NEXEN TIRE has unveiled the N’FERA Sport 2, the next generation of its ultra-high-performance summer tyre, introducing a revised tread design and construction aimed at improving braking, cornering stability and steering response.
The launch comes as NEXEN continues to strengthen its position in the premium end of the tyre market, particularly through original equipment partnerships with major vehicle manufacturers.
NEXEN says it now supplies OE tyres for approximately 120 vehicle models across nearly 30 automotive brands worldwide, a significant expansion from its earlier position primarily as a replacement-market tyre manufacturer.
The N’FERA Sport 2 builds on the existing N’FERA Sport, which has achieved results in European independent tyre testing and has also been used in original equipment applications. For the new generation, NEXEN has concentrated on increasing structural rigidity and improving how the tyre maintains contact with the road during braking and higher-load cornering.
A Stiffer Structure
One of the most significant changes is a claimed 15% increase in structural rigidity compared with the outgoing N’FERA Sport.
According to NEXEN, the stronger construction reduces tyre deformation during dynamic driving, helping provide greater stability and more predictable handling.
The tyre also introduces what NEXEN calls Chamfer Technology. Specially shaped edges on the tread blocks are designed to increase the effective contact area during braking and cornering.
The outer tread blocks have been widened by 5%, with the larger blocks intended to improve grip and cornering stability. Sidewall rigidity has also been increased to reduce deformation and improve steering response, particularly during higher-speed cornering.
NEXEN claims the combined changes result in a 10% improvement in cornering stiffness compared with the previous N’FERA Sport.
Wet Performance Remains a Priority
Wet-road performance has also received considerable attention.
The N’FERA Sport 2 uses an optimised contact patch and tyre contour together with NEXEN’s Multi-Width Grooves to move water away from the footprint.
Chamfered tread-block edges are also designed to increase the available drainage area, with the combined changes intended to reduce aquaplaning risk while maintaining vehicle control in wet conditions.
NEXEN Claims Shorter Braking Distances
NEXEN tested the N’FERA Sport 2 at the IDIADA Proving Ground in Spain against the previous N’FERA Sport.
According to the company’s testing, the Sport 2 delivered:
- 11% shorter wet braking distance
- 2% shorter dry braking distance
- 7% improved wet and dry handling
- 10% improved cornering stiffness
These figures are manufacturer test results rather than results from an independent comparative tyre test. Independent testing will therefore provide an important additional benchmark as the N’FERA Sport 2 enters the European market.
More Protection for Larger Wheels
NEXEN has also increased the width of the tyre’s rim protector by 7%.
The larger protective section is designed to provide additional protection to the wheel flange against kerb contact, a useful feature as larger wheels and lower-profile tyres become increasingly common on modern performance vehicles.
From Replacement Brand to Premium OE Supplier
There is a broader story behind the N’FERA Sport 2 launch.
NEXEN has been steadily expanding its relationships with global vehicle manufacturers, including premium European brands. The company identifies its supply of OE tyres for the Porsche Cayenne from 2016 as an important point in that development and says its premium OE portfolio has since expanded to include vehicles such as the BMW iX3.
Today, NEXEN says it supplies tyres for approximately 120 models from nearly 30 automotive brands worldwide.
That growth matters when considering where a product such as the N’FERA Sport 2 sits within the NEXEN range. Ultra-high-performance tyres compete in a part of the market where steering response, braking performance and high-speed stability are important, but where tyre manufacturers can also use their OE relationships to demonstrate their engineering capability.
NEXEN’s increasing involvement with premium vehicle manufacturers therefore provides useful context for the development of the Sport 2.
European Investment Behind the Expansion
NEXEN also points to its European manufacturing and development infrastructure as an important part of its premium strategy.
The company says it invested €900 million in its European manufacturing facility in the Czech Republic. The plant incorporates automated manufacturing and AI-supported quality inspection, giving NEXEN a European production base capable of supplying both OE and replacement-market customers.
Its development capability extends beyond manufacturing. NEXEN says it is increasingly using AI-assisted research, virtual development technologies and a global testing network to develop tyres for electric, hybrid and internal-combustion vehicles.
This provides additional context to the N’FERA Sport 2. The tyre is not simply a new tread pattern replacing an existing product. It arrives as NEXEN invests in the manufacturing, development and OE relationships needed to compete more directly in the premium tyre segment.
What About Australia?
For Australian drivers, the key question is when the N’FERA Sport 2 will become available locally.
The launch announcement is specifically focused on the European summer tyre market, and NEXEN has not confirmed Australian launch timing, local sizes or pricing in either of these September announcements.
The existing N’FERA Sport is already established in the Australian market, making its successor particularly relevant locally. However, until NEXEN confirms an Australian range, it would be premature to assume that every European Sport 2 specification or size will be offered here.
What is clearer is the direction NEXEN is taking. With a growing premium OE portfolio, substantial European manufacturing investment and a new generation of its UHP flagship, the N’FERA Sport 2 represents another step in the company’s effort to strengthen its position beyond the value-focused end of the tyre market.
