Continental takes world speed record
Continental has entered the Guinness Book of World Records with a top speed of 242 mph (388 km/h). We're definitely not talking about the behemoth Bentley, as powerful as it is. The record now officially belongs to Continental Tires for its ContiSportContact Vmax, which has been officially certified by those stout-chugging judges as the world's fastest production road tire.
The rubber was tested on the 9ff-modified Porsche 911 that took the world record for the fastest street-legal road car. A custom 9ff cabrio also took the record for the world's fastest convertible with a high end of 237.8 mph (380.5 km/h). Both cars are owned by 9ff chief Jan Fatthauer, and the top speed runs were certified by Guinness.
If you're thinking that the Bugatti Veyron (and the purpose-made Michelin rubber on its wheels) can hit a higher speed, you may be right, but the Veyron has yet to try for the official record, and its tires were specially made for the Bugatti, while the Continentals are offered to the public as standard production road tires. As much as the car's own capabilities, how it makes contact with the road (i.e., its tires) often dictates a car's limits. Just keeping the tires from melting (as they do on the Veyron after just 12 minutes at its 253-mph top speed) is a feat in and of itself.
[Source: Motor Authority]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
nagmashot 8:48AM (7/03/2007)
stupid to claim Gunisses book records as the only officles...
There are several cars which did officle watched records runs..shit on Guniess book
At Ehra Lessien the Bugatti Veyron made a lot officle watched and certifed top speed runs watched and observed by the German TÜV..the same guys that took the speed of the 9ff at Nardo.. with the only different that there was a guy from Guiness book watching it.
The OFFICLE watched topspeed runs at Ehra Lessien
1997 McLaren F1 240.1mph
2003 Dauer Porsche 962LeMans 252mph
2005 Bugatti Veyron 253mph
since the first run the Veyron reached the speed at least 2 times in front of running TV cam... BBS Topgear and auto motor und sport TV.
The fastest officle watch car is the world record holder... not a claimed by a book car..
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Naysayer 10:18AM (7/03/2007)
Are officles the same thing as icicles?
Viv 10:26AM (7/03/2007)
Read the article before ranting. It is talking about tires not cars. Jeez
Don 3:26PM (7/03/2007)
Whew. That was close. If he wrote "officle" one more time I was going to go postal.
nagmashot 8:49AM (7/03/2007)
BBC sorry not BBS
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bmoredlj 8:55AM (7/03/2007)
"Officiality" be damned. I know of at least two people (Csaba Csere and James May) who went 253 mph in the Veyron. I have no doubt they went 253 mph; I have no reason to believe they'd say they were going faster than they were. In May's case, I witnessed a speedometer reading 407 km/h. The car was designed to go 253, and it does. Every time. You just need a huge straightaway.
I don't know who bestowed a brewery (mind you, a good one) with the absolute power to ascertain official records from bogus ones, but they've been wrong before and they're wrong here. The Veyron is the fastest; you know it, I know it. To borrow my city's motto (and a Guinness slogan from the 90s): BELIEVE.
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MikeW 7:08PM (7/03/2007)
In top speed mode, you can get from 0-~225mph in one mile. Then another mile to get to top speed. Then another mile to stop (not that it needs more than a 1/4 mile to stop from 240) But you just roll off, tap the brakes to return to handling mode (higher drag), and coast to cool off the car. (and lower your pulse)
Andrew 8:58AM (7/03/2007)
this isn't for the overall land speed record, this is for production tires rated for specific speeds (if my understanding is correct) - these continentals are rated for 242mph, which is higher than any other production tire. this is *not* for "what is the fastest speed posted by a production vehicle"
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Jugo 9:55AM (7/03/2007)
That would involve them actually reading the article.
242mph on retail tires is pretty nice.
Mallory 9:00AM (7/03/2007)
That must be one fast Lincoln.
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calebe 9:28AM (7/03/2007)
Have any of you owned Continental tires?
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Guenther 10:03AM (7/03/2007)
I've owned plenty of Generals- made by Conti. Never been disappointed. Never had a performance tire from them however. Looking at reviews at Tirerack, people seem pretty happy though.
dailyCarVideos 4:46PM (7/03/2007)
here's the Top Gear 253mph run video (2nd):
http://dailycarvideos.com/2007/06/29/power-of-bugatti-veyron/
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