Neu-Isenburg, Germany, 11 May 2026 – Premium tyre manufacturer Hankook is returning to the super-sport tyre segment with the Ventus evo Z, a high-performance summer tyre with a sporty design, offering greater tread depth and durability than a semi-slick, while still delivering excellent grip and handling for track use. After an absence from the segment of more than a decade, Hankook is once again offering drivers of sporty vehicles a tyre designed specifically for both track and everyday road use.

The Hankook Ventus evo Z (Z001) is a particularly sporty summer tyre with an ECE approval number, meeting all statutory requirements, including having a minimum tread depth of greater than 1.6 millimetres. It is intended for drivers of sports cars, the tuning community, motorsport enthusiasts and competitors in junior racing series – target groups for whom Hankook is already a household name thanks to its numerous involvements in international motorsport as well as long-standing partnerships with brands like AMG, BMW M and Porsche. Hankook has already developed a road-legal track tyre: the Ventus TD for the MINI John Cooper Works.

The development of the new Ventus evo Z benefits from the premium tyre manufacturer’s extensive motorsport expertise. The tyre successfully passed its test runs on the HWA EVO – a reinterpretation of the legendary Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II racing car from the 90s. Lessons learned from the tests were incorporated directly into the standard design, so that drivers can benefit from precise handling and high performance on the race track – without the characteristics of the summer tyre having to take a back seat.

Technical specification and design:

• The Hankook Ventus evo Z features an asymmetric tread design with grooves of varying depth and width for maximum stability.
• The aramid-reinforced belt is designed for high tread rigidity and dimensional stability under heavy load stress.
• The outer shoulder is equipped with closed cut lateral grooves, designed specifically to maximise the contact surface with the road and increase block rigidity when cornering.
• The tyre mixture is based on the use of liquid resin and a high-temperature-resistant resin mixture, inspired by developments from the world of motorsport.
• The size range covers the requirements of different vehicle models in the high-performance segment, including the Porsche 911, BMW M models, Audi RS, Mercedes-AMG and others.
• Over the course of the year, the Hankook Ventus evo Z will be successively available in sizes from 18 to 21 inches with a width of 225 to 355 mm and an aspect ratio from 25 to 45.
• Nearly all 25 sizes are marked with the speed index (Y), meaning they are approved for speeds above 300 km/h (186 mph); the others are marked with Y (up to 300 km/h (186 mph)).