Snow and Winter Tyres Testing Lecture

Types of Tyres Tested

• Studless Friction Tyres / Extreme Winter Tyres / Nordic Winter Tyres
  • Designed for snow and ice where studded tyres aren’t appropriate.
• Reference Tyres
  • Central European Winter Tyre: Continental Winter Contact TS870
  • Nordic Studded Tyre: Nokian Hakapelita 10

Tyres on Test

1. Continental Viking Contact 7
2. Cooper Weathermaster S100
3. Federal Himalaya ISO
4. Michelin X-Ice Snow
5. Nokian Hakapelita R5
6. Pirelli Ice Zero FR
7. Yokohama Ice Guard IG53

Testing Categories

• Ice, Snow, Wet, and Dry performance
• Rolling resistance
• Noise and Comfort

Ice Performance

• Challenges: Ice testing affected by temperature, sunlight, and track conditions.
• Results:
  • Worst: Federal (10% lower grip, understeer issues)
  • Middle: Yokohama, Cooper, Pirelli (good grip but needed delicate handling)
  • Best: Nokian, Michelin, Continental (Close performance, Continental fastest but harder to handle)

Snow Handling

• Results:
  • Back: Yokohama, Cooper, Federal (less grip, but not drastically poor)
  • Top Four: Michelin, Continental, Pirelli, Nokian (very close in performance)
  • Best: Pirelli (slightly better sliding control)

Wet and Dry Testing

• Wet and dry testing done under realistic temperatures.
• Wet Performance:
  • Cooper struggled the most.
  • Michelin, Continental, Pirelli performed best.
  • Continental had the most grip but some aquaplaning issues.
• Dry Performance:
  • Best: Continental, followed by Pirelli and Nokian

Noise and Comfort

• Best: Nokian and Continental (low internal noise)
• Comfortable: Nokian

Rolling Resistance

• Top performers had minimal differences (~4%).
• Federal had notably higher rolling resistance.

Overall Results and Recommendations

• Last Place: Federal Himalaya ISO (due to poor ice traction and high rolling resistance)
• Top Performers: Continental Viking Contact 7, Michelin X-Ice Snow, Nokian Hakapelita R5
  • All three are closely matched; selection may depend on specific conditions and preference.

Lessons from Reference Tyres

• Studded tyres like Nokian Hakapelita 10 excel in ice braking and traction.
• Central European Winter Tyre (TS870) excels in dry and wet but not suited for extreme winter conditions.

Conclusion

• Emphasizes the importance of choosing tyres based on climate and expected conditions.
• All top three studless tyres are excellent choices.

Note: For specific needs and preferences, adjust the score weighting to determine the best tyre for individual conditions and usage.