Michelin debuts Pilot Sport 4 S at Detroit auto show

Detroit, Michigan – Michelin's newest ultra-high-performance tire – the Pilot Sport 4 S – will be available in North America starting in March, the company disclosed today at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The tires will come in 35 sizes, with prices starting at $233 (€221).

The product succeeds the Pilot Super Sport, which has been on the market since 2011, and combines the best attributes of the Super Sport and the competition-tuned Pilot Sport Cup 2, Michelin CEO Jean-Dominique Senard told a press gathering at the NAIAS.

The Pilot Sport 4 S offers "unprecedented" driving pleasure, Michelin said, exceptional steering precision and tremendous directional stability, while also providing maximum grip on wet or dry roads.

The Pilot Sport 4 S bears is Y speed rated (186+ mph) and offers a 30,000-mile limited treadwear warranty. The product line initially includes 35 sizes, in widths ranging from 225mm to 345mm, aspect ratios from 30 to 45, and rim diameters from 18 to 20 inches.

Senard noted the new tire is being considered for more than 60 OE fitments on a variety of high-performance vehicles globally.

"When manufacturers design and build the greatest cars, they overwhelmingly choose Michelin and the Pilot tire line to connect them with the pavement and enable the very spirit of the machine," Senard said.

Senard also noted the tire owes many of its performance characteristics to information gleaned from Michelin's endurance racing efforts, with construction methods and materials directly developed for competition.

The tire's aesthetic design complements the vehicles it fits, Michelin said, with its patented velvet sidewall branding and a rim protector that will help avoid contact between the wheel rim and curb.

The Pilot Sport 4 S will be produced at Michelin plants in Greenville, South Carolina, and Clermont-Ferrand, France.