Beginning with the 2004 season, the tires for the DTM cars proudly wear the SP Sport Maxx name on their flanks to identify their close relationship to Dunlop's Max Performance Summer street tires developed for sports cars, coupes and sedans.
The SP Sport Maxx tires are designed to be exhilarating in the dry and reassuring in the wet, but they are not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice. On the outside, SP Sport Maxx tires feature Dunlop's Integral Rubber Matrix tread compound molded into a multi-radius directional tread that features large, independent shoulder blocks, twin Hydro-Paddle intermediate ribs and a stable continuous center rib. These features work together to keep more of the tire on more of the road more of the time, provide turbulence-free water drainage and maintain constant road contact to impart more responsive handling, wet driving control and high-speed stability. On the inside, SP Sport Maxx tires feature twin steel belts reinforced by Dunlop's Jointless Band (JLB) spiral-wrapped nylon to provide high-speed durability while minimizing weight. The tires feature a rayon cord casing for high-speed capability and ride quality.