Cooper Tires: recent tyre additions show commitment to latest technologies

Cooper Tires has launched two new products in its high performance range over the last 18 months, something the company describes as an indication that the firm is “committed to offering customers the latest tyre technologies.”

According to the company, Cooper’s knowledge of the motorsport industry and the demands of high performance driving enable the tyre manufacturer to develop road tyres that are optimised for high performance vehicles.

As Associate Partner of the FIA World Rallycross Championship – for four years now, the company’s ability to produce tyres that can be pushed to the toughest of limits, from the rough to the smooth, is showcased on a global stage. For example, Cooper produce the leading rallycross tyre for what is a thrilling and challenging sport.

Sarah McRoberts, European marketing communications manager for Cooper, commented: “Our involvement in World Rallycross, along with having David Coulthard as a brand ambassador, is helping increase the awareness of our high performance products further within Europe.

“Cooper’s flagship UHP tyre – the Zeon CS Sport – features state-of-the-art technology and with the input and help of David Coulthard, the CS Sport is a truly exceptional UHP tyre for high-performance cars.

“One of our latest additions to the Cooper high performance range – the Zeon 4XS Sport – brings together a wide range of new technologies to offer a winning tyre in the SUV market segment. With a wide variety of fitments for high-performance and premium SUVs, we also proud that the 4XS Sport joins our growing line-up of tyre ranges which offer ‘A’ grade for wet grip.”

The Cooper Zeon CS Sport and Cooper Zeon 4XS range

The Cooper Zeon CS Sport is Cooper’s ultra-high performance tyre for high performance cars. This was the first tyre Cooper developed in conjunction with brand ambassador David Coulthard.

Boasting an A-rating for wet grip across all sizes and speed variants, the tyre features a high-dispersion silica tread, which aids water clearance.

Steering response and lateral stability are enhanced thanks to flipper reinforcement, while a 0 degree spiral restrictor further improves high-speed performance. Handling has been increased thanks to the tyre’s central tread rib and two-ply rayon casing, while it also features a rim flange protector to guard against kerb damage to alloy wheels.

The CS Sport’s Tri-Arc mould shape for improved contact pressure distribution and its tuned construction work together to offer precision handling.

The Cooper Zeon CS Sport is available in various fitments from 17 to 19-inch diameter rim sizes, all of which are offered in W or Y speed ratings for high-performance vehicles and are available to buy across Europe and the Middle East.

Meanwhile, the Cooper Zeon 4XS Sport is designed for medium and large SUV fitments, offering outstanding grip (‘A’ grade wet grip) and handling. Having replaced the popular Cooper Zeon 4XS and XSTa, the 4XS Sport has been developed with a new asymmetric tread pattern which is specifically designed to cope with the weight of large SUVs.

The 4XS Sport benefits from input from David Coulthard who tested development variants of the tyre at Vallelunga Circuit, Italy. Coulthard’s feedback reportedly provided direction for the final construction and compound selected for the tyre.

Large circumferential grooves in the tread are designed to clear water efficiently from the contact patch to reduce the risk of aquaplaning in the wet, while a large central rib increases feel and driving response of the tyre. Using a new algorithm, the tread blocks are split into different sized blocks to reduce harmonic noise. The edges of the individual tread blocks are also chamfered to help eliminate uneven wear and to reduce contact noise on the road.

Introduced as part of Cooper’s high performance product range, the tread pattern of the 4XS Sport features 3D sipes which have interlocking three dimensional points inside the sipe. These 3D sipes provide the same benefits of a traditional sipe, including helping the tyre warm up and providing enhanced wet grip, but limit the amount of flex in the tread block which helps control the amount of heat generation in the dry and keeps the tread block stable.