Press Release
The Continental WinterContact TS 860:
Even safer on snow and ice, and in the wet
 New winter tires with even shorter braking distances and safe handling
 New tread design and new rubber compound bring performance gains
 WinterContact TS 860 available in retail outlets from fall 2016
Hanover, Germany/Levi, Finland - December 2015. With the WinterContact TS 860,
Continental presents a new winter specialist for compact and mid-range models. On the
safety front in particular the new tire brings real progress: When braking on wet wintry roads
it performs five percent better than even its outstanding predecessor, the ContiWinterContact
TS 850. Braking distances are four percent shorter on ice and there are improvements in
snow handling, grip on snow and ride quality as well. Mileage and rolling resistance are on a
par with the successful predecessor model.
These advances are made possible by combining a new tread compound with a newly
developed tread design. The Cool Chili compound has a high proportion of silica that
reduces braking distances on wet roads due to its special damping characteristics. The
highly flexible polymer matrix brings a noticeable improvement in traction properties on all
wintry road surfaces, thus providing extra grip. Also new are special high-performance resins
that maintain the flexibility of the compound even at low winter temperatures, leading to
shorter braking distances on cold, wet, icy and snow-covered surfaces.
To enable effective braking even on icy roads, the tire development engineers at Continental
have come up with what they call Liquid Layer Drainage. When braking on ice, a film of water
is created under the tread that significantly reduces the tire's contact patch with the road. The
new technology, incorporating an additional drainage channel molded into the tread block,
allows the water to drain away faster than was previously possible, effectively cutting braking
distances on icy roads.
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Also new in the directional V-shaped tread is the SnowCurve technology with its high-grip 3D
groove wall structure. With an additional groove in the wall of the tread blocks, it increases
the meshing effect with the snow compressed in the tread groove to offer greater grip and
provide better traction on snow-covered roads.
The new WinterContact TS 860 from Continental will be available in retail outlets from fall
2016. Initially, there will be 36 items in 21 sizes for 14 to 17 inch rims. On the EU Tire Label
the new Continental winter tire scores a C rating for rolling resistance and a B rating for wet
grip.
Continental AG
Continental develops intelligent technologies for transporting people and their goods. As a reliable
partner, the international automotive supplier, tire manufacturer, and industrial partner provides
sustainable, safe, comfortable, individual, and affordable solutions. In 2014, the corporation generated
preliminary sales of approximately €34.5 billion with its five divisions, Tires, Chassis & Safety, Interior,
Powertrain, and ContiTech. Continental employs approximately 208,000 people in 53 countries.
www.continental-corporation.de
Tire Division
The Tire Division currently has 24 production and development locations worldwide. The broad product
range and continuous investments in R&D make a major contribution to cost-effective and ecologically
efficient mobility. As one of the world's leading tire manufacturers with more than 47,000 employees, the
Tire Division achieved sales of €9.8 billion in 2014.
Passenger and Light Truck Tires
Continental is one of the leading manufacturers of passenger and light truck tires in Europe and the
world's fourth largest passenger tire manufacturer in the original equipment and replacement market.
The product development focus of the Continental premium brand is to optimize all safety-relevant
characteristics, while simultaneously minimizing rolling resistance.
www.continental-reifen.de
Media Database
www.mediacenter.continental-corporation.com
Contact:
Alexander Bahlmann
Head of PR, Passenger and Light Truck Tires
Continental AG
Tire division
Büttnerstrasse 25, 30165 Hanover, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 511 938 2615
Fax:
+49 (0) 511 938 2455
alexander.bahlmann@conti.de
www.continental-reifen.de
Klaus Engelhart
Press Spokesman, Passenger and Light Truck/TwoWheel Tires
Head of PR, Passenger and Light Truck Tires
Continental AG
Tire division
Büttnerstrasse 25, 30165 Hanover, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 511 938 2285
Fax:
+49 (0) 511 938 2455
klaus.engelhart@conti.de