October 21, 2022
When designing a product to replace an existing favorite, manufacturers typically have two options: a clean-sheet redesign or incremental improvement. This is true of almost any consumer product - computers, automobiles, cell phones, and yes, even tires. While the clean-sheet redesign typically has more advertising appeal - marketers get to use fun phrases like "all-new" - historically, evolutionary change has seemed to result in products that ultimately deliver more customer satisfaction. While Continental didn’t indicate which method they chose for their new Max Performance Summer tire, the ExtremeContact Sport 02, based on the evolutionary-type naming convention and the very similar visual appearance to its predecessor, we could make a pretty confident guess.
At Tire Rack, we don’t draw conclusions based on guesses and assumptions, though. We get to the truth through controlled testing, so we knew that’s what we had to do. We compared the new ExtremeContact Sport 02 to its predecessor, the ExtremeContact Sport, on the road and our wet and dry track. We also added a new element - dry track testing at our local racetrack, a 2.1 mile circuit in South Haven, Michigan.
Ride quality and noise comfort were very similar between the two products. In fact, we would go so far as to say drivers are unlikely to notice a difference without the benefit of back-to-back testing. Fortunately for us, back-to-back testing is what we do, and our test drivers were able to discern a couple minor contrasts from the old tire to the new ExtremeContact Sport 02. In terms of ride quality, the new tire seemed to cushion minor bumps more adeptly than the existing tire, which resulted in slightly less disturbance in the cabin. However, the ExtremeContact Sport 02 seemed stiffer overall, so medium-to-large bumps and any concave imperfections were perceptibly firmer. Noise comfort between the two was even more tightly-grouped than ride quality. Our drivers could only discern a difference on a single type of surface, and that was coarse or cross-cut concrete. The ExtremeContact Sport 02 created a higher-pitched, slightly more distinct resonance that hurt its score a small amount. Otherwise, both tires exhibited the athletic refinement expected from a premium Max Performance Summer tire.
The most significant difference our team experienced came from the steering and light handling. The ExtremeContact Sport 02 had a small dull spot immediately on-center that helped it from feeling darty on the highway. Once past that point, the steering response ramped up quickly, resulting in quick changes of direction that made the vehicle feel very light on its feet, especially compared to the old tire, which was more linear and natural feeling, but ultimately slower to respond. Both tires were accurate in terms of precisely placing the vehicle where intended. The new tire had a very strong return to center after turns were completed.
On the dry track, our braking and skid pad numbers were essentially a wash, with the existing product displaying a minimal advantage in 50-0 mph braking and the ExtremeContact Sport 02 barely generating the higher number in lateral gs. The enhanced steering response did help the new tire set the fastest average lap by a little over a quarter of a second, which around our track, is a large enough advantage to be felt by an in-tune driver. Subjectively, the ExtremeContact Sport 02’s steering was the primary topic of conversation, as it was as noticeable during track use as it was on the road. Overall, the existing tire felt more delicate and light-footed, like it wanted to glide around the track. The new tire exhibited a more traditional, "brake-turn-go" personality.
| Dry Track | Average Times | 50-0mph | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slalom | Total Lap | Lateral gs | ABS Stop | |
| Continental ExtremeContact Sport | 5.05 | 29.95 | 0.97 | |
| Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 | 80.8 | |||
In the wet, we found similarly comparable results, where the old tire once again stopped slightly shorter from 50 mph, and the new tire delivered slightly higher lateral traction. Wet lap times were even closer than they were in the dry, with less than a tenth of a second separating the two. The subjective personalities were comparable to our dry findings, as well. Both had very high outright traction that allowed for impressive speed through all sectors of the track. The old tire felt more comfortable drifting a little and using all four tires through every element. The ExtremeContact Sport 02 seemed to have slightly higher limits, but it was also more abrupt in its transition from grip to slip. The traction was peakier, as opposed to the broad plateau of the older product. As a result, the new tire was slightly more difficult to drive and also more rewarding to master.
| Wet Track | Average Times | 50-0mph | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slalom | Total Lap | Lateral gs | ABS Stop | |
| Continental ExtremeContact Sport | 5.29 | 32.65 | 0.84 | |
| Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 | 106.5 | |||
Max Performance Summer tires are designed as street tires, first and foremost. For anything other than very light/casual track use, we recommend a tire from a higher-performance category, and even with light track use, drivers should keep a close eye on wear. Even so, lap times are often a part of the performance claims made by tire manufacturers when they introduce a new Max Performance Summer tire, and the ExtremeContact Sport 02 is no different in this regard. Continental claims improvements in dry lap times of up to 1 second, so we decided to put that claim to the test.
At this point, it should come as no surprise that the steering response of the ExtremeContact Sport 02 was a common topic of conversation. Moving beyond that, our drivers also felt the new tire had a modest but meaningful increase in traction in every braking zone. Through the "S" of turns 7, 8, and 9, it also allowed more speed before it began to drift and push wide. Where the original tire required neutral throttle to maintain trajectory, the new tire could lightly accelerate through the tightest section, improving the top-end speed before the next braking zone. The result of the enhanced traction was a .73-second improvement in lap time, which we would say qualifies as "up to 1 second," as the manufacturer claimed.
| Racetrack | Average Times Total Lap | |
|---|---|---|
| Continental ExtremeContact Sport | 1:50.81 | |
| Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 | ||
Based on the results of our preview drive, it seems Continental used the safe strategy of incremental improvement with the ExtremeContact Sport 02. When the current product is already one of the leaders in the category, that’s not a bad thing. The new tire is remarkably similar to its predecessor in most ways, with some notable differences in a couple key areas. Our official test in the summer of 2023 will tell the full story and determine how the new ExtremeContact Sport 02 compares to the best in Max Performance Summer, but we can safely say that fans of the existing tire will find a lot to love with the new product.
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