test
The experts at the German car magazine AutoBild rated Continental’s new SportContact 7 as “exemplary” in their summer tyre test titled “Elitäres Kräftemessen” (Elite Showdown, issue dated March 31, 2022). The latest creation from Continental was awarded the highest rating among the 10 tyres tested from European, Asian and American manufacturers in the sport tyre segment. The 245/40 R 19 size tyres were tested on a BMW 5-Series.
In their summary, the testers praised the SportContact 7 for its “excellent handling characteristics on dry roads, good aquaplaning reserves, short braking distances and safe handling on wet roads.” The high-tech sports tyre was “in its element” on dry roads, and was involved in a “neck-and-neck race” with two competitors on the wet track, and like them, was awarded a “very good” final rating in this test.
In their assessment, the experts did warn against a Chinese product that required a greater braking distance by around 20 metres on the wet track compared with the best tyres in the test and therefore received a final rating of “not recommended” due to “dangerously long braking distances and a lack of grip on wet roads.”
Top in Tyre Reviews test
The SportContact 7 received first place in the Tyre Reviews (www.tyrereviews.com) 2022 Ultra High-Performance test, performed with a Toyota Supra in the UUHP (ultra-high performance tyre segment) sizes: 255/35 R19 (front), and 275/35 R19 (rear).
Jonathan Benson of Tyre Reviews said: “The just released Continental SportContact 7 sets a new benchmark in the wet, finishing both tests with an impressive gap to the next best tyre. With such an advantage in the wet, the new Continental SportContact 7 is a deserving test winner, and with it, a new standard for the UUHP segment.”
Leading tyre in UK tests
The SportContact 7 took the top prize in evo magazine’s ultra-high performance category, as well as winning WhatTyre’s Supersports (UUHP) category and being crowned WhatTyre’s overall Tyre of the Year 2022.
The evo test was performed in a Ford Mustang GT with the ultra-high performance tyre size 265/35ZR20. Commenting after the Continental SportContact 7 beat two competitors to win the category, evo’s advice was: ‘Fit a set and instantly improve your car’s performance.”
WhatTyre, meanwhile, described the SportContact 7 as “the freshest arrival in the Supersports tyre segment, that’s made many friends in the short time since its launch”. It won WhatTyre’s Supersports (UUHP) category and was crowned WhatTyre’s overall Tyre of the Year 2022.
The SportContact 7 also took the win in the Auto Express 2022 Ultra-Ultra-High Performance tyre test, the first iteration of this test for the magazine. test was performed with a VW Golf GTI with the ultra-ultra-high performance tyre size 235/35ZR19.
Steve Fowler, Editor in Chief at Auto Express, said: “Cars are connected to the road by tyres and only tyres, and as such are so very important. Continental has raised the bar for this sector. The tyres delivered a remarkable sharpness that helped the testers achieve quick lap times and short stopping distances.”
International design awards
When it comes to aesthetics in the tyre sector, the focus is often automatically on the rims. But Continental’s SportContact 7 now proves that tyres can also deliver exceptional performance in terms of form, function and design. The new sports tyre from Continental has won two of the most prestigious international design awards – the Red Dot Award: Product Design and the iF DESIGN AWARD.
In the “search for good design and innovation,” the 48 international members of the 2022 Red Dot Jury expertly, individually and comprehensively reviewed each of the products submitted from 60 countries for the Red Dot Award: Product Design. Only those products that convinced the experts with their outstanding design quality were awarded prizes – including the Continental SportContact 7.
The sporty ultra-high-performance tyre also won this year’s iF DESIGN AWARD, making it one of the winners of the world-renowned design label. It was awarded in the discipline “Product”, category “Automobile/Vehicle.” The iF DESIGN AWARD is presented once a year by the world’s oldest independent design institution, iF International Forum Design GmbH. The SportContact 7 tyre impressed the 132-member independent, international jury of experts in particular with its innovative form and function. And the number of applicants was large: Jurors had to award the coveted seal of approval among almost 11,000 entries from 57 countries.
