Cooper to focus on 4×4, UHP, motorcycle at Essen

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe Ltd will exhibit its latest and “most innovative” 4×4, ultra high performance passenger car and motorcycle ranges at Reifen 2012. The company (Hall 3, Stand 241) will bring new products from both its Cooper and Avon brands to the annual international tyre fair in order to showcase the strides being made in tyre development and technology, including design work conducted at its European Technical Centre in Melksham, UK. The Cooper display will feature the newest Discoverer S/TMAXX and the Discoverer A/T3 4×4 tyres, while Avon will be represented by its ZZ5 UHP passenger car tyre, launched last year to complement the ZZ3, as well as its brand-new 3D Ultra range of motorcycle tyres.

Cooper Tire Europe managing director, Julian Baldwin, said, “The last 12 months have been hugely exciting for Cooper Tire. The continuing shift to clean oil production processes has enabled us to introduce more of the highly-commended Cooper 4×4 range to Europe, while the launches of Avon’s ZZ5 and 3D Ultra tyres for car and bike have been met with enormous enthusiasm.”

The extreme Cooper Discoverer S/TMAXX, with ArmorTek3 construction, delivers improved durability with strengthened sidewalls. Cooper says the tyre was immediately proven on the world’s biggest endurance rally stage, when S/TMAXX tyres were bolted to the Toyota 150 Land Cruiser of Dakar Rally veteran, Xavier Foj, in January. Foj finished the 9,000km event through some of the toughest terrains on the planet with a class victory and no tyre issues, illustrating ably the S/TMAXX’s rugged capability in any conditions.

Meanwhile, the dynamic A/T3 is newer still to the European 4×4 market. Cooper’s modern five-rib, all-terrain design is engineered to provide performance both for on-road and off-road driving. The A/T3 tread pattern is suited to all-terrain handling, all-weather traction and stability. The A/T3’s carefully-crafted open centre tread elements and dual draft angles on the tread aid soft surface traction, making it an all-rounder, delivering strength and reducing damage on rough terrain or harsh road conditions. The lateral groove protectors on the tread help motorists to avoid stone retention and drilling.

Avon leading with new UHP, motorcycle tyres

Cooper’s Avon performance brand has been busy introducing new products for four and two wheels. The ZZ5, launched to performance car motorists across Europe last spring and at the core of the stand at Essen, has been extremely well-received, according to the company. The 3D Ultra range of motorcycle tyres, which comprises Sport, Supersport and Extreme products, also launched over the last half-year, and will feature prominently at Essen.

Developed on European roads and race tracks specifically with European drivers in mind, the ZZ5 went through a rigorous testing and development schedule. Premium, intuitive handling characteristics come as standard, while the ZZ5’s Intelligent Asymmetric Tread Design (IATD) imparts genuinely confidence-inspiring traction in the dry and outstanding water displacement in the wet. 

Avon’s newly-developed Tri-Arc mould shape improves contact pressure distribution and the ZZ5’s tuned construction provides crisp, predictable handling. To put the icing on the cake, Avon’s cutting-edge Optinoise technology means that performance motorists need not sacrifice comfort inside the cabin, with a quieter ride offered by the ZZ5 too.

The 3D Ultra’s improved stability and grip, limited tread flex allowing the tyre to reach operational temperature quicker and brand new technology producing construction material all contribute to a tyre range that has had rave reviews across all of the most influential motorcycle media, including MCN and RiDE magazines. Niall Mackenzie, three-time British Superbike champion and ex-500cc GP star, said of the tyres: “Riding on both the Supersport and Xtreme versions of the 3D Ultra on track made me realise that these are as good as anything I’ve used on a trackday for many years.”