The science behind summer tyres
12th May 2026
From heatwaves to heavy rainfall, summer tyres are designed to perform effectively in all conditions. Read on to discover the technology behind summer tyres for confidence on the road ahead this season…
Innovative design
Summer tyres are built with a firmer compound. This allows them to grip better on hot tarmac, optimising their dry weather handling and braking capabilities. Their tread pattern is also shallower compared to winter tyres, which helps to maintain the shape over the tyre’s lifetime and create more stability when driving at high speeds.
Not only are they effective in dry conditions, but summer tyres also provide excellent wet grip, a critical design component for the British summer. Grooves that run the circumference of the tyre help water to dissipate out and away from the tread, preventing build up and reducing the risk of aquaplaning. Deep outer sipes and the shoulder blocks also provide traction support.
Rigorously tested
All Davanti tyres are put through a stringent testing process in some of Europe’s most challenging facilities to ensure they surpass the industry standards of quality and performance.
Davanti’s summer commercial and passenger car tyres, which include; Protoura Sport, Protoura Race, Ecoura, Vantoura DX450 and the DX range, are no exception, as they have all been subjected to the following testing disciplines.
Dry handling
Performance should be effortless and predictable, even when driving at high speeds. To ensure our summer tyres achieve this, the test driver assesses the reaction to steering input and cornering as well as rear axle stability. They look for how tyres react to changes in direction and pace, the amount of steering lock required and for any loss of grip to be progressive.
Dry braking
In the event that a driver needs to carry out an emergency stop, they need to have complete confidence in the tyres to do so. Davanti tyres are driven at speeds of 110km/h before the brakes are applied. The distance covered by the car before it comes to a complete stop is then measured.
Wet handling
The wet handling test includes a lap of the circuit, during which the tyre is assessed for a number of attributes such as its ability to transfer the car’s power to the road and the amount of control the driver has.
Wet braking
The same principles of the dry braking test are applied, but the track is heavily watered to assess the tyre’s braking performance in very wet conditions.
Which summer tyre is best for me?
If you’d like more information about our summer range to help you decide which tyre is best for your vehicle, you can find your nearest Davanti dealer here.
