Continental Tyre Malaysia (CTM) has formally introduced the new MaxContact MC7 tyres, updating the MaxContact performance tyre lineup with their Generation 7 family of products. Slotting beneath the SportContact 7 but above ComfortContact CC7 and UltraContact UC7. Available for passenger cars with sizes between 16- and 21-inches, MaxContact MC7 is engineered to offer reduced noice levels, improved wear mileage, maximum control (in wet and dry conditions), and minimise braking distances. 

The MC7 features a variety of optimisations that match the outgoing MaxContact MC6 in terms of wet-handling and mileage, but outperform it in areas of wet-braking, noise, fuel efficiency and dry-weather braking & handling. Continental invited members of the media to Sepang International Circuit where a variety of activities were laid out for us to sample the new Continental MC7s to understand how their various engineering optimisations work in the real world.

In areas of control, Continental has engineered Cornering Macro-Blocks to maximise contact area and redistribute force to improve handling and stability. These are aided by the ‘ReFlex Compound’ which Continental says achieves higher cornering stiffness for more responsive, immediate feedback to drivers. 

To test this, Continental set up a dry-handling and traction course, using Mercedes-AMG models to push the limits of their new rubber. Lining up a competitor tyre (which they did not detail but were revealed to be Italian) and sampled through a wider course on the track and a tighter one off it, it was quite clear to this writer that the MC7 offers better performance on the limit and degrades less with repeated high-stress usage (this as the tyres were being tortured over and over again in the hands of journalists & dealers of varying levels of capability). 

Continental has also coined a new phrase called ‘Sporty Silent,’ which they say reduces noise levels in the performance-tyre segment. A noise-breaker technology reduces sound waves generated in the longitudinal grooves of the tyre while also improving wet-weather breaking, in what Continental dubs ‘Two-in-One Noise Breaker 3.0.’

Laser-cut 3D sipes also play a significant role with the new MC7, integrating star-sipes, lightning sipes, and ‘Aquasipes.’ All three of these work together to provide exceptional handling and braking on wet roads, which play a vital role in tropical markets like Malaysia. 

To demonstrate this against the same Italian competitor tyre a wet cornering section was set up to show the potential of understeer and control loss at a speed of just 55km/h and sure enough, the competitor tyre lost grip and plowed wide halfway through the turn. The MC7s however remained committed to the line at speeds of as much as 65km/h, which demonstrated the capability of the new tyres to dissipate water efficiently to maintain grip. 

But it’s wet braking that’s perhaps most difficult, as stopping a vehicle from a high rate of speed plus managing potential aquaplaning is a particularly challenging task. With a straight-line brake test laid out and a speed cap of 90km/h, the Continental MC7s were able to stop the Mercedes-Benz CLE about 7-10 metres shorter distance compared to the competitor tyre, and maintained better control through the wheel at that. 

It has always been the position of this publication that tyres are not an area that should be compromised upon, and Continental’s MaxContact MC7 demonstrates excellent capability for a performance-slanted tyre product. They are now available for sale via the official Continental stores on Shopee and Lazada where customers are also entitled to the Continental Total Confidence Plan (TCP) that covers 12-months road-hazard warranty (with one-to-one tyre replacement at over 100 dealers nationwide). This is in addition to the 5-year manufacturing-defect warranty introduced by Continental Tyre Malaysia in 2016.

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GALLERY: Continental MaxContact MC7 Tested in Sepang