Over the past twenty years, a new breed of High performance 4X4 vehicles – such as BMW’s X5 and Porsche’ Cayenne – were developed. This new direction in the 4×4 market created the need for high performance road tyres. Like high performance car tyres, 4×4 tyres in this market typically come designed with directional tread patterns and softer tread compounds. They provide levels of grip and road holding that you would normally associate with a performance car. However these tyres are intended for 95% road use, and will not provide much traction if you choose to leave the road.