• WinterContact TS 850 P wins through with “strong overall performance”
• Ten 225/45 R 18 V tires in test
• New Semperit Speed-Grip 3 finishes third with best performance on snow

With their tire test published in issue 20/17, the editorial team at auto motor und sport (AMS) kicked off this year’s series of winter tire tests. Among a line-up of ten tires, the WinterContact TS 850 P from Continental finished in first place, while the new Speed-Grip 3 from the Group’s Semperit brand came third, thanks to a top performance on snow. On test were 225/45 R 18 V tires from European, U.S. and Asian brands, fitted to a BMW 430i Gran Coupé. The results brought the Continental tire the only “highly recommended” rating, while three products were rated “recommended” and six others scored only “moderately recommended” or “conditionally recommended” ratings.

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Summing up the performance of the WinterContact TS 850 P, the journalists wrote: “very good balance on snow, supremely stable in the wet, impressive and sporty performance on dry asphalt.” The Continental tire was also able to score strongly in the individual categories: In “subjective handling on snow” for example, it scored the highest marks of any tire, while also dominating four of the six wet driving categories and turning in a top performance in the dry. The experts from AMS also had good things to say about the Semperit Speed-Grip 3: “Supreme traction and superior braking on snow, as well as safe dynamic handling on corners, even in the wet”, they wrote.