French Tire Company Supplies Tires For German Porsche Cayenne

Michelin and Porsche team up for excellent customer experience

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 19 -- The soul of a performance tire with the brute strength of a 4x4 truck tire -- that is what the Michelin(R) 20-inch Diamaris(R) tire delivers for the Porsche Cayenne S and Turbo. The first SUV offering from Porsche, the Cayenne is a true high performance vehicle.

The Porsche Cayenne is the first SUV that can go 165 mph. And, the Michelin Diamaris tire is rated to 180 mph, with superior handling and excellent traction as well as the load carrying capacity demanded by an SUV tire. Approached from the perspective of a sports car, rather than a truck, the Porsche Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo will deliver the performance Porsche owners and drivers have come to expect, but in the shape of an SUV.

"The Michelin Diamaris tires are some very, very serious rubber," said Tom Chubb, vice president of marketing, Michelin Automotive Industry Division. "We've used the same tread compound strategy as our Michelin(R) Pilot(R) Sport 2 tires that will outfit the upcoming Carerra GT. The result is an unheard of performance capability for an SUV tire."

Michelin and Porsche worked closely together to develop the perfect tire fit for the unique demands of the Cayenne. The tires are a rare and powerful blend of cornering power, high-speed capability and load carrying capacity. The Michelin 4x4 Diamaris tires also combine awe-inspiring dry road performance with excellent wet cornering and braking characteristics. In addition, the tires are tuned for the Cayenne to deliver maximum ride comfort while minimizing road noise.

The Michelin(R) Diamaris(R) tires work hand-in-hand with the Cayenne's suspension system to deliver comfort and performance. The Porsche Cayenne uses Porsche Traction Management (PTM), a permanent all-wheel drive capability that balances the power delivered between the front and rear wheels. Continuously adapting to changing road conditions, PTM ensures optimum traction and driving dynamics. The Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system continuously modifies the damping force on all four wheels to compensate for steering inputs and the nature of the road.

The Michelin and Porsche Cayenne partnership is an extension of a relationship that Michelin and Porsche have developed for street and competition tires. This formal, international technical and marketing partnership is one of only two such partnerships that Porsche has forged (the second is Mobil Oil). It includes programs such as production vehicle tires and joint international motorsports programs including the American LeMans Series (ALMS) and the Porsche Michelin SuperCup (PMSC).

"Michelin and Porsche have a shared passion for ultra-high performance," Chubb said. "By working together our goal is to make the Porsche ownership experience better than ever."

Other Porsche vehicles fitted with Michelin tires include the Porsche 911, GT2, GT3 and Boxster, which ride on Michelin(R) Pilot(R) Sport performance street tires. The Porsche 911, 928, 968, 944 and Boxster also are fitted with Michelin Pilot SX MXX3 tires for the ultimate in wet and dry performance.

The leader in customer satisfaction with more J.D. Power & Associates Awards than all other tire manufacturers combined, Michelin manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks and the space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, maps and atlases covering Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America (www.michelin.com ) employs 25,900 and operates 22 plants in 18 locations.