Continental Tire launched their new high-performance all-season tire, the DWS06, last week at their testing facility in Uvalde, Texas. I’m a believer in the DWS model – it’s actually what I run on my own car (a new Mazda6, of course). Knowing how good the tire already is, it was exciting to see what was new with the updated version.
DWS stands for “dry, wet, snow” traction, and the technology is neat because as the tread wears away, the inscribed lettering indicates the proper tread depth for snow and wet traction. It actually lets the consumer know what kind of performance to expect based on the wear.
It looks like a chase scene from a movie!
My purpose at the event was to give thrill rides to participants, who were both Continental dealers and media guests. I wasn’t the only IMSA driver on hand: Marc Miller and Oswaldo Negri were there, too. The rides gave the participants an idea of what Continental tire performance is all about, and they came away with big smiles and a positive reaction to the DWS06 as all that rubber went up in smoke!
Not only did the participants get a chance to do drive comparisons between the current and new tire, as well as competitor brands, but they also got to take a helicopter thrill ride that toured around the entire 5,000-acre Continental testing facility. I got to go up in the helicopter, too. Not only was it a thrill to take a tour from a different viewpoint, but the pilot was skilled in acrobatics, so he chased the cars on track, sometimes just 10-15 feet above the ground. It was exhilarating!
The tire will be released to dealers and consumers by May – helicopter ride not included!