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2015 Auto Bild Performance Tyre Test

Jonathan Benson
Data analyzed and reviewed by Jonathan Benson
5 min read Updated
Contents
  1. Hankook Ventus S1 evo
  2. Michelin Pilot Super Sport
  3. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2
  4. Vredestein Ultrac Vorti
  5. Continental ContiSportContact 5 P
  6. Nankang Noble Sport NS20
  7. Maxxis Victra Sport VS01

Test Summary
Wet Braking Vredestein Ultrac Vorti
Dry Braking Hankook Ventus S1 evo
Rolling Resistance Hankook Ventus S1 evo
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2
Maxxis Victra Sport VS01
Noise Hankook Ventus S1 evo
Michelin Pilot Super Sport
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2
Vredestein Ultrac Vorti
Continental ContiSportContact 5 P
Snow Handling Hankook Ventus S1 evo
Vredestein Ultrac Vorti
Nankang Noble Sport NS20
Maxxis Victra Sport VS01
For the 2015 ultra high performance tyre test, Auto Bild have chosen the new BMW M4, wearing 275/35 R19 rear and 255/35 R19 fronts. While this limits the amount of tyres available to test to just seven, it is a very good test car as the M4 is the benchmark for the current breed of big-wheeled super-saloons!

Surprisingly missing from the test were Pirelli, Dunlop and Yokohama, but Auto Bild did manage to include Hankook, Maxxis and Nankang to give a spread of the midrange and budget end of the markets.

The Results

Subjectively, the tyre which offered the best steering feel was no surprise. The Michelin Pilot Super Sport offered outstanding turn-in and great feel, so much so that sometimes it left the rear a little lose. The Vredestein was a close second, and while the Vorti might have lost some of the sharpness the Ultrac Sessanta had, it still did very well on test and even provided a slightly better overall balance than the Michelin ending up with a fractionally quicker lap time. Continental, Hankook and Goodyear all had very close lap times for third to fifth, and unsurprisingly the two cheapest tyres on test were the two slowest.

In the wet Vredestein and Hankook traded top places in handling and braking, with the Maxxis and Nankang once again consistently last.

Overall, Auto Bild awarded the top spot to the Hankook Ventus S1 EVO, a surprise result for the Korean brand considering the strong opposition. It tested well in every category, and somehow managed to stop 2.6 meters shorter than the next best in wet braking (places two to five were only covered by just 1.5 meters…)

Second place was awarded to the Michelin Pilot Super Sport. Nearly perfect in the dry, combined with a strong wet performance and good comfort meant it was a great all round choice for the BMW. Third place was the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2, which placed well in every category and perhaps an overly harsh fourth place for the Vredestein Ultrac Vorti, whos only weakness seemed to appear in the aquaplaning test.

1st

Hankook Ventus S1 evo

275/35 R19
Hankook Ventus S1 evo
  • 3PMSF: no
Total: 32
Dry 6
Wet 8
Comfort 6
Rolling Resistance 6
Noise 6
Michelin Pilot Super Sport
  • 3PMSF: no
Total: 27
Dry 7
Wet 5
Comfort 6
Rolling Resistance 4
Noise 5
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2
  • 3PMSF: no
Total: 28
Dry 5
Wet 6
Comfort 6
Rolling Resistance 6
Noise 5
4th

Vredestein Ultrac Vorti

275/35 R19
Vredestein Ultrac Vorti
  • 3PMSF: no
Total: 31
Dry 8
Wet 7
Comfort 6
Rolling Resistance 4
Noise 6
Continental ContiSportContact 5 P
  • 3PMSF: no
Total: 26
Dry 6
Wet 5
Comfort 6
Rolling Resistance 4
Noise 5
6th

Nankang Noble Sport NS20

275/35 R19
Nankang Noble Sport NS20
  • 3PMSF: no
Total: 22
Dry 3
Wet 4
Comfort 5
Rolling Resistance 4
Noise 6
7th

Maxxis Victra Sport VS01

275/35 R19
Maxxis Victra Sport VS01
  • 3PMSF: no
Total: 22
Dry 4
Wet 1
Comfort 5
Rolling Resistance 6
Noise 6

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