Continental Tyre PJ Malaysia Sdn Bhd has just launched two of their latest Malaysian-designed tyres – the Dunlop Formula D05 and Dunlop SP Sport J5. The tyres have been meticulously engineered to deliver superior grip performance in wet conditions, and they both make for a combined total of 45 rubbers of varying profiles.
One of the two tyres launched, as mentioned earlier, is the SP Sport J5. Offered in sizes ranging from 12 to 15 inches with up to 17 series profiles (refer to table below), its grooves, sipes and tie-bar design is engineered to disperse water as quickly as possible. Its made of full silica compound and Continental claims that it gives better rolling resistance, reduces noise and improves handling in both wet and dry conditions compared to the model its replacing.
155/70 R12 | 185/65 R14 | 205/65 R15 | 185/60 R15 | 175/50 R15 |
175/70 R13 | 175/65 R15 | 165/60 R13 | 195/60 R15 | |
185/70 R14 | 185/65 R15 | 165/60 R14 | 205/60 R15 | |
175/65 R14 | 195/65 R15 | 185/60 R14 | 165/55 R14 |
The other model – Dunlop Formula D05 is catered for wheels of larger diameter, from 15 to 18 inches and is offered in 28 articles (refer to table below). It’s technically engineered the same way as the Sport J5 tyre, but its grooves and overall look is entirely different. Its better looks aside, the D05 features an Edge-Effect design which reduces the possibility of aquaplaning by maximising rubber-to-road contact.
205/40 R17 | 215/45 R18 | 225/50 R17 | 205/55 R17 |
225/40 ZR18 | 225/45 R17 | 225/50 ZR18 | 215/55 R17 |
235/40 ZR18 | 225/45 ZR18 | 235/50 R18 | 225/55 R17 |
245/40 R18 | 195/50 R15 | 185/55 R15 | 235/55 R18 |
205/45 R16 | 195/50 R16 | 185/55 R16 | 195/60 R16 |
205/45 R17 | 205/50 R16 | 195/55 R15 | 215/60 R16 |
215/45 R17 | 215/50 R17 | 205/55 R16 | 215/60 R17 |
Because it’s designed in Malaysia for Malaysians, both these Dunlop tyres come with a truly innovative feature to help its customers monitor tyre wear. As you can see from the picture below, the tyres come stamped with several ‘rain or shine’ icons as its Tyre Wear Indicator (TWI) on the outer tread. This eliminates the conventional method of inserting a coin to measure the grooves’ depth.
It works exactly like how it sounds. The tread depth when it’s brand new measures at 8mm thick, but when it reduces down to 3 mm, the ‘rain’ icon will disappear, indicating the need for a replacement should you be driving under wet conditions. However, performance in dry conditions continues until the tread wears down to 1.6 mm – that’s when you should really get your tyres replaced. Do keep in mind that these tyres are said to last up to 60,000 km, so be sure to periodically check on the TWI.
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IMAGE GALLERY
Dunlop SP Sport J5
Dunlop Formula D05