New Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres available for new Audi R8

Michelin has developed a special version of its Pilot Sport Cup 2 ultra-high performance tyre for the new Audi R8. This tyre will be an optional fitment that can be specified by customers and it can be identified by the RO1 marking on its sidewall.

The requirements of Audi were a technological challenge as their engineers sought to combine high levels of dry grip to give outstanding lap times on the track, without any compromise in safety on wet roads. Michelin rose to the challenge by developing the MICHELIN Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres that combine the following performance characteristics:

High levels of grip on dry and wet surfaces
Very precise steering response
A good balance between front and rear grip, especially during cornering
Sporty, agile handling which is characterised by a quick reaction time between driver inputs and the car’s response

To obtain these results, Michelin’s tyre designers and engineers embarked on a short but extremely focused development programme:

• Only 15 months between receiving the initial specifications of the tyre and the production of the finished version
• 4 development cycles, including industrialisation, were undertaken
• Endurance, wet grip and dry lap time tests were conducted at the Nürburgring and Jerez race tracks, the Michelin Technology Center in Ladoux, France and the Idiada proving ground in Spain.

The new Michlein Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres feature tread designs that combine multiple rubber compounds developed in motorsport series such as the World Endurance Championship. There are two different compounds used in the front tyre and three in the rear which ensure the high levels of safety, grip, handling and durability that were specified by Audi.

Overall, the new Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres increase driving pleasure and allow drivers of the new Audi R8 to experience the feeling of a racing driver with maximum safety.

Tyre sizes: 245/30ZR20 front and 305/30ZR20 rear.