{"id":4416,"date":"2014-03-28T08:00:38","date_gmt":"2014-03-28T15:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=4416"},"modified":"2014-03-27T16:16:37","modified_gmt":"2014-03-27T23:16:37","slug":"how-safe-are-your-tires-michelin-wants-to-know-and-so-should-you-as-they-launch-the-premier-as","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/how-safe-are-your-tires-michelin-wants-to-know-and-so-should-you-as-they-launch-the-premier-as\/","title":{"rendered":"How Safe are Your Tires? Michelin Wants to Know and So Should You as They Launch the Premier A\/S"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Courtesy Michelin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Video footage courtesy Michelin<\/p>\n

The voice in my head was pretty clear \u2013 wet conditions, unsafe speeds, bad things are gonna happen.\u00a0 As I accelerated around the corner, my heart in my throat, I shoved that voice back down. But slick pavement met worn rear tires and front wheel drive to spin me around in a picture perfect 360. My head rapped against the window, and the seatbelt slammed me into my seat. I barely paused as my foot lifted from the brake and slowly pressed down the accelerator.\u00a0 I was rattled but unhurt.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThat was great,\u201d said the instructor sitting next to me. \u201cI never even had to put you into neutral.\u201d\u00a0 I breathed a sigh of relief. \u201cI don\u2019t have to go around again, right?\u201d\u00a0 She shook her head and I adjusted my helmet as I steered the Camry off of the track, grateful.<\/p>\n

Tires \u2013 we know all the slogans. A lot is riding on your tires.\u00a0 Turns out, that old slogan, and others, like the more current \u201cSee How the Right Tire Changes Everything\u201d is part of Michelin\u2019s global campaign to not only put you in the right tire, but to educate the consumer about tire safety.<\/p>\n

\"Worn<\/p>\n

Recently, we had the chance to test the connection between safety and tires as guests of Michelin at their Laurens Proving Ground facility in Laurens, South Carolina.\u00a0 The above demonstration was a hands-on example of what happens when your rear tires are worn down \u2013 loss of control, high risk in less than optimal conditions. It followed a few laps at speed in the same model but with new tires on the rear and worn tires on the front. There was slippage (and a lot of silent, internal yelling at myself to slow the eff down, while the calm, patient instructor urged me forward, faster, and faster) but no spin out. Swap the orientation, and bam. Spin out.<\/p>\n

\"BMW<\/p>\n

Folks, if you\u2019ve gotta buy two new tires instead of four, put those tires on the rear wheels. I\u2019m a convert.\u00a0 I\u2019m proud of that spin-out, but I got to do it in a controlled environment with no one around to harm. I\u2019ve only spun out once in real life, on a glassy street, midwinter on River Road in Minneapolis, and I don\u2019t know what was watching out for me or the other cars that I did it without hitting anyone or hurting myself. I got lucky.\u00a0 But there\u2019s luck, and there\u2019s precaution, and if having your tires in the right place (and having the right tires) can help boost luck, why on earth would you hesitate to increase the odds in your favor?<\/p>\n

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Other safety tests involved a head-to-head comparison between the grip and grab of a Toyota Sienna sporting OEM Michelin\u2019s and a BMW 328i with bargain tires on a wet obstacle course. Sure the mom-mobile offered a mental hump to bridge. You want me to go how fast in this thing? But I trusted the instructor and slalomed the beast around to feel the traction and control a solid tire offered.\u00a0 The ultimate driving machine and its bargain basement shoes? Butt-wiggle galore, plus slipping and sliding and grinding that did no favors to the performance vehicle.\u00a0 Again, I\u2019m sold. There\u2019s more to life than the $89 special at JustTires.<\/p>\n

\"Michelin<\/p>\n

As a reward for all the slipping and sliding, we also had a chance to do a hot lap in a performance Mustang with a professional driver at the helm. The palate cleanser was a thrill ride, but also useful. Performance tires are an essential part of handling at high, aggressive speeds.\u00a0 No one wants those screams of glee to turn to screams of terror.<\/p>\n

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The experience, and the invitation to come participate in the test, were part of the effort to launch Michelin\u2019s new baby \u2013 the Premier A\/S, a tire that comes with the claim \u201cSafe When New, Safe When Worn.\u201d\u00a0 Michelin invited a group of female auto journalists and parenting bloggers to come learn about safe tires, and we showed up ready to put those theories to the asphalt. Former racers look for different things than the moms, but safety is always a priority across the board and the group was ready to challenge this new tire, and the claims made by its manufacturer, first hand.<\/p>\n

The test involved accelerating a performance vehicle to 50 MPH, then coming to an immediate halt on wet asphalt, allowing the driver to see, and feel, the reality behind Michelin\u2019s claims to the Premier\u2019s abilities.\u00a0 The test happened in three parts \u2013 two braking tests on a Cadillac ATS with new competitors tires, and then a braking test in the same vehicle in Premier A\/S tires that were at 50% of their wear did indeed give the win to the Michelin by a solid 12 -20 feet, depending on the vigor of the driver’s braking.<\/p>\n

So what makes the Premier A\/S special?\u00a0 New technology in the molding allows Michelin to produce the tire which sports EverGrip\u2122 technology, which keeps the tire (and the vehicle) in excellent condition even as the tire wears down. This happens through a combination of new materials which increases grip\u2013 increased silica and sunflower oil \u2013 and new tech, like the hidden grooves that appear as the tire wears, and the expanding rain grooves that widen over time to continue to expel water.\u00a0 At 5\/32\u201d of tread, the tire stops faster than its competitors \u2013 119 ft to 133 ft on the other tire. New, at 50 MPH to 9, the tire stops in 106 ft in wet conditions. Impressive numbers, and impressive performance.<\/p>\n