Latest Japanese tyre tech for high performance sports cars, SUVs and crossovers

Japanese technology, craftmanship and innovation anchor Dunlop’s SP SPORT MAXX range of premium performance tyres, including the SPORT MAXX 050+ ultra-high-performance tyre for enthusiasts seeking great form and function when tackling Mzansi’s highway terrain. 

With an enhanced compound that improves wet grip and offers excellent on-road performance, the SPORT MAXX 050+ is the perfect replacement tyre for most modern high-performance sports cars, coupé’s, sedans, SUVs and crossovers. 

“This premium range brings the very best of Sumitomo’s renowned Japanese technology and innovation to South Africa,” said Lubin Ozoux, CEO of Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (SRSA), manufacturer of the Dunlop brand. 

“Users can expect to experience world-class performance, including high speed stability, excellent cornering and superior riding comfort, as a result of innovative features, developed in our research facility in Kobe, Japan, that are incorporated in the design of the SP SPORT MAXX range. In South Africa, the range is also covered by Dunlop Sure tyre insurance for added peace of mind,” he added. 

Outstanding dry and wet handling

 For superior dry road performance, the SP SPORT MAXX 050+ features high grip shoulder blocks. These lateral and longitudinal high stiffness blocks for optimal road contact provide high braking force and maximum cornering grip.  A straight rib along the centre of the tyre provides maximum riding control with high-speed straight-line stability and is reactive to any steering input for sporty handling and manoeuvring. 

For wet roads, wide water evacuation grooves deliver efficient water drainage through natural water flow direction with groove distribution optimised to provide balanced contact pressure. Results include resistance to hydroplaning and maximum stability and control in wet conditions. 

Enhancing the tyre’s wet grip is a new compound with optimised silica content that improves adhesion to road surfaces. High speed stability is ensured through features such as the wide and solid outer shoulder block, high stiffness blocks for optimum road contact and a high rigidity construction using more than two nylon reinforced layers to minimise tread profile expansion and provide secure road contact at high speed. 

An important safety feature is the inclusion of Dunlop Self Supporting Technology (run on flat tyre technology), which enables the tyres to carry on running when punctured. Construction of the sidewall has been stiffened to preserve its shape so that it can carry the weight of the car, even when there is no pressure in the tyre, to get you safely to a service station. The limit is 80 kilometres, and the vehicle must be driven at speeds under 80 kmph. 

Whereas most run flats are known to deliver an uncomfortable ride, Dunlop run flats are acknowledged as having a superior solid ring compound which allows the tyre to flex making it unbreakable and providing normal handling, acceleration, braking and steering control. 

“Designers at our headquarters in Kobe, Japan, are constantly tracking trends and benchmarking tyres like the Dunlop SP SPORT MAXX  050+ against the best in the world,” Ozoux added. 

For more, visit  www.dunloptyres.co.za