In this new tyre test, Auto Bild focuses on an ultimate sports car: the Mercedes-AMG C63. A vehicle fitted with different tyre sizes on the front and rear axles for more dynamic handling thanks to a wide tread.
9 road tyres and a semi slick
What UHP tyres for a sports car? Auto Bild tries to answer this simple question in this new 2020 tyre test. This time, the drivers headed to Texas to the Uvalde track near San Antonio to test 10 tyres on a Mercedes-AMG C63. This high performance vehicle has staggered wheels, 245/35 R19 on the front axle and 265/35 R19 on the rear, for an ultra-sporty drive. A performance inextricably tied to the right choice of tyres that Auto Bild tries to determine here.
What are the best sports tyres on a Mercedes-AMG C63?
| Tyre | + | – |
| =1 Continental SportContact 6 | Sporty and dynamic handling, safe in the wet | Average driving comfort |
| =1 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S | Best tyre in the wet, shortest braking distance and exemplary handling | Price |
| 3 Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport | Sporty tyre very efficient in the wet, good steering precision and short braking distances | Noise and rolling resistance |
| =4 Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 | Balanced performances and good price performance ratio | Slightly slow steering response |
| =4 Vredestein Ultrac Vorti | Best price performance ratio, good stability and dynamic handling | Rolling resistance |
| 6 Falken Azenis FK 510 | Precise steering and good wet handling | Tends to understeer |
| 7 Yokohama Advan Sport V105 | Sporty handling and good dry performance | Long wet braking distances and average driving comfort |
| 8 Toyo Proxes Sport | High aquaplaning resistance, price and short dry braking | Tends to understeer and slow steering response |
| 9 Nankang Noble Sport NS-20 | High aquaplaning resistance and low price | Long braking distances and spongy steering |
| Semi slick – Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 | Best possible performance in dry conditions | Limited in the wet |
Nothing beats a good semi-slick tyre in the dry
If the main subject of this comparison test concerns UHP tyres, Auto Bild has included a semi-slick tyre, the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, for fun. Approved for on-road use, it combines the latest track tyre performances with its ability to drive on all types of surfaces. Obviously, the Auto Bild test shows that the PSC2 is not suitable for use in heavy rain and has an increased risk of aquaplaning, which is quite logical for this ultra-radical tyre.
Derived from racing tyres, it is devoid of sipes and the very basic grooves which evacuate water on traditional tyres. Hence its “semi-slick” name which could be translated as “almost smooth”. This bias allows it to deliver outstanding performance in dry conditions and to beat all track records. And, it is also the case in this test: it is by far the fastest tyre, but also the one delivering the shortest dry braking distance.
Michelin and Continental neck and neck
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and Continental SportContact 6 UHP tyres show no mercy as they battle it out for the top spot with a very high level of performances according to Auto Bild. On the front axle, they offer an excellent steering response whereas the rear axle ensures dynamic handling. The German magazine even attempted an obstacle avoidance test at 130 km/h and at 160 km/h. Once again, with both brands, the AMG C-Class manages to change lane without any problem or without the vehicle rolling while others can be more hesitant. In the dry, they are the best two tyres behind the semi-slick tyre.
If the Conti tyre is slightly cheaper, the Pilot Sport 4S has the shortest braking distance in wet conditions. But, in handling tests on a wet track the Michelin tyre is not quite as good as its German counterpart. However, it provides a better level of comfort. On this surface, it is the new Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport that comes out on top. The Goodyear tyre, as well as the Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 and Vredestein Ultrac Vorti tyres, obtain the “good” rating. All the others are considered to be “satisfactory” except for the Nankang Noble Sport NS-20 which is “not recommended”. And for good reason, it is quite frankly nowhere near as good as the Michelin semi-slick tyre.
