When it comes to tires, let’s admit it, cheap is where most of us go — not all the way to ‘dirt’ level but, well, you know what I mean. If you’ve got 5 minutes, Michelin may be able to save you a tank of gas and even a life or two with its newest tires, the all-new Primacy 4. They claim it to be ‘safe when new’ (just like everybody else), but they say it’s also safe, maybe even safer, when worn. EverGrip Technology In 2015, Michelin debuted EverGrip Technology in the Premier A/S tire, which now forms the foundation of the all-new Primacy 4. The ‘self-regenerating’ tread pattern has grooves that are invisible when brand-new, but emerge as the tire wears down; second, the rain grooves widen the more it is used instead of narrowing; and finally, a compound with increased amounts of silica and sunflower oil contribute to improved handling and higher grip on wet surfaces by evacuating 50-percent more water than tires without EverGrip. New rubber compound Having more silica and sunflower oil doesn’t automatically make for greater performance. The trick is to bind them properly in the rubber chain. Imagine the silica as loose molecules floating around the rubber chain strands. To ensure that the silica is evenly distributed all throughout the tire for optimum contact, Michelin introduced an ‘active bonding element’ to connect each silica molecule to the rubber chain strands for better spacing. New sculpture Primacy 4 gets a more squared lateral surface so that it gets a wider contact patch with the road compared to other brands. This way, it gets 22-percent more tread pattern connected to the road for a more balanced distribution of the contact patch, which in turn provides precise and progressive steering response — whether in brand new or worn condition. The tire’s new design also addresses sound radiation and harshness with the addition of the Silent Rib Gen 2. These are interlocking bands found in between the tread blocks that prevent them from deforming and producing unwanted sound that creeps into the cabin. This makes for a ride that’s quieter ride by 0.3dB, even when compared to Primacy 3. Testing Primacy 4 During brake testing from 80-0 kph, new Primacy 4 tires stopped at 25.5 meters from the braking point, worn Primacy 4 tires 29.3 meters. The competition? Brand A new stopped at 27.1 meters, worn at 33 meters, and Brand B new at 30.9 meters and worn at 39.3 meters. Versus its Primacy 3, grip is better by 3-percent and in brake testing from 70-0 kph. Primacy 4 was better when new by 3.1-percent and worn by 4.9-percent (dry road); and new by 1.3-percent and worn by 5.2-percent (wet road). Better safe than sorry The figures above show how shorter braking distance increases the level of safety for driver/passenger, but there are several other factors that have been positively affected by features of Michelin’s newest tire. Most recommend tire replacement as soon as tread depth reaches 2 mm (minimum legal tread depth in most countries is 1.6 mm). Michelin aims to change this way of thinking with tires that are ‘safe when new, safe when worn’ to extend tire lifespan and save more than 400 million tires and reduce the 35 million tons of CO2 emitted during production. It’s easy to claim a high level of safety (and efficiency) when tires are new, but with the all-new Primacy 4, Michelin guarantees safety, whether it’s new or worn. Text and photos by Eric Tipan