Founded in 1871 as Continental-Caoutchouc und Gutta-Percha Compagnie in the German city of Hanover, Continental is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. The auto parts company started as a rubber manufacturer, and Continental still makes tires under many brands.
“Continental Tire Celebrates 150 Years!” is one of many ads that celebrate the company’s illustrious history, but curiously enough, this ad stars the eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. As the headline implies, the C8 is factory equipped with Michelin tires instead of Continentals.
On the one hand, this may be an honest mistake on the German company’s part. But on the other hand, Continental may be trying to woo General Motors away from Michelin through Lingenfelter. I am referring to the Lingenfelter C8 Corvette previewed in October 2020, which features Extreme Contact on all corners instead of the standard model’s Pilot Sport All Season 4. As far as the Z51 is concerned, this variant normally flaunts the performance-oriented Pilot Sport 4 S that’s not suitable in wet or in cold conditions.
Even the Z06 features Michelins, and the same can be said about the upcoming E-Ray. As a brief refresher, the Corvette E-Ray is basically a blend of the wide-bodied Z06 with the small-block V8 of the Stingray and some kind of hybrid assistance. The most likely outcome is a front-mounted electric motor that would revolutionize the Corvette with all-wheel drive.
Turning out attention back to Continental, the German tire manufacturer is currently looking to expand its OEM business. The Ford Ranger Raptor comes to mind, which switched from BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2s to General Grabber AT3s back in January 2021. In addition to more affordable pricing, General Grabber AT3s are produced in South Africa, where the Ford Motor Company makes the bi-turbo diesel Ranger Raptor off-road pickup.
On that note, have you ever wondered which is the largest tire manufacturer in the world? Believe it or not, the Danish toy company LEGO holds that title.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News