Michelin tyres helped Lord Drayson and Drayson Racing Technologies to the World Electric Land Speed Record for a car under 1,000kg, posting an average speed of 204.185mph over the two runs.
The tyres that were underneath the Drayson B12 69/EV were the same as those found on the Audi R18 e-tron quattro that recently took victory at the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The previous record in the under 1,000kg category was 175mph, which had stood for over 40 years before the Drayson machine smashed it by 29.2mph at Elvington Airfield near York.
The tyres chosen for the attempt offered performance characteristics optimised for the conditions of the challenge, needing to offer low rolling resistance to reduce battery drain, high traction levels for maximum acceleration, good stability to enable minimal downforce and excellent braking performance so the car could be stopped at the end of the runway and turned around for the return run.
The record-breaking car will be on display at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed (11-14 July), where Michelin will also be sponsoring the Supercar Paddock and Supercar Run for the second year in succession.
