| Tire type | Max Performance Summer Tire |
| Price range | $155-$613 |
| Tread Warranty | 30,000 |
| Run-flat | No |
| Vehicles type | Sporty Sedans and Coupes |
| Driving conditions | Dry and Wet |
If you are a track enthusiast then you must have heard about this Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 tire. This Continental tire is one of the top max performance tires available in the market for sporty drives with sports cars.
The tire launched in late 2022, and since then it’s been competing with top tires in this category like Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and others. The reason for its success is because of its responsive drive and comfortable experience on the roads.
Just like any other max performance tire, this tire is also not so durable, especially if you usually drive on fast tracks. Although the tire has a fair warranty, but it usually wears off earlier if driven harshly on a regular basis.
Also, it is a summer performance tire, meaning it won’t be driveable on snow or winter terrains, which confines it to wet and dry conditions. So with many constraints, is it still the tire that you should install on your sporty vehicles in 2024?
Let’s find out in this review how this tire is built, what makes this tire so popular, and what type of drivers should get this tire, so they can achieve the most desirable performance with their sporty sedans and coupes. So, without further ado, let’s get into it.
Table of Contents
Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 features
The Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 tire features a summer-only compound, which is not great for snowy terrains but it is the best option for driving responsive on wet and dry road conditions. With that, the introduction of a Silane-Infused compound, the tire grips properly in wet and dry conditions.
The tires are designed to optimize performance on fast tracks, and with the help of performance-tuned construction, this tire is one of the most stable and responsive tires to drive on fast corners to achieve maximum traction and grip with reliable and safer drives.
Basic features of Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02
The introduction of SportPlus Technology is revolutionary in improving this tire grip and cornering performance on fast dry tracks. The tire delivers responsive and full-control drive even at high speed on curvy corners, which makes it an enjoyable tire to drive on tracks.
Another technology involved in this tire construction is X-Sipe Technology. This technology helps this tire to improve wet grip and traction and reduce hydroplaning even at a faster pace. With improved wet and dry grip and cornering, this tire is a perfect tire for summer tracks with sporty vehicles.
Tread pattern and design
The tire features an asymmetrical tread pattern which improves tire stability and wear in rough and fast conditions. Continuous inside rib helps this tire achieve stability and response on a straight road, while the center and outer ribs with sipes and notches improve the tire grip and traction on wet and dry road conditions.
With the help of wide and soft shoulders, the corners are smoothly driven and a comfortable and quiet ride is possible. With open shoulders and circumferential grooves, the tire achieves proper results in wet conditions.
Assurance and warranty
The tire comes with a 30K miles treadwear warranty, and this warranty can anytime be voided if you take this below 20F. The tire features a summer compound that is sensitive to freezing conditions, and wearoff is possible in low temperatures.
Although the tire comes with 30K miles, it is quite hard to get the full value out of its tread, especially if you drive regularly on fast track and demanding conditions. The treadwear performance is awesome, the tire keeps performing till its very last breath. If you rarely drive on fast tracks and regularly drive in normal to medium conditions, then this tire will also achieve more than its warranty period. So the treadwear totally depends on the driving conditions.
Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 specification
This is a European-manufactured tire, with some variants manufactured in Germany, Portugal, Venezuela, and other countries of Europe. The treadwear rating of ExtremeContact Sport 02 is 340, which is low, still, it is more than standard in the max performance category. The perfect AA and A ratings in traction and temperature make it a responsive and cool tire for summer conditions.
The tire is not good with carrying weights it ranges between 1202 to 2094, Anyway, nobody wants to carry heavy loads on these tires. The speed ratings are also great, it ranges from 168 to 186 mph depending on the size and variants. With a great tread depth of 10/32, it is a reliable and durable tire to drive on dry and wet roads.
Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 performance
The tire shines the best in dry conditions. The responsive drive with proper traction and grip makes it an enjoyable and reliable tire to drive on summer highways, tracks, and roads. On dry tracks, the cornering and turn are very easy to cover, even at the high pace drive, with that, a quick acceleration and short brakes make it an overall perfect tire for summer fast drives and responsive drives on city and highways.
When it comes to wet conditions, the tire is also perfect there as well. The drivers reviewed this tire better performer in wet conditions than Pilot Sport 4S. Due to the unique tread design, and compounds, the tire grips perfectly in wet conditions. The hydroplane is impossible at normal speeds, however, at faster paces or deeper waters, any tire will hydroplane. The brakes are also great in rainy seasons. Overall the tire never goes out of control in wet condition, which is why the tire has been reviewed so positively since its inception.
With great performance, the drive quality of this Continental tire is also great as well. It is one of the most comfortable tires in the max performance category by far now. The cabin comfort, low bumpy rides, and noiseless tread make it a luxury tire to drive as well in dry and wet conditions.
Some alternative Options
There are some of the alternative options that you can choose with your sporty vehicles. All of these tires are top-rated and some of the best tires available in the market for high-performance driving.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S
This tire requires no introduction, it has been one of the top tires in the max performance tires category for a long time. However, after the introduction of Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02, the stats might change. Compared to the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, this Continental tire is better when it comes to comfortable drives and better results in wet conditions, at lower rates. However, when it comes to better dry traction and a more responsive feel, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is still a little better tire.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Compared to the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, the Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 is an overall better performer in summer conditions, more durable, and more responsive as well. The only good thing that attracts buyers toward this Firestone tire is its price range. As the difference in performance is not too big, this tire saves more than $200 on a set of tires.
Bridgestone Potenza Sport
Similarly, compared to the Bridgestone Potenza Sport, the Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 is a better tire overall, when it comes to traction and grip, drive quality, and durability. Similar to the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, this Bridgestone tire is a lot cheaper option and not so different in performance from the Continental tire, it is even cheaper than the Firestone tire. So if you want to save some money, then go with these options, otherwise, a real joy to drive your sporty vehicle will only be achieved with this Continental tire.
Final words
As you can see in this review, the Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 is made up of some of the best technologies, delivers one of the best performances in every metric of summer conditions, and is also less expensive than the Pilot Sport 4S. So with this tire, you will get a durable ride, the highest standard of performance, and comfortable and quiet rides as well in dry and wet conditions all year round.
references
https://continentaltire.com/tires/extremecontact-sport-02
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/continental-extremecontact-sport-02
