Continental Tires brought us to Barcelona, Spain, for two days of driving that would take us from muddy off-road trails to a challenging race circuit.
The goal? To experience the breadth of the company's tyre lineup in the environments they were designed for.
Continental Tires GO-ALL-OUT event in Barcelona, Spain
The aptly named GO-ALL-OUT event is what Continental Tires has invited us to attend in Spain this year. While my past trips with the brand have brought me to its high-tech testing facility, the Contidrom, near Hannover, Germany, this time around, there's a change in venue with good reason.
One of the highlights of the event was the launch of the new Continental CrossContact A/T2 all-terrain tyres, along with demonstrations and first-hand experiences with the tyre.
To fully demonstrate these off-road-capable tyres, Continental chose to hold the event at Les Comes - an 800-hectare dedicated facility with 80km of off-road trails and tracks. We've been told that Les Comes is the chosen location for many manufacturers and Dakar race teams, including JLR, which regularly develops the Defenders on the premises of Les Comes due to the unique challenges that the courses present.
Put to the test: Continental CrossContact A/T2
The Continental CrossContact A/T2 is the brand's latest all-terrain tyre, designed for SUVs and pick-up trucks that are used across a variety of terrains and weather conditions.
All-terrain tyres are typically the most off-road-focused options suitable for daily-driven vehicles. While they are designed to balance on- and off-road performance, achieving both often involves compromise.
However, the CrossContact A/T2 has been specially developed to offer a great balance of traction, durability and grip in all conditions without compromise.
Off-road, high-speed, mud and rock-crawling
On the first segment of the day at Les Comes, the participants got to drive Land Rover Defenders equipped with the CrossContact A/T2 tyres on a 2.5-hour route, which included traversing through sharp rocks, loose surfaces, along with climbs and dips.
Throughout the experience, the tyres' strengths were immediately apparent. Being less than proficient off-road myself, there were moments when I was too aggressive on the throttle, and the tyres held on well enough to propel the car forward without much drama.
While driving the Defender highlighted the tyres' all-round capability, the mud section revealed something more impressive. Even after ploughing through thick mud, the tread blocks cleared themselves remarkably quickly, allowing the tyres to regain traction almost immediately.
The most memorable experiences at Les Comes, however, were the off-road race buggy taxi ride, as well as the rock-crawling demonstration. For the former, we got a taxi ride inside a purpose-built off-road buggy, which was fitted with the same CrossContact A/T2 tyres - despite the abuse from high-speed slides and repeated jumps, the tyres never seemed fazed, maintaining traction and stability throughout the ride.
The rock-crawl demonstration was yet another eye-opener. With the tyres fitted on a modified classic Defender, we huddled around a challenging rock-crawling course, and witnessed the tyres grabbing onto the smooth rock faces, propelling the vehicle as it contorts its suspension all the way up the course.
Track experience at Parcmotor Castelloli
Having spent the first day getting dirty in the mountains surrounding Les Comes, Day Two shifted the focus completely. It was now time to see how Continental's road-focused performance tyres performed on a race circuit - enter Parcmotor Castelloli.
Parcmotor Castelloli is a motorsports park that consists of various tracks and other facilities. But for us, the attraction was the main circuit - a 4.14km circuit with exciting elevation changes and demanding corners, a prime venue for some serious driving.
Over here, we got to experience tyres that we were already rather familiar with, including the Continental SportContact 7 Ultra-high performance tyre and the MaxContact MC7, a sporty tyre that was introduced just two years ago.
In all, there were a total of four exercises to complete: a tyre comparison experience, a gymkhana challenge, a race taxi ride, along with a track experience with various performance cars to choose from.
A subjective tyre comparison test
Having been to Contidrom where tyre tests were conducted, I do know a thing or two about the process. Tyre testing is split into two main forms - objective, factual and data-driven tests such as measuring braking distance, along with subjective tests that rely on the professional test drivers' feedback.
The agenda of the first activity was to put us in the shoes of those professional drivers. Driving identical BMW 230i models that are equipped with the SportContact 7 and a comparison tyre, we were taken on a convoy drive on the main circuit. It wasn't a time attack challenge, or a race of any sort - instead, we were tasked to discover the differences.
Through a series of driving exercises, including slaloms and fast cornering, the SportContact 7 consistently inspired more confidence behind the wheel. When pitted against the competitor, the Continental tyre exhibited better centre feel, a more gradual breakaway characteristic, along with slightly better grip, making it easier to understand how much grip remained available as speeds increased.
Nothing better than a competition to kick into high gear
I guess if you want the limits to be pushed, there is nothing better than having a friendly competition. The gymkhana segment was devised as a competition, with the media tasked to bring the Toyota GR Yaris, on MC7 tyres, around the course as quickly as we could.
This was a great call, as all of us wrestled through the course, albeit some with more finesse than others, which made for quite an experience with the tyres. Despite being a sporty tyre that's designed to improve your everyday drive, along with excellent noise and comfort characteristics, the MaxContact MC7 did not disappoint on the tight and technical course, allowing swift direction changes and excellent feedback.
Running alongside the gymkhana was a taxi ride in a race-prepped Porsche 718 fitted with SportContact 7 tyres, showing us what the tyres are capable of in the hands of a professional.
A track session with some fun cars to complete the experience
Our last activity at Parcmotor Castelloli was a track-driving session featuring an impressive selection of high-performance machines. We were allowed to pick from a roster including the Audi RS3, BMW M3, BMW M3 Touring, Chevrolet Corvette, Honda Civic Type R, Mercedes-Benz C63 and the Toyota Supra.
To experience as much variety as possible, and admittedly to satisfy my desire to drive a left-hand drive manual-transmission car, I opted for a front-wheel drive (the only manual car on the roster), rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive model during the session.
With the reassuring grip from the tyres and their gradual, confidence-inspiring feedback, there was nothing holding us back from exploring our own limits and the track's. While the vastly different drivetrains resulted in distinct driving characteristics, the tyres consistently delivered clear and predictable feedback that complemented each car's personality.
In all, it was not only a great opportunity to get a feel of these amazing tyres, but also an excellent learning experience under the guidance of the capable instructors.
We definitely went all-out with Continental
Continental Tires has once again managed to organise an eye-opening and thoroughly enjoyable event. More importantly, the event highlighted just how broad Continental's tyre portfolio has become.
From tackling rocky off-road trails in a Defender to enduring repeated laps of a demanding circuit, the tyres consistently demonstrated the characteristics they were designed to deliver. And after two days of putting them through their paces, it's difficult not to come away impressed.
