Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tyres released boosting performance and longevity

The French tyre company has unveiled the successor to its Pilot Sport 4 range of tyres that have been a sports car staple since 2016

Michelin has unveiled its new Pilot Sport 5 that it says provides a clear edge over its competitors in the realm of performance and longevity.

The first Pilot Sport series change in six years, the Pilot Sport 5 will spawn a number of offerings that will supersede the popular Michelin Pilot Sport 4 range.

Unveiled alongside the comfort-focused Michelin Primary 4+, the Pilot Sport 5 arrives with high expectations ahead of its forthcoming on-sale date.

Michelin’s older Pilot Sport 4 has been fitted to a broad range of performance cars since its debut in September 2016, from the Hyundai i30 N Line warm hatch to the Porsche Panamera sports sedan.

It is likely that the ‘PS5’ range will spawn a new Pilot Sport 5S high-performance tyre to replace the highly-rated Pilot Sport 4S, while an EV tyre variant and even an SUV iteration are highly probable.

2021 Hyundai i30 hatch N Line — The current Pilot Sport 4 tyres are found on everything from a Hyundai i30 N Line to the Porsche Panamera

New technology and increased performance

Michelin has integrated its new Dual Sport Treat Design into the Sport 5 which features specialised tread for dry conditions on the outside and a wet weather-focused design on the inside.

Independent testing conducted on Michelin’s request found the Sport 5 tyres out-braked its rivals (including the Pirelli P Zero and Bridgestone Potenza Sport) in a 100-0km/h dry test and an 80-20km/h wet test – while also providing better longevity.

It should be noted that Michelin has not included the results of the Sport 4 tyres in these tests, so it remains unclear how much the performance has increased with the latest generation.

The new tyres features better wet-weather performance than its rivals

The Primacy 4+ tyres are more likely to be seen driving to work than on a racetrack so engineers focused on increasing the wet weather performance when worn by using two layers of rubber to offset the loss of tread depth.

As a result, Michelin says the tyres had a shorting wet braking distance than its rivals in an 80-20km/h test when all had been worn down – however the Bridgestone Turanza T005 tyres stopped quicker than the Michelins when new.

What sizes are available?

Michelin says the Pilot Sport 5 will be available with 50 dimensions in 17 to 21-inch sizes and will launch globally on March 1, 2022

The Primacy 4+ tyres will be available in 82 dimensions from 16 to 19-inches when it launched on January 1, which will increase to 121 dimensions across 16 to 21-inches by the end of 2022.