Description: This Proxes R888 is designed for road racing, track days, high-performance driving schools, and Pro-Touring cars.
Features: A semi-slick shoulder area increases cornering force; a unidirectional tread pattern with v-shaped grooves enhances wet traction and control; a rounded outer shoulder helps to maintain tire contact, even during changes in suspension geometry; and a continuous center contact delivers precise directional control during hard braking.
Fitments: Sizes range from 185/60R13 to 315/30ZR20
Prices: Approximately $140 to $380 (each)
| UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GUIDE |
| Speed/Tire Type |
Treadwear |
Traction |
Temp. |
| V-, W-, and Y-rated (depending on the tire size)/radial |
100 |
AA |
A |
Tire Name: ExtremeContact DWS
Description: The Extreme- Contact DWS is a newly introduced ultra-high-performance, all-season tire tuned for drivers seeking grip in dry, wet, and snow conditions, with comfort.
Features: Solid outer shoulder and chamfered tread blocks maximize road contact; high void-to-tread ratio with enhanced groove curvature aids water evacuation for resistance to hydroplaning; Temperature Distribution technology reduces distortion in the tread to improve wear and rolling resistance; Tuned Performance Indicators alert drivers to tires’ performance level.
Fitments: Sizes range from 205/55ZR16 to 295/25ZR22
Prices: Approximately $123 to $350 (each)
| UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GUIDE |
| Speed/Tire Type |
Treadwear |
Traction |
Temp. |
| V-, W-, and Y-rated/radial |
540 |
A |
A |
Uniform Tire Quality Grading System
HPP asked John Rastetter, director of Tire Information Services at Tire Rack (www.tirerack.com), to explain the Uniform Tire Quality Grading System. Here’s what he had to say.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Uniform Tire Quality Grading System (often referred to simply as UTQG) was originated in the mid-’70s to provide consumers with useful information to help them purchase tires based on their relative treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance.
Treadwear Grade: A grade of 100 would indicate that the tire tread would last as long as the standard Course Monitoring tire, 200 would indicate the tread would last twice as long, 300 would indicate three times as long, and so on. While the Treadwear Grade was originally intended to be assigned purely scientifically, it has also become a marketing tool used by manufacturers to help position and promote their tires.
Traction Grade: It’s based on the tire’s straight-line wet traction as the tire skids across the specified test surfaces. It does not evaluate dry braking, dry cornering, wet cornering, or high-speed hydroplaning resistance. Starting with the tires that offer the best wet traction, they are rated AA, A, B or C.
Temperature (Resistance) Grade: It indicates the extent to which heat is generated or dissipated by a tire. If the tire is unable to dissipate the heat effectively or if the tire is unable to resist the destructive effects of heat buildup, its ability to run at high speeds is reduced. Current grades are A, B, or C.
While treadwear (durability) and wet traction (safety) will continue to be rated, the tire’s temperature resistance will be dropped (this has essentially already been replaced by speed ratings already common on tires). The third grade will be based on the tire’s rolling resistance (fuel-efficiency) as an indicator of the tire’s contribution to vehicle fuel consumption.
The exact details of how they will be rated and presented are being worked out and expected to be implemented in the next couple of years.