The MICHELIN Pilot Super Sport Press Kit

CLERMONT-FERRAND, FRANCE – November 24, 2010: The MICHELIN Pilot Super Sport, the world’s fastest series-produced tire on the racetrack, will be launched worldwide beginning in January 2011.

Designed for the sportiest series-produced cars as well as for vehicles specially tuned for ultra-high performance, this new Michelin tire integrates the full range of expertise and know-how developed by Michelin in the leading international endurance races, and in particular the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The MICHELIN Pilot Super Sport was designed to accomplish one purpose: deliver the ultimate driving experience while ensuring maximum safety even in extreme conditions of use. This outstanding combination of driving enjoyment and safety performance proved decisive in the product development phases conducted with Porsche, BMW M (the sports division of the Munich-based carmaker) and Ferrari.

The exceptional potential of the MICHELIN Pilot Super Sport, which is designed for the most demanding conditions of use on the road, is derived directly from the skills and capabilities of Michelin’s motorsports teams. The technological breakthroughs that have enabled Michelin to score 13 consecutive wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans have been transferred to the MICHELIN Pilot Super Sport with the goal of providing motorists with exceptional driving enjoyment.

To improve the tire’s road-holding and braking ability and thereby its overall safety performance, even in the most extreme conditions, while also providing excellent mileage, Michelin has uniquely combined three technologies, including two developed for tires used at the 24 Hours of Le Mans: the Twaron fiber belt as well as the Bi-Compound tread band and the Variable Contact Patch 2.0, both of which were derived from innovations validated and used in endurance racing. The combination has produced compelling results that are apt to win over the most demanding manufacturers of cars in the ultra high-performance segment. As a result, the new Michelin tire has key advantages that enable it to rise to the challenge posed by its predecessor, the MICHELIN Pilot Sport PS2, which was certified as original equipment on more than 200 vehicles.

In line with Michelin’s innovation strategy, the MICHELIN Pilot Super Sport delivers an optimal balance of several distinct performance characteristics. This ability to combine maximum safety, even in extreme conditions of use, with driving pleasure and excellent mileage is the result of an R&D commitment unrivaled in the tire industry (nearly €500 million a year allocated to the Michelin Technology Center).