Cooper Tire Befriends Lone Wolf
Bridgestone attains FIA World Prize
Hankook to Supply Tyres to Audi Premium Models
Michelin Offers Road Safety Advice for Parents
Sir Tom Farmer Honoured by Royal College of Surgeons
Thrilling finale for SJR Hankook on Wales Rally GB
Michelin's Stop Thirsty Campaign Wins National Marketing Award
Bridgestone Tyres Enhance Ride of Alfa Brera
Kankku Raises Cooper's Profile

Cooper Tire Befriends Lone Wolf

Cooper Tire has announced that its tyres will be put to the ultimate test in 2007, by becoming the official supplier to the Lone Wolf Transglobal Expedition's Land Rover Wolf Defender. Leaving the UK on 1 January, the Lone Wolf Transglobal Expedition aims to circumnavigate the globe in just 12 months, traveling through 40 countries in a vehicle originally designed and built to the specifications of the famous explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes.

Expedition leader Daniel Moylan will guide his support crew around the world's most famous attractions, while chef Rowan Brown explores the gastronomic delights offered at each destination during their 12-month odyssey. In tow, a fully operational camera crew will capture all the action for a ten-part documentary series.

Both Daniel, Rowan and the crew will be relying on Cooper tyres to literally keep the show on the road. So confident are the team in the abilities of the Cooper Discoverer STT tyre, they will take only three spares. The Discoverer STT (Super Traction Tread) combines Cooper's unique Armor-Tek3 Carcass Construction technology with a computer designed, non directional tread pattern to create a bold, aggressive tyre tough enough to conquer any terrain.

Available from Cooper stockists throughout the UK, the Discoverer STT is available in 26 sizes, from 15-inch to 18-inch diameters, and comes in C, D and E load ratings.

Bridgestone attains FIA World Prize

Bridgestone Corporation has been awarded the World Prize for Road Safety, the Environment and Mobility by Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ("FIA"). The award was given primarily in recognition of Bridgestone's worldwide Think Before You Drive campaign staged in Europe, Japan and other places around the world, which urges drivers to implement simple safety measures before they drive.

To mark its centenary in 2004, the FIA decided to inaugurate a new award, the FIA World Prize for Road Safety, the Environment and Mobility. The award recognizes exceptional merit or endeavour by individuals or organizations involved in motoring and mobility. The first FIA World Prize was given to the President of the French Republic, Jacques Chirac, and the second to Pietro Lunardi, Italy's Minister for Infrastructures and Transport. This is the first time a company has been bestowed with the honour. T

hink Before You Drive is a global road safety initiative of Bridgestone Corporation and the FIA Foundation, a philanthropic organization established with FIA funding to promote road safety and the environment. As part of the campaign, Bridgestone subsidiaries around the world team up with automobile clubs in different countries under the FIA Foundation umbrella to demonstrate the importance to motorists of checking tyres, fastening seat belts, driving in the correct posture and using child restraints. To complement these safety messages, Bridgestone also gives out a safety booklet and a gauge that can measure tyre pressure and tread depth. The campaign, which was launched in 2005, has now been successfully conducted in almost 80 countries.

Shoshi Arakawa, CEO and President of Bridgestone Corporation, was on hand at the awards ceremony at the Monaco Sporting Club on December 8, 2006 to accept the trophy.

Hankook to Supply Tyres to Audi Premium Models

Korean tyre manufacturer Hankook has announced that it has signed an agreement with Audi to supply tyres for their Audi A6L, the long wheel base A6 luxury sedan, and A4 models starting next June. The Ultra High Performance VENTUS S1 Evo, which comes in a 16-inch 225/55R16Y and 17-inch 225/50R17Y variety, will be supplied to the Audi automobiles. The Agreement was made between Hankook Tire and Audi and the supply of tyres will commence in June 2007. Hankook Tire is expected to supply Audi's China plant with approximately 90,000 units next year

Michelin Offers Road Safety Advice for Parents

Michelin is offering road safety advice to parents while their children are playing. The tyre giant has created a comprehensive road safety program that is being delivered to mums and dads chaperoning their children at 100 of the most popular play centres across the UK.

Whilst the children are being entertained in the play areas, mum and dad can calmly absorb the road safety messages from Michelin via colourful graphics, leaflets and posters featuring the iconic Michelin Man. Parents can also enter a competition to win a luxury holiday for four in Spain.

Safety tips for journeys by car, on foot and by bicycle are designed to remind parents of the essential, practical safety measures to take. These include regularly checking tyre pressures on the car, encouraging their children to wear cycle safety helmets and making certain that they wear their reflective clothing during the dark winter months.

" We know from our research that parents are the motorists most concerned with safety on the road. Our tyre product safety message is technically very strong and now we can help families develop a simple safety code for all their journeys. Choosing these play centre locations means that parents have time to read the safety messages and we hope that they will use them to good effect," says Peter Snelling, Michelin's head of communications. In April 2004 Michelin signed the European Road Safety Charter to help the EC halve deaths on the road by 2010.

Sir Tom Farmer Honoured by Royal College of Surgeons

Kwik-Fit founder Sir Tom Farmer has received the highest accolade that can be bestowed by The Royal College of Surgeons. At a ceremony held in The Surgeon's Hall, Edinburgh, Sir Tom was awarded the Companionship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh - only the fifth individual to receive the honour. The first to be awarded the Companionship was the Duke of Edinburgh, Patron of the College.

Mr John D Orr, President of the Royal College, said: "Sir Tom is a long-time, committed and much valued supporter of the College who has done a colossal amount of work in supporting our Development Board. His contribution has been immense and we are happy to recognise this by Award of our Companionship of the College."

Thrilling finale for SJR Hankook on Wales Rally GB

SJR Hankook finished its debut season in the British Rally Championship in style recently as drivers Gwyndaf Evans and Stuart Jones triumphed in Wales Rally GB - also the final round of the World Rally Championship.

Welsh driver Evans secured the most sought after prize in British rallying after winning the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge - a works drive in the BRC next year. Stuart Jones recorded his best BRC result of the year finishing second in the category and setting a string of fastest times in the Group N class against more experienced contenders and BRC regulars. He finished 17th overall and powered to an impressive fifth in class.

"It has been a tremendous year for the team in the BRC and to finish on such a high is just reward for the team,'' said Hankook Motorsports manager Mike Patterson.

Michelin's Stop Thirsty Campaign Wins National Marketing Award

Michelin's Stop Thirsty Tyres campaign, which aims to help hauliers reduce their fuel bills through a programme of better tyre management, has won the 'Best use of creative' award at the fiercely contested B2B Marketing Awards. Stop Thirsty Tyres was launched in May 2005 and has been promoted across the industry for 18 months using PR, radio, advertising, viral marketing and a dedicated website.

The creative has focused on a series of unique graphics depicting a truck tyre drinking from a fuel nozzle and captioned 'have your tyres got a thirst for diesel?' More recently, these have been supported by images of the Michelin Man dancing in a nightclub, urging operators to 'get into the regroove' and highlighting the benefits of regrooving tyres for maximum fuel economy and tyre longevity.

Michelin took first prize ahead of a campaign by Sony for its Vaio range of laptops.

Bridgestone Tyres Enhance Ride of Alfa Brera

The Alfa Brera is the latest of three Alfa Romeo launches in 2006 to wear Bridgestone tyres, featuring F1-derived, ultra high-performance Potenza RE50As as an original equipment option. The same rubber is also available on the new-Alfa 159 and 159 Sportwagon.

Six versions of the Brera are currently available on UK roads, including a 3.2 litre 260BHP V6 and the widely acclaimed 2.4 litre 20v 200BHP JTD Multijet power plant. The Giorgetto Giugiaro-designed, Pininfarina-built car shares the same platform and many components as the Alfa 159, and offers outstanding passenger comfort in addition to unrivalled poise and performance.

The handling of the Brera is enhanced by the Potenza RE050A tyres, which provide stunning levels of grip in all conditions, combined with a smooth, comfortable ride and low noise levels. With an outer pattern featuring large blocks, the RE050A provides superior handling and road holding, while its large contact area dramatically improves cornering performance. The asymmetric tread design also features wide channels on the inside for rapid water evacuation. Even at high speeds the contact patch remains clear, meaning there is less chance of hydroplaning and more grip on the road.

Other Alfa Romeo models to feature Potenza RE050A tyres as original equipment include the 147 GTA and Alfa GT. Sizes range from a 215/55 R16 to a 235/45 R18.

Kankku Raises Cooper's Profile

To celebrate its first year of using Cooper's acclaimed Discoverer STT rubber on its fleet of 4x4 vehicles, offroad driving centre Kankku has launched an innovative advertising ploy. The extreme driving experience venue, based in the Lake District, has hung one of its branded 4x4 cars from a crane just outside Windermere so that the town's many visitors can't miss the adrenalin-fuelled activities on offer. Cooper's rugged Discoverer STT has been designed with the outdoor pursuits of rock-climbing, mud-eating and terrain-taming in mind, making it perfect for Kankku's rocky trails and tough landscape.