Ultra-High Performance Tyres: Research & Development Uncovered

Performance cars are built to push the boundaries. They need tyres to match and here at Davanti, we understand that performance tyres are critical to ensuring the best driving experience.

The intricate tyre design in Ultra High Performance (UHP) tyres improves braking distance and handling at high speeds, as well as enhancing driving safety. For those looking to maximise the performance of the car, there are a great range of UHP options available and the Protoura range at Davanti is a prime example.

But what exactly makes these tyres suitable for high performance driving? We’re here to uncover how exactly the Protoura range is designed to excel.

What’s important for a UHP tyre design?

Depending on the UHP tyre, there can be slight differences between key design attributes. Within the Protoura range at Davanti, there are three products: Protoura Sport, Protoura Sport Run Flat DSP and Protoura Race.

To show the intricate variations between these three products, we’ve summarised each tyre’s key attributes which make them advantageous for drivers looking to excel on the road or track…

Testing UHPs

Davanti Tyres prides itself on combining expert engineering and advanced manufacturing processes with an extensive testing programme. All the tyres in the Protoura range have undergone rigorous testing to ensure they deliver safe and predictable handling as well as high performance.

As a partner with many leading testing facilities, Davanti products have been put through up to 40 tests, including in Spain at the Applus IDIADA testing grounds and Calafat Circuit, as well as the UK’s Formula One venue, Silverstone.

At the Applus IDIADA testing ground, tyres face a series of wet and dry handling and braking tests to ensure the tyres perform at the top of their class. Meanwhile, at Calafat and Silverstone, tyre consistency and performance levels are assessed through varying heat ranges.

Of course, the Protoura Sport DSP Runflat was tested further to ensure its runflat technology offers the peace of mind motorists are looking for. The tyre has been developed and tested to vehicle manufacturer OE standards, equal to a premium runflat tyre. However, here at Davanti, we went above and beyond the standard requirements for runflat testing to ensure optimal performance. In addition to the standard drum test, this includes:

• Pop-on pressure, ensuring that the tyres are easy to mount onto and dismount from the rim – a typical challenge for runflat tyres – whilst maintaining sufficient force on the wheel for reliable operation. 
• RPA sensitivity test, ensuring the tyre is well within the tolerance bounds of TPMS sensors, this test determines the variance in circumference between inflated and uninflated states, for vehicles that rely on this technology to detect that a tyre has deflated.
• Rim roll-off test, ensuring that the deflated tyre stays mounted to the rim when undergoing lateral forces, a factor that cannot be determined by the standard drum test alone. This test was carried out by performing J turns with a tyre under zero pressure to ensure it remains mounted to the rim as required for OE standards.

For more information, visit our performance tyre product pages, or contact your local Davanti dealer.