Michelin XVS

Michelin XVS: Design

The XVS is a development on the prior XAS, which was the first asymmetrical tire. It was released in 1972 in an attempt to catch up with the increase in speed of vehicles in that era. The XAS' asymmetry is still an integral part of the tire, keeping it's technology of improving the separate aspects of different areas of tire on the inside and the out. However newly implemented separated shoulder designs make the tire capable of facing the major high speed constraints on winding roads though. To reduce road noise, the implementation of a variable-pitch tread was included, a design feature that was important to consider on the newer, faster sports cars that had XVS tires fitted to them. Another feature important to these cars was the new speed capability with the XVS, reaching up to 149 mph (200 Km/H), a speed code of V, however do note that not all sizes are in the X speed rating, but are still just as brilliant of a tire in the H rating.

Michelin XVS: History

With cars getting faster as the 70's started, the XAS and ZX were having trouble keeping up with the speed of the new cars being produced, so a new Asymmetrical tire was needed to suit the cars of the 70's. The XVS was designed to provide high-performance grip levels for cars with the aforementioned V speed code capability.