2022 Sport Auto UHP, UUHP and Semi Slick Tire Test

For summer 2022, Sport Auto tested four sets of UHP tires, three sets of UUHP and three semi set of slick track day tires, all in the popular 235/35 R19 size! This is of course very interesting, and in parts a little confusing! 

As the Tire Reviews database doesn't yet have the ability to deal with different types of tires in the same test gracefully, we'll run over the results below before presenting all the data.

UHP

Sport Auto classify the new Continental SportContact 7 as a UHP tire, not a UUHP tire, putting it against the Michelin Pilot Sport 4, not the 4S (which was also missing from this test.) After testing the SportContact 7 in our own UUHP test we're not sure we agree with the category, but we do agree with the result - the Continental SportContact 7 convincingly won the category with a huge advantage in wet braking, but also leading the way in dry braking and dry handling. The SportContact 7 was almost as fast around the handling track as the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2... further evidence it might be more suited to the UUHP category!

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 placed second, with Sport Auto finding it to have direct and precise steering in the dry, not something we've found before, and Pirelli and Falken rounded out the group with the P Zero PZ4 and FK510.

UUHP

The UUHP category was led by the Bridgestone Potenza Sport, with the tester noting the tires felt great but needed a lot of temperature to warm up, something we have noticed in our own testing! The new Hankook Ventus S1 Evo Z placed second with low noise and good wet handling, and the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport finished in third place, with Sport Auto saying the car and tire combination didn't work well.

Track

Nankang AR-1 won the track group on points, but looking at the data the Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R (N rated) was the star of dry handling, which is where you want a track tire to excel! The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect couldn't match the other two in dry grip, but did have a significant advantage in the wet, highlighting that this is a track tire with more usability in the real world.

Dry

Continental led the group in dry braking, with the Nankang AR-1 scoring surprisingly well! We can only assume the tires got a little heat into them during braking, even if the other track tires finished in the last two places.

Fortunately for the track tires, dry handling does add a lot of temperature, and Sport Auto adjusted the pressures to 2.4/2.0 bar once hot. Sadly they give their lap data in average speed, not time, however it was written in the article that the track tires were on average three seconds a lap faster than the average UUHP tire. This was tested at Michelins proving ground in France, which means it would be approximately a 70 second lap in the Hyundia I30N test vehicle.

Wet

Continental once again led wet braking, with the UHP Michelin Pilot Sport 4 and Falken FK510, and UUHP Bridgestone Potenza Sport the next group of tires.

Bridgestone was fastest in wet handling, narrowly beating the UHP Pirelli P Zero. Unsurprisingly the track tires struggled, with the Nankang AR1 having a lot of issues with aquaplaning.

Wet circle closely mirrored wet handling.

The two aquaplaning tests really highlighted how much the track tires struggled in deeper water.

Environment

Pirelli had the quietest tire on test.

The Continental SportContact 7 proved you can be good in the wet AND have low rolling resistance, a blend of qualities that's usually difficult to achieve!

The track tires were the most expensive on test, which given the lowest starting tread depth (see below) shows just how expensive track days can be!

Results

Reminder, the tires are grouped as UHP, UUHP and Track, meaning the actual results are:

UHP - Continental Sportcontact 7, Michelin Pilot Sport 4, Pirelli P Zero PZ4, Falken Azenis FK510

UUHP - Bridgestone Potenza Sport, Hankook Ventus S1 Evo Z, Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport

Track - Nankang AR-1, Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R (N0), Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 (Connect)