Sprinting on Continental

At the 2017 Geelong Revival, two of the JUST CARS team – Jesse and Bruno – decided to put their machines to the test: a 2014 VW Golf R for Jesse; and a 2017 Mustang GT for Bruno.

With office bragging rights at stake, Jesse knew the state of the tyres on his car would put him at a disadvantage.

“A few weeks before the event, I’d run the Golf at a track day, and the tyres I had were struggling,” Jesse explained. “Given I wanted the best possible result at the Revival, I was looking for capable tyres that could handle the stress [of sprint competition].”

While he had considered Michelins, the recommendation of friends and good brand exposure convinced him to go with Continental - 235/35 ContiSportContact 5s, to be exact.

Once fitted (by Jax Quickfit Tyres in Geelong), the difference was immediately noticeable: “Highway cruising was quieter, and felt smoother – which helps when you have coilovers!”

That was fine, but the tyres needed to perform on the quarter mile. So how did they stack up?

“At the Revival, the grip of the tyres was fantastic,” Jesse enthused. That newfound grip was particularly welcome, given that Jesse’s first run was done cold, as the Golf R sat on the start line for more than half an hour before his turn, due to a crash by the prior entrant: “I’m guessing he WASN’T on Contis!” Jesse laughed.

Jesse’s best quarter mile run of 11.7607 meant the JUST CARS office trophy went his way, but there’s still more to explore.

“I haven’t had a chance to take the Golf onto the track yet with the new tires, but given how the Continentals handled during some spirited drives on the Great Ocean Road, I’d be pretty confident in taking corners with a bit more speed!”