SportContact 7 wins Red Dot and iF Design awards

The new high-tech sports tyre, Continental’s SportContact 7, 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 sport auto 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 said, “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 every day and semi-slick tyres, they reported, “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.”

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

Steve Fowler, editor-in-chief of 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.”

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.

Source: QuickPic