Continental ExtremeContact Sport vs ExtremeContact Force: When you think of a top max performance tire you might recall the Michelin’s Pilot Sport 4S and also Continental’s newly launched ExtremeContact Sport. These are indeed household names which have been dominating the max performance summer segments. What if you would like something more? A tire which is legally allowed on the road but still able to have the characteristic of a track tire.
Continental’s answer to that is the ExtremeContact Force. This tire only has one goal in mind which is to deliver the best dry performance tire either on the track or on the road. As done previously with our Michelin semi slick showdown, we will pit this 200 UTQG tread wear tire against Continental’s own max performance summer tire ExtremeContact Sport. ExtremeContact Force was launched in 2021 with the main focus on the semi slick track segment while ExtremeContact Sport was launched in 2016 with the max performance segment in mind.
Table of Contents
Results
Results below were taken from Tyre Review’s UHP All Season vs UHP vs 200tw Track Tire Test. A total of 3 tires were tested this time on Continental’s Uvalde track in Texas. The graph below shows the comparison between Continental ExtremeContact Sport vs ExtremeContact Force based on the relevant performance category. The ExtremeContact Sport was set as a reference hence at the 100% mark.
Note that for subjective evaluation, we equate 1 point as 5%. Hence for example if tire A is graded 7 while tire B is graded 6, A is better than B by 5%. The tire size of interest is 235/35 R19 which is a common tire size for Audi R8 & Volkswagen Golf R. You can check out our latest tire size table for more information. The testing vehicle is a Ford Focus ST which is a very fast car relative to its size.
Dry
When it comes to dry performances, it is essentially everything ExtremeContact Force was built for. With an eye on the prestigious semi-slick track day segment, we do expect ExtremeContact Force to be dominant in dry compared to the ExtremeContact Sport. This was proven true as ExtremeContact Force was better in dry braking compared to ExtremeContact Sport with a braking distance advantage of 5.2 feet (1.6m).
In the dry handling category ExtremeContact Sport was 2nd best as it was 2.7 seconds off the ExtremeContact Force’s lap time. While the lap times clearly favor ExtremeContact Force it is important also to note some of the subjective dry handling feedback from the driver.
ExtremeContact Sport:
Relative to DWS06 + , braking and steering was a little bit more sharper & stable. Dug in more in the brakes with fine turning capabilities
Test driver feedback on ExtremeContact Sport
ExtremeContact Force:
In comparison to ExtremeContact Sport, 3 to 4 points better. Once tires are heated up, it connects to the road and sticks on the track around the corner. Fast on centered response as grip was the highest during cornering.
Test driver feedback on ExtremeContact Force
Overall it was clear from the start that ExtremeContact Force with it laser eye focus on dry performances will dominate and did so quite convincingly.
ExtremeContact Force:
- +4.2% in dry braking
- +3% in dry handling (lap time)
Wet
The friction of coefficient of the tire/road dramatically decreases in wet roads compared to dry roads. Hence it is more likely to get into a road accident during wet conditions rather than on a sunny day. It was so important that the EU label has wet braking as one of its three criteria. With regards to our comparison, ExtremeContact Sport was totally blazing when it came to wet braking as it managed to out-brake the ExtremeContact Force by 14.8 feet (4.5m).
In the wet handling category, ExtremeContact Force was 2.3 seconds off the ExtremeContact Sport’s lap time. Based on the driver’s feedback, ExtremeContact Force did experience instances of micro hydroplaning which undermine the steering capability throughout the track. The disadvantage in not being able to disperse water quickly can be clearly seen in the hydroplaning test as ExtremeContact Force managed a slip speed of 63.9 km/h compared to the 68.5 km/h of ExtremeContact Sport.
Oveall no surprises here as ExtremeContact Sport clearly has the upper hand in the wet as it was one of its main requirements.
ExtremeContact Force:
- -13.5% in wet braking
- -3.2% in wet handling (lap time)
- -6.7% in straight hydroplaning
Noise & Comfort
The biggest difference comes in terms of subjective noise & comfort as the ExtremeContact Sport is more focused on daily usage while ExtremeContact Force has a track day focus which has noise & comfort relatively low rank in their requirement book. In noise ExtremeContact Sport did better with a subjective rating of 9/10 compared to 7/10 of ExtremeContact Force. While in comfort ExtremeContact Sport came out ahead with a 9/10 relative to the 7/10 rating of ExtremeContact Force.
ExtremeContact Force:
- -15% in noise (subjective)
- -10% in comfort (subjective)
UTQG rating
We have previously shown that UTQG tread wear rating can be a good indication of your expected mileage. Below are the UTQG values of both of the tirelines.
| Brand | Tireline | Size | Tread Wear | Traction | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental | ExtremeContact Sport | All | 340 | AA | A |
| Continental | ExtremeContact Force | All | 200 | A | A |
The mileage warranty for ExtremeContact Sport is 30,000 miles while ExtremeContact Force does not provide any as it is a track day tire. However, based on the UTQG tread wear values, we can safely assume that the 340 rating of ExtremeContact Sport will provide a higher expected mileage compared to the ExtremeContact Force which has a 200 rating. For more in depth information about UTQG, please check out this article here. We even have a free download on the latest UTQG values from the leading tire manufacturers.
Price
ExtremeContact Force was found to be 62 dollars more expensive compared to the ExtremeContact Sport. This is aligned with our expectation as the market volume of each tire’s respective segment differs. ExtremeContact Force being a track day segment tire will have significantly less volume compared to ExtremeContact Sport which serves the normal road users.
Tire size: 235/35 R19
ExtremeContact Sport: $269
ExtremeContact Force: $331
Difference: +19% more expensive for ExtremeContact Force.
Summary
Overall, both tires demonstrated clear strengths on different conditions. ExtremeContact Force was strong in dry especially handling while ExtremeContact Sport excels in wet, noise/comfort & wear. From our point of view, there is no clear winner in this duel and it really depends which requirements (wet or dry) from your side dominate more.