Ultra-high performance tires

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TPMS Cadillac XT5 – 2022

extreme summer performance. Regular summer tires are focused on good dry and wet grip with a UTQG rating 300 or above. These tires are also generally the OE type of tires.

Extreme performance tires are focused on maximum dry grip with UTQG ratings 200 and below. These tires are often used on the track, as well. All-season tires come in touring variants with up to W speed ratings, as well as UHP all-season versions that extend all the way to Y speed ratings with a focus on maximum wet and dry performance. Many of the OE fitments for North America are all-season in H-, V- and W-speed ratings, with the trend moving up along with the higher rim diameter trends.

What are OEMs looking for in a HP or UHP tire? With such a wide array of options, the answer lies in the essence of what the vehicle is and what the consumer expects the car to deliver. Many standard sedans and CUVs will come with both HP and UHP tires and options for all-season or summer, but generally their focus will be comfort and rolling resistance, with some level of handling performance that is commensurate with the expectations of the target owners. Then there are the true high-performance cars, which will generally come with UHP summer tires. The OE focus will be all about wet and dry handling performance because that is what their customers expect.

Chris Magana, vice president, OE consumer, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.: As OEMs shift from internal combustion engines to electrification, we are responding with performance tires that meet the demands of their vehicles. The OEMs are designing vehicles with larger rim diameters and higher load carrying capabilities and we match their designs with performance tires to deliver the driving experience the consumer wants. Our technology team is also continuing to innovate the features — rolling resistance, SoundComfort technology and sealants — of our performance tires to meet the OEM designs.

Moonki Cho, product manager, Hankook Tire America Corp.: High-speed response and braking performance were previously the main requirements for performance tires. Now as vehicle technology continues to advance, there are more demands for high performance tires.

High-speed reliability, a quiet ride, and increased mileage are all qualities that OEMs desire for the next generation of performance tires. As such, tire manufacturers will continue inventing tires that best meet the needs of OEM vehicles.

Mary Ma, vice president of operations,

“The days that performance tires were mostly fitted on sportscars are over,” says Goodyear’s

And because of that, she says Goodyear’s Eagle lineup has an assortment of products to meet varying needs.

Keter Tire USA Inc.: They want products that work in sync with their vehicles — better wet traction, smoother ride, quietness and high-speed cornering, to name a few. OEM engineers are now so in tune with tire technology, they actually build tire performance into their vehicles.

Mark Lin, OE account manager, Maxxis International – Canada: Tire design is a very complex process. One major reason for that complexity is the fact that tires need to perform in a wide range of conditions. The OEMs provide specific engineering targets for tire makers, such as Maxxis. Some targets may be more difficult than others to achieve, but it’s up to us to find ways to ensure the tire fits within the requested performance parameters.

Designing a high performance tire is no different, except that the targets may be skewed more toward dry performance at the expense of other criteria. The OEMs may also specify a summer tire compound instead of an all-season to further improve dry performance.

However, due to increasingly stringent fuel economy requirements, noise, vibration,