Marangoni Extends Meteo HP Winter Range

The use of winter tyres for the cold season has become widespread among European users in the last few years. In the past winter, for instance, sales in Europe increased by almost eight per cent when compared to 2004.

In keeping with this trend, Marangoni Tyre is further extending its Meteo HP range of winter tyres. Extremely safe, with high performance on all types of road surface and over an exceptionally wide range of operating temperatures, Meteo HP can be defined as the no-compromise winter tyre. The introduction of revolutionary technology – in particular SPE, Solid Particles Encapsulation – has brought excellent performance in the harshest winter conditions, while maintaining perfect behaviour on the motorway at high speed (up to speed rating V), together with great safety in the wet.

Progressive handling and performance is also ensured by utilising the latest asymmetric tread pattern design. Four deep longitudinal grooves combined with new-concept dense siping (with variable gradient) effectively prevent aquaplaning and ensure maximum grip on snow and ice. Together with the quality of the compound, this technology and tread pattern means low running noise and low rolling resistance: important qualities in a tyre designed to be fitted across a broad range of vehicles, including sports cars, large sedans and station wagons.

For the 2006 winter season, the new sizes are the 205/60 R 16 XL 96 H (fitted on cars such as the Peugeot 407, Renault Laguna, Audi A6), 205/50 R 17 XL 93 V (on cars including the Audi A3, Volvo S40 and V50, Peugeot 307 and various models of Ford) and 225/50 R17 XL 98 V (on cars including the new Alfa 159 and Brera, and the new Audi A6).

SPE: the technology that makes the difference

Every real step forward in performance derives from an important technological innovation. In the case of Meteo HP, this innovation is called SPE (Solid Particles Encapsulation), a technology that dramatically improves performance on ice and snow. Marangoni R&D has managed to encapsulate crystals measuring just a few microns in size into the compound: these exert a gripping action on ice and increase adherence across the tread. And that’s not all: the progressive separation of these crystals produces an alternating sequence of microscopic hollow and solid spots in the tread that is particularly effective on snow, and that remains constant throughout the normal wear of the tyre.

On other road surfaces (dry, and in particular wet) the performance advantage is ensured by the optimised action of the silica in the compound (FOM-IC). Optimising the interaction between polymer and filler (silica and carbon black) inside the compound, FOM-IC allows a significant increase in performance in terms of grip and control in a flexible manner through many varying conditions of use. In the Meteo HP, FOM-IC is decisive for the improvement of the behaviour of the compound at low temperatures, in particular in the wet.

Like all Marangoni high performance tyres, the Meteo HP also uses the PST structure, which allows high power to be transferred to the road during acceleration, ensuring maximum uniformity in the distribution of the forces and optimising the footprint.

Together with the characteristics of the compound and the tread, the PST structure allows the Meteo HP to reach speed rating V, making it a high performance winter tyre.

Another fundamental characteristic of the PST platform is its capacity to sustain the variations of the compound in the different layers. Meteo HP has a Cap/Base structure, in which the tread is made up of two layers of compound: a softer inner layer (Base) and an outer layer (Cap), silica-based and employing the SPE and FOM-IC technology, which is more rigid and offers higher performance levels.

The excellent balance at high performance levels, in all conditions of use, makes Meteo HP the ideal tyre for mid-high range vehicles, says Marangoni. The company’s winter range also includes the Meteo Esc E+ and the studdable Meteo Grip E+: two winter classics whose E+ suffix (standing for “Environment”) indicates the environmentally-friendly nature of the design.

In keeping with the rest of the range, Marangoni’s winter tyres are covered by the company’s Lifetime Guarantee

Andrea Vassura, Marangoni Tyre S.p.A.’s Executive Sales Manager, said: “One of our strongest points is our lifetime warranty, which covers not only defects, but also any damage deriving from normal use on the road, like accidents.”

One of the traditional strong points of Marangoni service, the Lifetime Warranty, has now been upgraded in terms of how it is communicated to the customer. The young lady seated on an armchair of tyres, suggesting an idea of relaxation, since with Marangoni your tyres were guaranteed forever, has been replaced by an equally splendid yet different lady, lying on a bed of tyres and caressing a docile leopard. The new message is that you need fear nothing with Marangoni tyres.