When Dunlop, a brand primarily associated with motorsport, launch a new tire it's always worth sitting up and taking note. Dunlop tires are engineered to offer the highest levels of sporty performance and road holding for those who love driving. Today is a good day, as Dunlop are launching not one, but two new tires - the Dunlop Sport Maxx RT and the Dunlop Sport Maxx Race.

Where do these tires stand in the market? It's tough to tell until we do some proper testing, however it seems like Michelin with the Pilot Sport 3 and Pilot Super Sport, Dunlop have created the RT for the 'average' sports car, and the Race for the extreme sports and supercars.

There will be a full report soon - we're currently at the launch to getting all the geeky technical details and trying the tire on the road and track. For now, you’ll have to make do with these lovely pictures of the new tires and the press release for the Dunlop Sport Maxx RT.

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT

Dunlop Sport Maxx Race

Press Release

Dunlop looks to take pole position with new Sport Maxx Racing Tire

Sport Maxx RT delivers on Dunlop’s race to road vision

Brussels, Belgium/Ascari, Spain – February 16, 2012 – Dunlop, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high and ultra high performance tires, announces today that it is launching a new European breed of sports tires. The new Sport Maxx RT (Racing Technology) road tire, designed especially for the driving enthusiast, will deliver to the needs of the continent’s most passionate driving aficionados, who savor the feeling of being in control of significant horsepower and dream of being in pole position at some of the world’s most prestigious races.

“The Dunlop heritage stands on its achievement in racing and with the driving enthusiast on the road”, states Sanjay Khanna, Managing Director, Dunlop Brand. “Today we are launching a new breed in the field of performance road driving with the Sport Maxx RT. It combines the very best of our over 120 years of experience on the track and on the road. It is a tire with heritage and power is just bursting to get out”.

The new tire has been developed to deliver performance to the road, with racing technology knowhow integrated into the tire’s design and development. On road surfaces, the Sport Maxx RT delivers enhanced grip, thanks to its motorsport derived compound, which provides increased adaptability to road surfaces, improving the tire’s overall grip on both dry and wet surfaces. The tire also delivers a high handling stability, built on its massive outer shoulder block, increasing the contact area when cornering, especially at high speeds.

On wet the Sport Maxx RT delivers the necessary performance to the road, building on its racing heritage. The tire features solid aquaplaning performances built on a set of large central grooves which increase water flow volumes. A round footprint allows the water flow to be pushed out via the lateral grooves, ensuring the tire delivers its performance to the road, and not the water surface.

A shorter braking distance, especially at high speed is delivered by short-braking blocks, set into the tread pattern of the tire. These blocks, re-enforced by lateral blocks ensure an anti-lift effect on the trailing edge thanks to their increased stiffness. Supporting the need for reduced fuel consumption are both the optimal material distribution, supporting the reduction of heat generation and aerodynamic sidewall, and sleek shoulders which reduce air drag.

Recent TÜV tests run with the new Sport Maxx RT confirm the tire’s solid road capabilities. Compared to its closest competitors, the Sport Maxx RT showed it could outclass on both dry and wet braking results by showing a significant 7% lead. Additionally, the independent tests showed a clear 11% better rolling resistance, compared to its key competitors on the market .

“In 2012 we are introducing the Sport Maxx RT to ensure we can continue to claim a leading position in the Ultra High Performance (UHP) tire market”, explains Sanjay Khanna, Managing Director, Dunlop Brand. “We are seeing a solid growth in the UHP market and the Sport Maxx RT will help us deliver on this demand.”

The Sport Maxx RT introduction comes at a time when drivers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) are increasingly walking away from 16 inch rims and expanding strongly into 17 and 18 inch rims, two sizes which the Sport Maxx RT will cater to. The new tire is developed to fit the needs of some of the road’s leading performance brands including the Audi, Maserati, Mini, BMW, Jaguar, and the Mercedes AMG, to mention but a few.