Yokohama Gets 2011 Rolling at Autosport

This year's Autosport International show will kick-start the year for the UK distributor of Yokohama tyres, Yokohama HPT Ltd. Two new motorsport tyres will be launched into the UK market at the company’s show stand (stand number 2740) and Yokohama will also confirm its motorsport involvement for 2011.

First cab off the new product rank is the A053, a gravel rally tyre which compliments the established A035. The A053, developed in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge – for which Yokohama serves as tyre partner – is available in two sizes. Yokohama comments that the A053 was used to good effect in 2010 by Bercu Cetinkaya, who became the first female driver to claim points in the IRC.

Tyre number two is a development of the Advan A005, used as control tyre in the FIA World Touring Car Championship. The tyre has been adapted to become the new control tyre for the Sports2000 race series in the UK, replacing the crossply tyre used by the series for the last 25 years. Yokohama reports that initial indications show the new tyre to be a major step forward and the series organisers are already predicting new lap records at every venue in 2011.

The Yokohama stand always features a car from the highest levels of motorsport and this year is no different; taking pride of place is the Aston Martin Rapide race car that claimed second in class at the 2010 Nürburgring 24 Hours, driven by a team including the Aston Martin CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez. In addition, the stand will also feature the full array of Yokohama road, race and rally tyres. It will also feature the full ranges of replacement alloy wheels the company distributes, including examples from TSW, MAK and Advanti, as well as marque-specific options for BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Porsche and Land Rover.