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While watching a Formula 1 race on television, you will notice just how fast these race cars go through tires. Tire management has become a fundamental strategy on how to succeed in the sport. Constructors or racing teams, have made in-race tire conservation and changing a vital aspect in the duration of a race. That type of mentality, along with 10 years of research have gone into the development of Porsche’s new set of tires for their 918.

The 918 is a model where Porsche is pulling no punches. They are not settling to the desires and the needs of the budget consumers nor to the 911 enthusiasts. They are attempting to make the greatest Porsche that they can. With that said, they are seeking the help of their racing division along with one of the biggest tire manufacturers in the world, Michelin.

Michelin already developed the current racing tires for all the constructors on Formula 1. They have partnered with Porsche over the last 10 years in developing racing tires for their racing teams in Europe and in North America. What they developed for the new 918 is a tire dubbed the Pilot Super Sport.

The Super Sport will be taking over the Pilot Super Sport PS2. It will carry on the technology that made Michelin the premier manufacturer of tires. New rubber compounds as well as a lighter weight will significantly improve racing and domestic automobiles. The new materials and weighting will increase handling and most importantly, speed.

The Super Sport tires will receive the “N0” notification on the sidewalls which is exclusive to Porsche. The “N0” declares the tire as Porsche approved. Indeed the reviews are in and the tires’ dual-compound technology is second to none. As important as weight and performance are, the durability factor is higher on these new tires from before. 10-20% significantly higher than previous Michelin-Porsche tires. And as stated before, tire management is the “name” of the game, especially with high performance machines like the 918.

Image credit: Jason Goulding on Flickr