Soon it will be that time again: The winter tires will be fitted. From O to O, i.e. October to Easter, the tires should be on in order to get safely through the cold, wet season at all times. The proportion of motorists who forego winter tires is getting smaller and smaller, but there are always those who refuse. The misconception that it doesn't snow in most European countries and that you don't need winter tires for this reason persists. It is not necessarily the snow that poses a risk.
Wet, slush, snow: These are the three enemies of a motorist in the cold season. And even if the coming winter is dry, winter tires offer better grip at low temperatures than their summer counterparts. Not to forget: In Germany there is a winter tire duty. This means that in winter conditions tires must be mounted on the vehicle with a corresponding marking. This includes, for example, the Michelin CrossClimate. This summer tire has a winter marking and combines the advantages of summer and winter tires.
But today it's about the Michelin Alpin 5 - the premium winter tire for the compact and mid-range. It combines a high level of safety and excellent grip in all winter conditions. Responsible for this are, among other things, its special tread profile and its tread blocks. The high number of grip edges ensures good grip and thus offers important safety reserves. In addition, the side channels drain away the absorbed water and thus reduce the risk of aquaplaning.
But what happens during tire development? Michelin is taking a holistic approach, the "Michelin Total Performance", with the tire manufacturer continuously working to improve all the performance features in each tire at the same time. For example, the French are investing around 620 million in research and development and conducting around 75.000 tests per year. Not only research and development in our own technology centers, but also insights of renowned institutions such as universities or research institutes are included.
Two innovative developments by the French concern the treads on the one hand and the rubber compound on the other. The directional tread pattern offers specially designed tread blocks with a high negative proportion, which ensures optimal interlocking with the snow - if it is present in winter. In our latitudes, wetness is mostly a permanent guest during the cold, dark season, which is why the lateral channels are particularly important as they lead away the water to the side.
The Grip moderators feel the Michelin Alpin 5 on the tooth
Despite these positive attributes, the developers of a winter tire are always faced with a conflict of goals: good and safe handling with a sporty and active dry handling. The high lamellar density with many grip edges ensure outstanding traction in the wet. Added to this is Michelin's StabiliGrip technology, which ensures high steering precision. This is where three-dimensional, self-locking louvers come into play for precise rigidity. In addition, the slats are at different angles, so that - depending on the steering angle - different sections of the footprint can better interlock. At the same time, however, the rigid profile breaks up the water layer, increasing safety in the wet.
Not insignificant is the tread compound of the Michelin Alpin 5 winter tires. The Helio Compound technology with sunflower oil allows a homogeneous mixture at particularly low temperatures. As a result, the tire offers optimal grip in wet and snowy conditions
The premium winter tire is available in 15 to 20 inches. Various widths and cross-sections are available that cover the common dimensions of the compact and mid-range. For example with the BMW 1 Series, which Matthias Malmedie and Helge Thomsen use for testing. The two Grip moderators have already experienced a lot of adventures on their road trip, such as the most recent brake test in a hall in Ivalo, Finland, which was cooled down to -11 degrees Celsius.
In the same hall, the two test not only the braking ability of the Michelin Alpin 5, but also its handling characteristics. And how could that be better than a race against time? An 350 meter long course will show how stable the test car is on the snowy ground. First, Helge Thomsen starts to test and put down a decent time - and despite the rear-wheel drive, which is not exactly the optimal drive in these conditions. Of course, Matthias Malmedie can not afford that and tries to wrestle important moments from Helge.
How the race turned out? You can see that yourself in the clip. But it is clear that the bet is a high. After all, the loser of the Challenge has to jump headfirst into a Finnish lake in a costume. And they rarely have more than five degrees Celsius this season.
How the race turned out? You can see that yourself in the clip. But it is clear that the bet is a high. After all, the loser of the Challenge has to jump headfirst into a Finnish lake in a costume. And they rarely have more than five degrees Celsius this season.