BMW selects Michelin's Pilot Super Sport for X5 and X6 M versions

Paris: BMW has selected Michelin's Pilot Super Sport tyre for X5 and X6 M versions. The high-performance M versions of the German auto marque's X5 and X6 models will come fitted with optional 21-inch alloy wheels, that will be exclusively equipped with Michelin's sporty tyres. The french tyre manufacturer has confirmed the sizes as 285/35ZR21 105Y for the front tyres and 325/30ZR21 108Y for the rear ones.

The M version of the German car giant's X5 and X6 are the high-performance editions of these all-wheel-drive SUVs from the house of one of the Germany's big three. These special edition vehicles get their juice from a twin-turbocharged V8 engine that generates a maximum power of 583PS.

According to Michelin, the fitment of Pilot Super Sport tyres for X5 and X6 M versions is the result of a two year co-development with BMW. During the development phase, around 1,400 prototype and 500 pre-production tyres were made and tested so that it serve the exact requirement and deliver the needed performance features.

The Pilot Super Sport tyres features Michelin's multi-compound tread and Variable Contact Patch 2.0 technologies. The multi-compound technology is actually developed for endurance race tyres. It uses different rubber compounds on the left sides of the tread that provides enhanced grip and wear resistance during cornering. These tyres also have intermediate ribs for optimised steering and handling quality and an inner shoulder which is designed to provide extra grip on the wet road surfaces.

It also has Variable Contact Patch 2.0 that changes shape depending on real-time driving conditions and provides improved control over the vehicle. It happens because when the patch's shape changes while cornering, the amount of rubber in contact with the road remains the same.