Come for the in-depth tyre comparison, stay for the gratuitous oversteer
German tyre brand Continental has scored a major victory straight out of the block, with its newly-launched SportContact 7 claiming top honours in the Tyre Reviews 2022 UHP tyre test. This is the first head-to-head independent test for the SportContact 7, which was unveiled in September 2021.
Fitted to a Toyota Supra in 255/35R19 (front) and 275/35R19 (rear) sizes, Tyre Reviews’ Jonathan Benson pitched the Continental SportContact 7 against nine other rivals, which included the Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and Bridgestone Potenza Sport; the latter was the UHP category winner, as well as overall champion in Asia’s Ultimate Tyre Awards’ tyre test 2022, Singapore’s first empirical and scientific tyre test.
The SportContact 7 may have been the newest contender in Tyre Reviews’ test, but nonetheless its performance was “near flawless”, easily trouncing the competition in wet handing, wet braking, and dry braking, while also scoring a narrow victory in dry handling. Benson was left flabbergasted at that, as it quickly shattered his theory that “a tyre that works [that] well in the wet never works that well in the dry”. Overall, a tyre that “sets a new benchmark for the UHP segment.”
Other highlights included the Bridgestone Potenza Sport for its sporty and responsive steering feel, as well as the Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport, which Benson highlighted as his pick for drivers who do regular trackdays.
For the in-depth test report, including all results and data, click here, or watch the video below: