Hankook Tire will equip the latest version of the Porsche Panamera with the Hankook Ventus S1 evo Z, its new Ultra Ultra High Performance (UUHP) tread. Bespoke Ventus S1 evo Z tires are used in sizes 265/45 ZR19 105Y XL ND0 for the front axle and 295/40 ZR19 108Y XL ND0 for the rear axle, or 275/40 ZR20 (106Y) XL ND0 at the front and 315/35 ZR20 (110Y) XL ND0 at the rear, depending on the model or the customer’s request.
In addition to the customary release tests, these tires were also extensively tested at maximum speed on the legendary German Nürburgring Nordschleife racetrack. This ensures that the tire construction is particularly robust and able to cope with sporty demands at all times.
“The Porsche Panamera is a high-performing, four-passenger sports car with outstanding comfort,” said Sanghoon Lee, president of Hankook Tire Europe. “As such, we are very pleased to be the first to equip this model, as it shows that our products are extremely competitive even in the high-end segment. Additional tires for future Porsche models are already in development at Hankook.”
The Hankook Ventus S1 evo Z was developed specifically for the high-end vehicle segment, which is particularly demanding when it comes to tires, the company says. To meet these demands, the Ventus S1 evo Z is equipped with an aramid composite material in a double-layer carcass, preventing deformations that would increase the rolling circumference and result in less precise driving behavior at high speeds, despite the heat development that can occur during heavy use. According to Hankook, Aramid fibers are extremely heat-resistant and are characterized by their high strength as well as good damping properties with a low weight relative to their size. High-strength steel in the belt and bead areas gives the new Hankook tread additional stability. Combined with the reinforced sidewall, this ensures stability on the straights and steering precision at high and maximum speeds as well as sporty, dynamic handling.
“Our new Ventus S1 evo Z has been specifically developed to ensure high performance of premium segment sports cars across various conditions,” said Klaus Krause, head of Hankook’s European Research and Development Centre. “These tires support the excellent dynamics and comfort of the Porsche Panamera, allowing both the driver and the passengers to travel as comfortably as possible.”
Another focus when developing the Ventus S1 evo Z was high grip in different weather conditions. The tread compound used is similar to those used in motorsport to ensure optimal interaction between fillers, silica and natural resins. In addition, the compound includes the latest generation of functionally designed polymers, which ensures a consistently high grip across a wide range of applications. The compound technology used in production also originates from Hankook’s racing tire development, which uses smaller production volumes and material batches. These are processed over significantly longer periods of time in a way that protects the materials used in the compound.
As is usual with particularly sporty tires, the Hankook Ventus S1 evo Z also uses an asymmetrically designed tread pattern with a focus on sporty handling behavior. The arrangement of the individual tread blocks in relation to each other was developed to ensure optimum block stiffness in various driving situations. Three main drainage grooves positioned in the inner tread area of the wheel ensure water is drained rapidly on wet roads. In addition, special attention has been paid to the outer tread area of the tire, where a significantly increased tread-positive proportion considers the requirements for high-performance cornering and precise lateral guidance, especially for very sporty driving in dry conditions.
The new Hankook Ventus S1 evo Z is currently used as original equipment by leading premium manufacturers on predominantly sporty cars, and will be available in 15 sizes ranging from 19 to 21 inches with tread widths between 225 and 315 mm in cross-sections from the 45 to 30 series. In the coming year, additional sizes will further complement the line-up, especially in the high-end range.
