Pirelli Boasts 2009 Test-Topping UHP Products

When it comes to high and ultra high performance tyres, few would argue that Italian manufacturer Pirelli holds a position of distinction. The brand boasts original equipment contracts with many of the leading names in top end models from such manufacturers as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Audi, Aston Martin, Maserati, Jaguar, Mercedes, Alfa Romeo, Porsche and BMW, with its latest contract coming on the new Bentley Continental GTC Speed, the car maker’s most powerful convertible ever. Its P Zero collection of tyres – and indeed the marketing campaigns behind the range – emphasise the glamorous, lifestyle-conscious leanings of the market, backing these up with a series of high-ranking results in the 2009 round of magazine summer tests (the P Zero pattern alone picked up wins in Gute Fahrt and Sport Auto, alongside a “very recommendable” rating in Auto Bild Sportscars).

The manufacturer’s P Zero collection seeks to cater for, in Pirelli’s words, the most sporting cars and the most demanding drivers seeking driving pleasure combined with safety and reliability. Through these principles and its lengthy relationships with recognisable auto makers, the brand is long-established in the OE field, as its latest deal with Bentley shows: the 20-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels, unique to the GTC Speed, are fitted with 275/35 ZR20 P Zero ultra-high performance tyres. Clearly the strong OE links have enabled development to take into account the needs of the high performance vehicles on which the tyres are fitted. As the latest addition to Pirelli’s brand stable, the manufacturer claims that the P Zero is the most technologically advanced product to come out of the company’s research programmes, with a range of innovative features protected by five patents: innovations cover the tread pattern, the compounds and the structure. The portfolio comprises P Zero, P Zero System, P Zero Corsa System, P Zero Rosso, P Zero Nero, Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico and Scorpion Zero, while P6, P7, P6000 and run-flat ranges are also available.

P Zero

Pirelli states that the principal feature of P Zero is that it “guarantees optimum performance in wet and dry conditions throughout the lifetime of the tyre, whilst combining sports handling with comfort”: wide aims indeed, but also a reflection of the demands of UHP product users. To deal with this fact, the P Zero boasts nano-composites in the compounds of the tread and the bead to help deliver a comfortable ride together with sports performance. Thanks specifically to the tread compound, Pirelli says that optimum performance is provided during the first few kilometres when the tyre is still cold.

The tread pattern of the new P Zero aims for higher standards of grip in wet conditions as well as the enhancement of acoustic comfort, whilst the “DA.Co” (Dynamic Asymmetric Contour) profile works towards even wear with a consistent footprint at all speeds. P Zero compounds contain no aromatic oils, a decision Pirelli says anticipated three years in advance the European directive regulating this issue, which comes into effect in 2010.

Thanks to the “Hy.Co” (Hybrid Cord) system, deformation of the casing and, thus, the tyre profile, is controlled through to the highest speeds (370 kph), increasing the durability of the tyre, not simply in terms of outright mileage, but above all, in the consistency of performance throughout its life.

The P Zero is already being fitted, among others, to the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and 612 Scaglietti, Lamborghini Gallardo, Audi R8, S8 and RS6, Aston Martin DBS, Maserati Quattroporte, Bentley Continental GT, GTC and Arnage, Jaguar XK, XKR-S and XF, Mercedes AMG and Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione., Pirelli Golf and Porsche.

The result of a unique advanced technological project comprising two different tread patterns – Asimmetrico with its three element design to transfer engine power to the road and improve torque management, and Direzionale with its arrowhead design to emphasise wet weather performance – the “System” concept offers the choice of Asimmetrico all round for optimum grip and exceptional steering response or Direzionale front with Asimmetrico rear to improve aquaplaning resistance. P Zero System is fitted to Jaguar, Porsche and Ferrari amongst other prestigious marques.

Designed in collaboration with leading high performance car manufacturers, the tyres that Pirelli dubs the “benchmark in its category” are those making up the P Zero Corsa System: a set of tyres with different tread patterns working in unison “Direzionale” front and “Asimmetrico” rear for use on both road and track. The manufacturer states that “whilst the engineering qualities of the system stand out in extreme use on both road and track, the synergy developed by the action of the two different tread designs is most accentuated in wet driving.” With its lateral water expulsion capacity, the Direzionale prepares the road surface for the Asimmetrico, allowing it to increase grip for the rear tyre. The Corsa System has been chosen as original equipment for models including the Ferrari Challenge Stradale and F430 Scuderia, Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, Maserati MC12, Porsche 911 GT3 RS and GT2.

Rosso and Nero

Derived from the P Zero name, the P Zero Rosso is an ultra high performance tyre designed to combine sports performance with low noise, combining an asymmetric design with wide longitudinal grooves and a tread divided laterally into three distinct elements, each conceived to confer particular performance characteristics. The addition of Rosso, or red, to the title is designed to make the tyre synonymous with Italian motorsport, given the predominance of the colour. Where appropriate, the Rosso can be used as a “system” tyre, either as an all round fitment (asymmetric) or in conjunction with the “Direzionale” version on the front to provide greater emphasis on performance in the wet. In terms of OE business, the Rosso is fitted to Porsche’s top of range Cayenne SUV model, aimed at drivers not intending to venture off-road.

The Nero meanwhile possesses an asymmetrical tread pattern and an ultra-low profile. The tyre is aimed predominantly at the replacement market and fitted to larger than standard diameter wheels, able to integrate with the more sophisticated set up of higher performance sports cars. Its primary development objective was to fully exploit the advantages of ultra-low profile tyres by targeting the “soft” and “hard” tuning sector. Pirelli has, for almost thirty years, maintained that low profile tyres are, more than anything else, “synonymous with cornering grip, optimum braking and greater stability at high speeds”. Though nominally aimed at the replacement market, the Nero has also been chosen by Alfa Romeo to equip the Limited Edition Brera S.

Scorpion Zero

The Scorpion Zero extended the P Zero concept to the Sport Utility/Activity Vehicle segment; the tyre’s super-reinforced structure, “Double Z” tread pattern and sizes up to 20″ diameter make the brand suitable for vehicles fitted with off-road tyres but with sports performance. Although predominantly for road use, Pirelli says that the range returns excellent performance off-road, especially on sand. The tyre is fitted as original equipment to the New Range Rover, Discovery and Freelander amongst others.

The Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico low profile tyre with H, V, W and Y speed symbols is aimed at boosting the performance of the most powerful SUVs, becoming yet another product in the expanding P Zero Collection. The tyre is available in rim diameters 16″- 30″ and is now fitted as original Equipment to the Land Rover Freelander, Range Rover Sport and Volvo XC70 and XC90.

P6 and P7

The P6 and P7 signalled a new generation of the already-established P6000 family as a deliberate evocation of the products that became synonymous with “performance” motoring during the Seventies, when Pirelli made its reputation in the high performance tyre segment. Designed for the latest generation saloons and MPVs, the P6 represents a choice clearly biased towards comfort and quiet running, with safety and reliability also high on the agenda. P6 tyres are fitted to key models of manufacturers including Volkswagen, Ford, Fiat and Peugeot.

Launched alongside the P6, the P7 is intended for the most modern and sophisticated sports cars. The tyre’s outstanding, lifelong performance values are the result of extensive work to make the footprint bigger and more uniform to heighten resistance to aquaplaning and handling in the wet. In addition, by better distribution of contact pressure, rolling resistance and wear characteristics are improved. Typical fitments for P7 are Jaguar, Mercedes, Audi, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Volvo and Volkswagen models.

Incorporating the Pirelli Active Safety System, the P6000 and P6000 Powergy were developed to integrate the electronic interface of more modern high performance cars. The Powergy in particular is designed to be integrated within such millennial innovations as “intelligent” suspension, complex braking systems, traction management, stability control and emission monitoring.

The Cinturato P6 has been designed with an eye on environmental friendliness, with three Ecoimpact icons on the sidewall of the Cinturato highlighting its environmental compatibility. Energy efficiency, with lower rolling resistance, no aromatic oils and higher mileage were all part of the consideration in the design of the tyre, reflected in standard fittings on popular models from Volkswagen and Seat.

Self-supporting run-flat tyres

Pirelli is active in the run flat market, since it gives the manufacturer the opportunity to free car designers from the need for a spare wheel, eliminating the risks associated with punctures, which is – says Pirelli – at the top of the list of features that consumers most want from their next vehicles. Its self-supporting run-flat tyres may be driven safely at zero pressure for a limited distance (specified by the car manufacturer) at speeds of up to 80 km/h.

A product of MIRS (Modular Integrated Robotised System), Eufori is the Pirelli Group’s first self supporting run flat tyre. The manufacturer believes that it has been able to minimise the weightiness usually associated with run-flat tyres through self-supporting sidewalls. The tyre is fitted as original equipment to BMW and Mini models. The P Zero project has also got its run-flat capabilities, with the manufacturer incorporating the branding into more recent run-flat products.