Michelin is the first choice for leading performance car manufacturers

Top of the league

To be the best of the best, every detail has to be perfect. Every material, every component, even the nuts and bolts, need to exude excellence. The tiniest details of these machines are designed with performance in mind. And for any high-performance production car, the tyres are especially critical.

There are various ways in which performance can be measured, including handling, acceleration and lap times. But one thing that’s always important is top speed. This category is extremely competitive and the rankings change frequently with manufacturers eager to put their latest models to the test in pursuit of the coveted top spot.

Speed record holders

Currently, the holy grail for production cars (defined as mass-produced and street-legal cars) is the 300mph or 482.8km/h mark. There is only one production car that’s theoretically capable of reaching this speed with an anticipated – although at the time of writing, still untested – top speed of 301mph (484.4km/h): Hennessey Venom F5. However, there is still some controversy about whether the Venom F5 qualifies as a production car since only a handful were scheduled to be built in 2019.

Bugatti has long been eyeing the 300mph milestone and for a while, it did hold the speed record with the famous Veyron. But after it was overtaken by the SSC Ultimate Aero, Bugatti tweaked the Veyron to produce the Veyron Super Sport, which has achieved a top speed of 268mph (431km/h).

The official performance car speed record belongs to the Swedish manufacturer, Koenigsegg. In 2017, the Agera RS topped 278mph (447km/h) – the average calculated between two runs. For now, Koenigsegg is firmly holding onto that feat.

Why Michelin?

Each of these manufacturers chooses Michelin, and these speed records would simply not have been possible without our innovations. In fact, we have collaborative relationships with these manufacturers that go back a long way because we share a history of developing technologies and setting records together.

“Michelin has been the sole tyre supplier to Koenigsegg right from our first production car in 2002,” says its founder, Christian von Koenigsegg. “We have tested many different tyre brands since then, but none have ever come close to the quality and performance that Michelin offers.”

If you’re fortunate enough to own a monster like the Koenigsegg Agera RS, then the Michelin Pilot Super Sport would be the perfect match for this hypercar.

However, we aim to incorporate the lessons learnt at this level of motorsport into all the tyres we offer to the public by balancing performance with safety. The entire Pilot Sport range passes its cutting-edge excellence on to the consumer market for high-performance tuning cars, passenger vehicles and SUVs alike.

Learn more about the Michelin Pilot Sport range here.