Latest generation Michelin Winter Tyres for your Porsche 911

Prevention is better than cure and while the winter weather may not be with us yet, Michelin's Alpin winter tyres help make sure you don't get caught out when it comes

The A939 between Tomintoul and CockBridge is one of those very special stretches of Scottish road. Fast, flowing and free of much in the way of traffic, it is a driver's road truly worthy of the description. It is also, routinely, the first road in the UK to be closed once the winter weather begins to bite. Winding across the north eastern Cairngorms, it climbs to some 2,090ft above sea level at its highest point and this is where you'll find the Lecht Ski Centre. It's the perfect stretch of road for a Porsche 911, all the more so if it's a 911 fitted with Michelin winter tyres.

The tyres in question were Pilot Alpin 4, specifically designed for high performance cars and bristling with many of the innovations to be found in Michelin's latest winter tyre, the Alpin 5, developed for everything from superminis to family cars. What all Alpin products have in common is outstanding performance on wet and dry roads when temperatures drop below 7ºC, as well as on snow.


In dry conditions, Michelin's Alpin tyres feel every inch the high performance tyre.

Among the features that make Alpin 5 Michelin's most technologically-advanced winter tyre yet is a 'rack-and-pinion' tread pattern. This is comprised of a series of deep grooved, directional blocks with a greater percentage of voids between than on previous generations of Alpin. These grooves are crucial to the tyre's effectiveness, helping disperse water – or snow – and reduce the risk of aquaplaning or skidding in more challenging driving conditions.


A beautiful Autumn day, a great driving road and a Porsche 911 – a truly great combination, but the reminders of the weather to come are very evident.

In addition, Alpin 5's Innovative Tread Compound Technology – known as Helio Compound – is made up, in part, of functional elastomers which work in tandem with an increased silica content, essential to the performance of a tyre designed for use in winter conditions. This compound also includes sunflower oil, an ingredient that enhances the Alpin 5's performance at lower temperatures. The overall result is a highly uniform compound which helps to maintain high levels of efficiency alongside that extra grip. Harry Hill, Fleet Manager for Totalmotion, the UK's largest privately owned leasing and fleet management company, is convinced of the benefits of Michelin Alpin tyres. "Around 90% of the high performance vehicles on our fleet are fitted with Michelin tyres and I have driven them myself. It is amazing how much grip they provide."

The weather in the Cairngorms in early October was glorious, but that won't be the case for much longer. By the turn of the year, temperatures around Lecht could have tumbled to -9ºC, the coarse heather hillsides turned white with snow. On the condition that the A939 remains open, it would still be a wonderful place to head to in a 911 fitted with Michelin winter tyres.






TALE OF THE TYRE

The difference between a regular 'summer' tyre and a winter weather tyre such as Michelin Alpin 5 certainly gets the attention. On snow, the right rubber can halve the braking distance. In an independent test conducted in 2012, the stopping distance from 50kph to zero fell from 60 metres to just 30 on winter tyres.

Below 7ºC, the compound of a summer tyre hardens whereas the different make-up of the compound on Michelin winter tyres is specifically designed to combat this effect. This helps the winter tyres perform better than their summer equivalent, reducing those braking distances in cold, wet and slushy conditions, not just when the roads are snow-covered. And in snow, extra grip is crucial, both in terms of general traction and under braking. On Michelin Alpin winter tyres, the tyres' sipes act as small rubber claws, working to provide the maximum adhesion possible on all wintry surfaces.

As the weather patterns in the UK grow ever more unpredictable, the issue of winter tyres is becoming a much bigger motoring topic. In parts of mainland Europe, the fitment of winter tyres is a legal requirement in regions affected by extreme weather. While this is not the case in the UK, Michelin still strongly recommend fitting a full set of winter tyres between September and April, providing motorists with optimum control and priceless peace of mind.

CLICK HERE for the latest Winter Tyres for your Porsche 911