Continental ExtremeContact Sport Tire Review
Meet the modern tire, perfected. After being tested by pro racing drivers Andy Lally, Joao Barbosa, Ozz Negri, Ryan Dalziel and Lawson Aschenbach, this ultra-high performance tire is as good as it gets.
Perhaps that’s why you’ll find it in use at the AMG Driving Academy and BMW Performance Driving School as their official tire.
Even ROUSH Performance has chosen to use the Continental ExtremeContact Sport tire as the sole fitment for ROUSH Mustangs, including their special edition, ROUSH P-51 Mustang.
Not to mention, you can also find this ultra-high performance tire on Petty’s Garage and Lingenfelter Performance Engineering builds. What sets the Continental ExtremeContact Sport tire apart from the rest? While you might think just performance, in reality, these tires handle heavy rain and slippery wet roads like a champ. Factor in a tremendous value thanks to their generous tread life and reasonable price point, and you have a well-rounded winner.
Below you’ll find my Continental ExtremeContact Sport tire review alongside my initial impressions and past experiences driving with Continental tires.
Quick Highlights:
– Specialized summer-specific compound with +Silane for remarkable grip.
– Molded with a 5 rib asymmetric design. (6 rib variations possible)
– Superior lateral grip and high-speed handling thanks to wide tread blocks on outside shoulder.
– Continuous center rib for continual rubber-to-road contact and exceptional center feel.
– Enhanced footprint distributes pressure across tire face evenly to improve tread life.
– Deep, circumferential grooves for directing water through the contact patch to reduce risk of hydroplaning.
– Quick View Indicators inform driver to the levels tires are performing in dry/wet.
– Tested to the limits by championship-winning racecar drivers. (IMSA Drivers)
– Internal construction features Polyester /or Rayon Cord body casing
– Two-ply sidewall construction for added stiffness without reducing comfort.
– Casing ply supports 2 high-tensile steel belts.
– Two spirally wound polyamide cap piles offer structure for high-speed capability.
– Backed by Continental’s new “Total Confidence Plan”.
– Tread Wear 340, Traction AA, Temperature A.
Three years ago, I purchased a brand new set of all-season Continental DWS tires for my Audi; since then I’ve become hooked on Continental! For the price and performance, Continental offers the best in the market. If you really do the research, you’ll always seem to end up choosing Continental as the winner.
After multiple winters driving through snow, sleet and ice, multiple summers across the hot pavement, and torrential downpours during spring, their all-season tires never let me down. No matter the weather or road conditions, I always felt confident and in control. Fast forward to today, and I’ve decided to give their new ExtremeContact Sport tires a try.
With improved/firmer handling and superior wet traction, alongside an excellent wear, these tires were quite attractive. While I will need a dedicated set of winter tires later on in the year, the end benefits gained make driving with a summer set worth it.
If you’re wondering what wheel and tire combination I am using on my Audi A4 here it is: Avant Garde M590 19×19.5 5×112 40mm Gloss Black, paired with Continental ExtremeContactSport 255/35-19.
As expected, the ride quality is absolutely beautiful. From aggressive straight line acceleration to taming tight, curvy roads, these tires feel as if they’re glued right to the road. The exceptional level of grip instills the utmost confidence while also offering immediate, accurate feedback to the driver.
When you are pushing your car’s performance and handling ability alongside your own driving ability, let’s face it, communication is critical. Luckily, Continental ExtremeContact Sport tires do a remarkable job of keeping the driver connected to the road at all times. With a quick steering response, these tires offer a car that’s eager to move and change directions. And while the road-holding qualities left me impressed, I was really surprised by just how strong these tires performed under fast and hard braking.
If you’re a spirited driver like myself or call the track a home away from home, then chances are the Continental ExtremeContact Sport will live up to your expectations and then some. Best of all, the benefits transfer over to rainy days with slick roads by slicing through the water like a knife. While driving through thunderstorms, these tires have proven that once-thought to be slippery road conditions don’t have to be hair-raising experiences. Across wet pavement, both grip and confidence remain at an all-time high.
In terms of comfort, Continental ExtremeContact Sport tires deliver enormously on the luxurious feel. No matter if it’s highway or city streets, rolling around with a set of these ultra-high performance tires, is a dream. Noise while rolling is kept to an extremely minimal level and allows the driver to enjoy every mile of the road ahead.
While it will take me some more time to fully test their longevity (I will report back later with the details), given my past experiences with Continental Tire, I’m expecting nothing less than an exceptional tread wear. For now, the durable construction details and fact that these tires are German engineered through a company with a history dating back to 1871, gives me more than enough confidence that I will be enjoying these for years to come.
Of course, you might be pleased to know that Continental also backs their new ExtremeContact Sport tires with their Total Confidence Plan. As one of the strongest warranty programs and service contracts in the industry, you really can achieve peace of mind when buying a new set of tires. With the plan, Continental ExtremeContact Sport tires come with a 60-day satisfaction trial (or 2/32 of treadwear), and a complimentary 12-month road hazard coverage.
Not to mention, there’s also a 72-month manufacturer’s limited warranty program, alongside an included 30,000-mile limited warranty and 3-year flat tire roadside assistance (or towing up to 150 miles).