Max Performance Tyre Tests

Auto Bild Allrad tested nine summer tyres in size 255/45 R 19, a popular fitment for AWD SUVs such as the VW Tiguan, Audi Q3, Seat Tarraco, Tesla Model Y, and Volvo XC40. Wet and dry tests were carried out at the Goodyear test facility in Mireval, southern France, while off-road handling was assessed on the rally course at Drive Control in nearby Monteils. In addition to the standard wet and dry tests, the tyres were evaluated in off-road handling on gravel and traction tests on grass, gravel, and sand - which is an interesting choice given the high performance and summer nature of these products!

In issue 4/2026, German magazine sport auto tested seven summer tyres in size 205/45 R 17 on a Mazda MX-5. The field included a mix of premium sport, touring, and budget options: Bridgestone Potenza Sport evo, Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6, Falken Azenis FK520, Continental PremiumContact 7, Michelin Pilot Sport 5, Linglong Sport Master, and Firestone Roadhawk 2. Tyres were evaluated across wet and dry performance tests as well as comfort and efficiency.

For enthusiastic drivers subjective handling, as in how this tyre reacts to steering, how balanced the tyre is, and how much ability you have to adjust things mid-corner, is often more important than outright grip. In this test I take eight of the very best ultra ultra high performance summer tyres and put them through my usual array of dry, wet, noise, comfort, and rolling resistance testing but with a heavy focus on subjective handling to find out which tyre will make you feel the happiest when driving!

Auto Bild Sportscars tested eight summer tyres in 255/35 R19 and 275/35 R19 - a staggered fitment used on cars like the BMW Z4, BMW Supra, and F series BMW M3/M4 models. Testing took place at the Wachauring circuit in Austria, covering wet and dry handling, braking, aquaplaning, skidpad grip, noise, and rolling resistance. The BMW Z4 served as the test car. The field includes Continental, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Vredestein, Kumho, Michelin, Hankook, and Goodyear.

The Michelin Pilot Sport 5 is a customer favourite - it's test-winning, long-lasting, and one of the best all-round UHP tyres you can buy. So adding a low rolling resistance "Energy" version was always going to be tricky. Historically, energy-focused performance tyres have meant giving up a noticeable chunk of wet grip. The question is whether Michelin has managed to close that gap.

The data here comes from two test programmes, both commissioned by Michelin. Performance testing was carried out by TÜV SÜD at TRIWO Pferdsfeld in August 2025 (Report Nr. 713379856-S32-01), covering wet braking, dry braking, wet handling, and rolling resistance. Tread wear testing was conducted by DEKRA in Narbonne, France, during September and October 2025 (Report CPA MARK25H). Both used a Tesla Model Y (RWD, 75 kWh, 2,080 kg) and a tyre size of 255/40 R20 101Y XL.

The ACE Auto Club Europa has published the first summer tyre test of 2026, kicking off this year's test season. Ten tyres in the 225/40 R18 size were tested across wet and dry braking, aquaplaning resistance, handling on both surfaces, rolling resistance, and exterior noise.

The 2025 evo tyre test evaluated nine ultra-high performance tyres in the 235/35 R19 size. The field comprised eight premium brand offerings alongside one budget and used an AWD BMW 135i X-Drive.

Below is the data from the Die-Reifen summer performance tyre test which tested eight popular summer tyres in 225/40 R18 using a VW Golf GTI.

It's the second test for the new Pirelli P Zero PZ5, and the second win! This years Auto Express summer tyre test has tested nine popular summer tyres in 225/40 R18, with some rather interesting results.

Tire Rack are on a mission this year to test more tyres than anyone has before, which is very exciting. Their summer performance tyre test has tested eleven of the most popular tyres in 275/35 R19 using their new BMW M2 test vehicle.

Autobild Sports have tested seven premium and budget offerings in a staggered fitment of 245/35 R20 front and 295/30 R20 rear. Using a Lotus Emira as their test vehicle, Auto Bild Sportscars put these high-performance tyres through their paces across dry and wet conditions to determine which delivers the best balance for demanding sports car applications.

In the most comprehensive motorcycle tyre comparison test ever conducted by PS Magazine, twelve high-performance motorcycle tyres went head-to-head to answer a fundamental question: how close can everyday sport tyres get to specialized hypersport rubber when pushed to their limits?

There's a new tyre on the market aiming to be the best of the best performance summer tyres. The Pirelli P Zero PZ5 is designed to take on the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, Continental SportContact 7, Bridgestone Potenza Sport, Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 and more, but can the latest UUHP summer tyre on the market really move the game on in both handling AND grip? There's only one way to find out - testing!

To find out if the new PZ5 is as good as Pirelli claim, I have tested it against all the tyres mentioned above, and the Falken Azenis FK520 and a budget tyre. I've put all seven sets of tyres through dry and wet testing, and I've looked into the noise, comfort and rolling resistance levels of each set of tyres to ensure you have all the information needed to make the correct purchase decision. 

Autobild Sports Cars tests are usually nice and simple. Fast car, the best of the UUHP tyres, put them together and see what's best.

Thankfully, in the strange year of 2025 testing, Autobild have kept that formula and tested eight performance summer tyres in 245/35 R19 using an Audi TTS.

As this is a nice and simple test, we'll let the data do the talking.

The 2025 Sport Auto UUHP tyre test is the first to test the new Falken Azenis RS820!

The test used a G series BMW M4 with 275/35 R19 front and 285/30 R20 rear tyre sizes. Sport Auto evaluated four performance tyres: Continental SportContact 7, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, Falken Azenis RS 820, and the BMW OE-marked Pirelli P Zero (PZ4*). Testing covered wet and dry braking, handling, aquaplaning resistance, and rolling resistance.

Following on from the 52 set braking shootout, the full Autobild summer tyre test has taken the best twenty tyres to the full set of testing, with some interesting highlights!

There are two interesting stories. Firstly, is the rise of the Chinese tyres, with both Linglong and Sailun performing really well in the grip tests. Does this mean Chinese tyres are now fighting with the premium manufacturers? Well, sort of.

The 2025 Auto Zeitung summer tyre test has tested ten ultra high performance 225/45 R18 patterns in the dry and wet, and this year included wear!

The wear test has added some interesting highlights, which we'll discuss below.

The 2025 ADAC summer tyre test has been published, and it follows this years trend of testing in the sporty 225/40 R18 tyre size!

As always with ADAC they sadly don't give us all the data for the test, but they do give us some interesting insights, including wear, and they do a great job summarising each tyres performance overall.

So it begins, the 2025 summer tyre test season is upon is, and it's going to be an interesting year!

To start things off, Autobild have published their annual 52 tyre shootout, where they test the wet and dry braking of pretty much every tyre they can get their hands on to work out the best 20 to take through to the full tyre test.

Top Tyre Review has put six Asian-market ultra-high performance tyres through a comprehensive test for 2024/25. The lineup includes five standard UHP tyres - Continental MaxContact MC7, Michelin Pilot Sport 5, Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6, Toyo Proxes TR1, and the Chinese-made RoadX RXMotion U11. Adding an interesting comparison, Hankook's EV-focused iON evo was included to see how a dedicated electric vehicle tyre performs against traditional UHP options.