Dunlop unfurls new road, track products

Earlier this year, Dunlop announced the launch of a new European breed of sports tyres with the introduction of its Sport Maxx RT (Racing Technology). This road tyre, which Dunlop says was designed especially for the driving enthusiast, aims to “deliver to the needs of the continent’s most passionate driving aficionados”, motorists who “savour the feeling of being in control of significant horsepower and dream of being in pole position at some of the world’s most prestigious races.”

“The Dunlop heritage stands on its achievement in racing and with the driving enthusiast on the road”, stated Sanjay Khanna, managing director, Dunlop Brand, at the new tyre’s official release. “Today we are launching a new breed in the field of performance road driving with the Sport Maxx RT. It combines the very best of our over 120 years of experience on the track and on the road.  It is a tyre with heritage and power is just bursting to get out.”

Dunlop says that, on road surfaces, the Sport Maxx RT delivers enhanced grip, thanks to its motorsport-derived compound, which is said to provide increased adaptability to road surfaces, improving the tyre’s overall grip on both dry and wet surfaces. High handling stability comes courtesy of the tyre’s massive outer shoulder block, which increases the contact area when cornering, especially at high speeds. Wet weather performance is helped by a set of large central grooves which increase water flow volumes. A round footprint allows the water flow to be pushed out via the lateral grooves, ensuring the tyre delivers its performance to the road, not the water surface.

Short-braking blocks, set into the tyre’s tread pattern, are intended to provide for a shorter braking distance, especially at high speed. These blocks, re-enforced by lateral blocks, give an anti-lift effect on the trailing edge thanks to their increased stiffness.

Recent TÜV tests run with the Sport Maxx RT confirm the tyre’s road capabilities. Dunlop reports that, compared to its closest competitors, the Sport Maxx RT showed it could outclass on both dry and wet braking results by showing a seven per cent lead.  Additionally, the independent tests showed a clear 11 per cent better rolling resistance, compared to its key competitors on the market.

“In 2012 we are introducing the Sport Maxx RT to ensure we can continue to claim a leading position in the ultra high performance tyre market”, commented Khanna. “We are seeing a solid growth in the UHP market and the Sport Maxx RT will help us deliver on this demand.” Dunlop comments that the Sport Maxx RT’s debut comes at a time when drivers and original equipment manufacturers are increasingly walking away from 16-inch rims and expanding strongly into 17 and 18-inch rims, two sizes which the Sport Maxx RT will cater to.

Sport Maxx Race

Alongside the Sport Maxx RT, Dunlop unveiled a road-legal track tyre, the Sport Maxx Race. The tyre maker says this new addition to its performance portfolio has been specially designed to help some of the world’s fastest cars perform on some of the world’s most challenging race tracks, while ensuring they can deliver their drivers back home without the need to change tyres.

“Throughout its long history, Dunlop has always had a racing tyre for the track enthusiast and today we are putting ourselves back in pole-position in this category with the introduction of the Sport Maxx Race,” said Khanna. “With thousands of hours of development work behind us, we are confident that we have taken into account even the smallest details to ensure we deliver a tyre that can transfer the car’s power to the road with maximum impact.”

Dunlop reports that the Sport Maxx Race delivers a solid grip on dry road surfaces, supported by a motorsport derived compound made from a blend of race-proven polymer and a traction enhancing plastifier – combination said to offer higher compound adaptability to road surface. Wet weather performance is looked after by four inner circumferential grooves for water drainage.

To help ensure drivers keep their vehicles well-balanced in corners, Dunlop’s Sport Maxx Race builds on its asymmetric pattern design with a massive outer shoulder block, which it says generates higher cornering grip on the track. Further stated improvements in cornering grip are delivered thanks to high angle ribs, ensuring increased lateral stiffness. Furthermore, Dunlop reports that superior high speed stability is driven by a hybrid overlay featuring Aramid, a high strength and heat resistant synthetic fibre.

“Our new Sport Maxx Race tyres are the perfect choice for the serious sports car driver that wants to take his car to and on the track.  Delivering some of the best on-track performances for a tyre that is also roadworthy was a key requirement for Dunlop when it first started developing the Sport Maxx Race, and we have delivered on this,” Khanna concluded.