The next generation Michelin Pilot Sport has been named an original equipment fitment on the 2004 Chrysler Crossfire.
The front tires on the sports coupe are size 225/40ZR18 88Y XL, while the rear tires are size 255/35ZR19 96Y XL.
"These are mammoth 19-inch rear tires on the Chrysler Crossfire, and the 18-inch front tires aren’t anything to scoff at either," says Tom Chubb, vice president of marketing for the Michelin Automotive Industry Division.
"Changing from the directional and symmetric tread design to the next generation Pilot Sport and its noise-minimizing asymmetric and non-directional tread design has allowed us to finely tune these tires for Crossfire."
The new Michelin Pilot Sport tire's innovative asymmetric, dual-compound tread design helps reduce road noise, while the wide circumferential grooves displace water to the front and rear of the tire.
The outer half of the tread has a hybrid silica/carbon black compound tuned for cornering and traction. The inner half of the tire tread has a high-silica compound optimized for wet handling and high-speed durability.
Thin, strong individual Aramid/nylon hybrid filaments -- rather than the bands used in most tires -- in the carcass provide precise control of the tire’s shape for high-speed handling and durability.
The Crossfire will be available in North American and Europe by mid-summer. A full line of the new Michelin Pilot Sport will be available to the replacement market in 2004.
