Tires aren't the most glamorous part of a car, but they can make all the difference when it comes to handling. More and more, manufacturers are partnering with tire companies to develop bespoke tires, allowing engineers to better match things like suspension, steering, and braking to a specific compound. And it takes an incredible amount of work.
The Tyre Reviews YouTube channel visited Michelin's testing grounds in Ladoux, France to find out what it took for engineers to develop the Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tire found on the new Mercedes-AMG GT. Though they use the same name as the off-the-shelve Sport S 5, the AMG version uses a totally different rubber setup.
The tires use three different compounds, made up of different tread sections. The inside portion of the front tread is mainly tuned for wet grip, while the middle tread is there for dry performance. The very outside of the tire is high-endurance rubber, suitable for track work. On the rear, there are two sections for wet grip and a middle section for dry performance. On the outside, you'll find a dry performance-oriented compound.
Michelin spent three years on these tires alone, going through 25 different compounds up front and 20 compounds in the rear before finally deciding on a final combination. All of this, just for one car.
Pierre-Antoine Gregoire, lead development driver for this project, said most of his time was spent perfecting the "soft handling" of the tires. That means zeroing in on the little things you might not think about, like how the car tracks on a straight road, how much dead zone comes through the steering wheel, how the tire weights up when you turn, and how the sidewall responds to quick transitions.
Gregoire says the most difficult part about this tire was finding a good balance between wet and dry handling. Mercedes demanded the tire perform well in both scenarios—a tall order for any rubber—so the Michelin team had to keep mixing and matching compounds, all while trying to keep up with the AMG GT's development cycle, which was happening at the same time.
