Tyre News

Yokohama Advantage for Tarquini
Continental to Acquire 51% of Matador
New Goodyear Radio Info Campaign
Michelin Primacy HP Gains OE Approval on 13 New Cars
Tyresafe Issues Guidance on Fitting New Tyres to Front Axle
Conti Cord: The Stuff That Spring Dreams Are Made Of
Toyo Dominate Time Attack
ESC Campaign Launched
TuV Recognition for Lassa
Drag Racing: Toyo Drivers Cash In
Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta Wins Powercar Summer Tyre Test

Yokohama Advantage for Tarquini

Fast-paced and twisty, Zandvoort Circuit proved itself a real driver's track in rounds three and four of the 2007 WTCC season held recently. The sandy environment meant that tyres were a critical factor. Second race winner Gabriele Tarquini, whose SEAT Leon is shod with Yokohama ADVAN tyres, explained. "The sand has been an issue all weekend," said Tarquini, "but I think the ADVANs work very well with our car. We generally tend to be very smooth on them, and the second race's mild rain and cooler conditions actually helped us this afternoon."

N.Technology's driver James Thompson confirmed the sand had been an issue. "Having sand on the track makes the car slide a lot more easily and that naturally forces the tyres to work harder," said the two-time British Touring Car Champion. "Zandvoort also has some fairly tight corners which can make it difficult for drivers to be as smooth on the tyres as we would normally like to be. The ADVANs are extremely resistant though which helps."

The environment played a major part during rounds three and four with the Zandvoort Circuit situated close to the beach. Strong winds contributed to the amount of sand on track but Yokohama Europe Marketing Manager Kazuyoshi Sekiguchi is confident that the Yokohama ADVANs performed at their best, despite the difficult conditions.

"There are always going to be external factors that need to be considered during a race weekend," said Sekiguchi. "It is part of our job to include that in our preparation work and make sure that our product delivers the high performance it is known for. I'm happy to confirm that this weekend has been no different."

Continental to Acquire 51% of Matador

Continental is set to acquire a 51% stake in Slovakian tyre manufacturer Matador. Continental and Matador have been aligned in a joint venture for the production of truck tyres in Puchov since 1998. In 2006 Matador Group had 4,770 employees and posted sales of approx. €450 million.

"With this move we are strengthening our ties to our highly successful joint venture partner. At the same time we are expanding our operational base in Eastern Europe markets as well as our production capacities for PLT in low-cost countries," said Continental's Executive Board chairman Manfred Wennemer.

"With this strategic alliance we will further improve the quality and volume of Matador tyre production, open new markets and increase the value of the Matador brand, addedd Štefan Rosina, CEO of the Matador Group. "After excellent experiences with our truck tyre joint venture, we are sure that this partnership will be the best solution for the future of Matador and also for our employees. We are, moreover, also strengthening our position in Automotive - our second strategic business,"

"In combining forces and experience, we will improve our market positions in Central and Eastern Europe and get additional sales opportunities in Russia, Ukraine and the Stan States. Especially our position in Russia will be expanded, as we are not only improving our access to the market but getting a production facility in Omsk as well," Wennemer emphasized.

"Operationally we intend to integrate Matador into our brand portfolio and invest in expanding annual production capacities for PLT from 5.5 to more than 7 million. This gives us a highly efficient tool to be used against low-cost competition," Wennemer added.

New Goodyear Radio Info Campaign

Goodyear has announced the launch of a new radio information campaign with a view to highlighting the role of preventative tyre maintenance in road safety. The campaign also promotes the launch of MyGoodyear.co.uk, a new website that not only offers safety advice, but also offers suggestions for 'Good Days Out' across the UK. Goodyear launched the website with interviews on nineteen local and regional radio stations recently, reaching an initial audience of over 1.4 million listeners.

Michelin Primacy HP Gains OE Approval on 13 New Cars

Since its introduction last year, the Michelin Primacy HP has been approved for OE fitment on 13 new cars, ranging from executive and family saloons to MPVs and sports coupes. Every major vehicle category in the 2007 European car market features models equipped with the tyre.

The Michelin Primacy HP is fitted as original equipment on the Audi A3, A4 and TT, the Citroën Picasso, the Ford Mondeo and Galaxy, the Kia Cee'd and Opirus, the Lexus GS, the Peugeot 607, the Renault Laguna, the Toyota Auris and the Volvo S80.

The latest addition to Michelin's summer tyre range, the Michelin Primacy HP is claimed to offer at least 25% longer tread life than any competitor's tyre in the same premium sector. This, says Michelin, was proved by an impartial test conducted in the third quarter of 2005 by TÜV SÜD Automotive, an independent German technical services company covering the automotive industry.

Tyresafe Issues Guidance on Fitting New Tyres to Front Axle

It has long been believed that when replacing a pair of worn tyres, the new tyres should be fitted on the front wheels. Research by TyreSafe, Britain's foremost tyre safety organisation, has indicated that over 50% of motorists believe this to be the case.

However, recent demonstrations have indicated that it is more beneficial to fit the new rubber to the rear wheels, regardless of whether the vehicle is front or rear wheel drive. Industry research suggests that if the new tyres are fitted to the rear wheels, water on the road surface is better dispersed, which improves straight line braking ability.

Conversely, if the rear track is fitted with part worn tyres, the car often has a dangerous tendency to oversteer. Rear tyres are subject to relatively low wear rates as well, meaning that the new tyres will have a longer lifespan on the back rims. Fitting new tyres to the rear and moving part worn rubber to the front each time also means that the rear tyres will be less prone to age-related deterioration from prolonged exposure.

Conti Cord: The Stuff That Spring Dreams Are Made Of

Fashion designer Violetta Litvinova is setting the latest trend in spring and summer fashion for 2007, by tailoring dresses, hats, scarves and even place mats for her collection made from tyre cord. However, for Litvinova, tyre cord is not a rubbery, rigid material. The designer's fabrics, made of Continental tyre cord, are delicate, caress the body and come in chic colours like aqua, chocolate or red-gold.

Litvinova is familiar with the properties of tyre cord fabric, which consists of cotton, rayon, nylon or polyester threads, from her student days when she worked in tyre production.

Experts are also excited about Litvinova's Conti cord designs, which were shown at the Düsseldorf CPD fashion show this year. Thomas Greis, Professor of Fashion Design at the College of Art and Design in Halle/Saale called the tyre cord "a very aesthetic material. "That's what is so interesting today", he added. "Designers are creating fashion from everyday materials that are all around them. This material practically floats; it's a beautiful material. Other designers will profit from these kinds of ideas and will perhaps tailor their coming collections from the same materials."

Toyo Dominate Time Attack

The first round of the new Time Attack series started well for Toyo Tyres. An outright win and lap record thanks to BTCC star Matt Allison and his Zen-prepared Subaru Impreza. The inaugural round, held on Donington's National Circuit saw the best of the UK tuning industry arrive looking to take early season honours.

Previous lap records were sent tumbling in the early hours of the competition, with last years time being usurped by the TOYO-shod Ollie Clark with the immaculately prepared RCM Impreza. His glory was to be short lived when Allison lapped managed to coax his Proxes R888s to power him into the 1.14 lap times, creating a new Time Attack record.

ESC Campaign Launched

A major pan European campaign to promote the life-saving technology Electronic Stability Control (ESC) has been launched in Italy. The 'ChooseESC!' campaign will reveal estimates that if all cars in the EU had the system over 4,000 lives and 100,000 injuries could be avoided. ESC recognises when a skid is starting to happen. In a fraction of a second an electronic control unit applies the brakes at individual wheels, helping to keep the car control before the skid. Whether the skid is the result of an emergency avoidance manoeuvre or a simple error of judgement, ESC can help a driver maintain control of a vehicle.

The campaign warns that slow penetration of the technology into new cars will make it harder for the European Union to reach its target to cut road deaths by 50% by 2010. In the United States ESC will become mandatory for all new cars in 2011, but so far there is no equivalent initiative by the European Union. Under the patronage of European Commissioner Viviane Reding and FIA President Max Mosley the 'ChooseESC!' campaign was launched at the Bridgestone European Testing ground in Aprilia, near Rome.

Commenting on the launch FIA President Max Mosley, said: "There is no doubt that ESC could contribute significantly to the European Union's goal to halve the number of road traffic fatalities by 2010. But to achieve this, much more needs to be done to inform the consumer about why they must choose ESC when buying a new car. It is frustrating to see that the use of ESC in new cars in Europe is actually falling behind the USA. We should be leading the world in the introduction of a technology that was invented in Europe. Although ESC is often standard equipment in luxury and large cars, in smaller family cars it is not. Across Europe only 42% of new cars are equipped with ESC. We want governments in the EU to give incentives, such as tax breaks to encourage people to buy cars with ESC on board. Thousands of lives could be saved and huge crash costs avoided so it makes sense to give the public a reason to choose ESC on their next car".

TuV Recognition for Lassa

The German standards organisation TUV has recently accredited the Lassa Impetus Sport tyre for achieving significant levels of performance, durability and handling . "We've been getting great feedback from drivers ever since we launched the Impetus Sport", says Martin West, Lassa's European Director of Marketing and Business Development. "It's extremely satisfying to all of us at Lassa now that the innovation and technology that went into it has been recognised by our industry".

Drag Racing: Toyo Drivers Cash In

Toyo's £25,000 commitment to drag racing is already paying dividends for UK racers after just one round. Super Comp contender, Belinda Bull powered her way to the top spot in the recent Easter Thunderball at Santa Pod, claiming £300 in the process for running DRR1 Drag Slicks on her highly modified ex-NHRA Chevy pick-up.

After swapping to Toyo this season, the team were immediately impressed with the dramatic improvement in the trucks all important 0-60 foot times. Straight out of the box, the increased traction brought times down into the 1.14's. Allied to some great driving and lightning reactions, Belinda consistently qualified high in the rankings to find herself side by side with Peter Cresswell for the final.

Despite a great start from Peter, Belinda powered through to a winning 8.93 time at 145 mph. Elated with her win, Belinda was quick to praise the team -and the tyres 'We couldn't have a better start to the season.' She beamed. 'We are certain the Toyo slicks played an important part in winning this event. The improvements in our sixty-foot times in such a short space of time is incredible. From running 1.17-1.18 on our old tyres to 1.14-1.15's on the Toyos. Consistency is key in Super Comp and that's exactly what we've had throughout our winning weekend.'

Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta Wins Powercar Summer Tyre Test

The German sports car magazine Powercar has crowned the Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta the winner of a test involving eight high-performance summer tyres. According to Powercar, part of the popular German car magazine Auto Zeitung, the Ultrac Sessanta convinced the jury with its top-level results under both wet and dry conditions. In addition, the Vredestein tyre was also the most attractively priced tyre of the eight that were tested.

As part of the test, Powercar examined the performance of eight high-performance summer tyres from renowned tyre manufacturers in the higher segment with the dimensions 245/30 R 20 Y. During the test, the sports car magazine put the tyres through their paces on both dry and wet surfaces, with the focus placed on handling, braking performance, steering stability and comfort.

The Ultrac Sessanta, introduced last year by Vredestein, achieved excellent scores in all areas and was crowned Test Winner by Powercar. According to Powercar, "the Vredestein tyre surprised and convinced, delivering top performance in all areas".

Rob Oudshoorn, CEO of Vredestein commented; "During the past decade, we have worked intensively with a relatively small team of development specialists to claim the number one position in the top segment. We are honoured by the outcome of the Powercar test, which proves that we have succeeded in doing so. The Ultrac Sessanta has only been on the market for a short while and when Vredestein already starts winning these kinds of tests, it can really be proud of this achievement."