The Michelin Drive-and-Compare event has become a staple of the annual BMW CCA Oktoberfest. Each year the company offers O’Fest participants the opportunity to explore the capabilities of various Michelin tires. This year, participants drove two BMW M3s: one fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ tires and the other with a popular competitor.
The goal of the test was to determine which all-season tire provides crisper handling and better performance in both the dry and wet conditions.
Two years ago we were invited to NOLA Motorsports Park to test out the Pilot Sport A/S 3, and were amazed with its performance. Now Michelin engineers have enhanced the tire’s compound technology to improve its snow traction without sacrificing its already incredible wet and dry traction for the A/S 3+. Michelin says the new all-season tire offers 28% better snow traction than the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3, the shortest wet and dry braking of leading competitive tires in the ultra-high performance A/S category.
The new tire features:
- Michelin’s Helio+ Compound combined with unique biting edges in the tread grooves that grab loose snow to help acceleration and braking in winter conditions, resulting in confident mobility in cold and snow conditions.
- Variable Contact Patch 3.0, originally developed for endurance racing, which distributes the forces and temperatures more evenly over the contact patch. It is combined with an aggressive asymmetric tread pattern inspired by the Michelin Pilot Super Sport, simultaneously maximizing dry grip, wet grip and even wear.
- Extreme amounts of silica in the tread compound (derived from wet endurance race tire technology used at Le Mans) combined with variable thickness sipes and large circumferential grooves, resulting in incredible wet grip and resistance to hydroplaning in deep water.
The Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3+ tire is designed, engineered and manufactured in North America. It was launched in March and eventually be available in 90 sizes, ranging from 175/65/R15 to 285/35/ZR20 with fitments for vehicles including the BMW M3, among other BMW models. Michelin will offer a limited 45,000-mile warranty and the product will start with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $149.
