NO COMPROMISE
Prevention is better than cure and while the winter weather may not be with us yet, Michelin’s Alpin winter tyres help make sure you don’t get caught out when it comes
The A939 between Tomintoul and Cock Bridge is one of those very special stretches of Scottish road. Fast, fowing and free of much in the way of trafc, it is a driver’s road truly worthy of the description. It is also, routinely, the frst road in the UK to be closed once the winter weather begins to bite. Winding across the north eastern Cairngorms, it climbs to some 2,090f above sea level at its highest point and this is where you’ll fnd the Lecht Ski Centre. It’s the perfect stretch of road for a Porsche 911, all the more so if it’s a 911 ftted with Michelin winter tyres.
Te tyres in question were Pilot Alpin 4, specifcally designed for high performance cars and bristling with many of the innovations to be found in Michelin’s latest winter tyre, the Alpin 5, developed for everything from superminis to family cars. What all Alpin products have in common is outstanding performance on wet and dry roads when temperatures drop below 7ºC, as well as on snow.
Among the features that make Alpin 5 Michelin’s most technologically-advanced winter tyre yet is a ‘rack-and-pinion’ tread pattern. Tis is comprised of a series of deep grooved, directional blocks with a greater percentage of voids between than on previous generations of Alpin. Tese grooves are crucial to the tyre’s efectiveness, helping disperse water – or snow – and reduce the risk of aquaplaning or skidding in more challenging driving conditions.
In addition, Alpin 5’s Innovative Tread Compound Technology – known as Helio Compound – is made up, in part, of functional elastomers which work in tandem with an increased silica content, essential to the performance of a tyre designed for use in winter conditions. Tis compound also includes sunfower oil, an ingredient that enhances the Alpin 5’s performance at lower temperatures. Te overall result is a highly uniform compound which helps to maintain high levels of efciency alongside that extra grip. Harry Hill, Fleet Manager for Totalmotion, the UK’s largest privately owned leasing and feet management company, is convinced of the benefts of Michelin Alpin tyres. “Around 90% of the high performance vehicles on our feet are ftted with Michelin tyres and I have driven them myself. It is amazing how much grip they provide.”
Te weather in the Cairngorms in early October was glorious, but that won’t be the case for much longer. By the turn of the year, temperatures around Lecht could have tumbled to -9ºC, the coarse heather hillsides turned white with snow. On the condition that the A939 remains open, it would still be a wonderful place to head to in a 911 ftted with Michelin winter tyres.