I was invited by my good buddy Bib [the Michelin Man] to test drive the brand new Michelin Premier® All-Season Tire with EverGrip™ down in South Carolina March 2014 at the Laurens Proving Test Track. All the test driving was done on a ‘wet-track’ that simulated driving through a torrential downpour.
With the windshield wipers on high, I drove very aggressively through very sharp curves, around cones and slammed on the brakes a lot. We compared these tires to various other top named brands driving a variety of vehicles: Cadillac, Camry, Sienna Van and a BMW. This new Michelin tire handled the extremely wet roads superbly.
All tires wear out over time. As they lose tread, they also lose their gripping ability in wet conditions. This causes an increase in the stopping distance and the likelihood to hydroplane. I was able to experience this first hand driving on the ‘wet-track’. A number of times my car spun out. It was exciting and fun – but only because it was in a safe environment. It would have been a scary and maybe a deadly experience if I was driving on the curvy, hilly roads of Vermont.
According to a 2012 NHTSA Rep ort “when roads are wet, you are more than two times as likely to have an accident as when they are dry.”
Michelin has created a revolutionary new tread design that addresses the problem of wet roads and tires that are losing their all-important treads and grooves as they wear.
The MICHELIN Premier® All-Season Tire with EverGrip™ has rain grooves that widen as they wear down. It also has a special set of grooves hidden beneath the surface that emerge as the outer layers wear. The result is a tire that can continue to channel water away at an incredible rate even as the grooves become more shallow.
SAFE WHEN NEW
SAFE WHEN WORN
- Shorter Stopping: Stops shorter on wet roads (even when 1/2 worn) then leading competitor’s band new tires.
- Reduced Hydroplaning: Grooves widen and open up as the tire wears. This maintains excellent traction!
- Increased Grip: Extreme amounts of silica have been added to the recipe of this tire. This gives it incredible wet grip for everyday handling.
- REMEMBER: Brakes stop the wheels of your car.
Only the TIRES stop your car!