Azenis RS820 – first Falken UUHP tyre for Europe

Falken Tyre Europe has unveiled a new ultra-ultra-high-performance (UUHP) tyre, the Falken Azenis RS820. It says this new pattern is designed to offer responsive handling, balanced wet and dry grip and impressive feel on both road and track.

Initially available in 38 sizes spanning 19 to 21 inches, with cross-sections from 30 to 45, and a Y speed index – rated up to 300 km/h – the Azenis RS820 is derived from Falken’s race-winning motorsport technologies and experience honed from over 20 years of competing on the Nürburgring. The tyre provides a fitment option to a range of high-performance cars and SUVs such the Porsche 911, Audi R8, Aston Martin Vantage, BMW M5, Cupra Formentor and Mercedes-Benz AMG GT.

Falken Tyre Europe shares that its engineers focused on developing a tyre that would offer maximum driving pleasure, safety, and more durability. The company’s product development team called upon the expertise and materials knowledge of its engineers in Europe, as well as the technological capabilities of parent company Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd in Japan, to produce its first UUHP pattern for the region.

Azenis RS820 features

Engineered to offer ultra-precise handling, stability, and control at all speeds and in a variety of conditions, as well as a quiet and smooth ride, the Azenis RS820 features an asymmetric tread pattern with four circumferential tread grooves. An improved shoulder design offers increased contact with the road and enhanced lateral stability on dry roads.

Motorsport technology is at the Azenis RS820’s core with Aramid – just like its race car pattern – used in the hybrid-configured reinforcements. An optimised belt ply provides an even pressure distribution, allowing for a dynamic driving experience with heightened safety – particularly at the limit.

The tread compound itself comprises a variety of chemical compounds to ensure ruggedness in the tread blocks, while a combination of interlocking microstructures and flexibility provides robust driving properties across a broad range of road surfaces and conditions.

The circumferential tread ribs of the AZENIS RS820 not only provide improved lateral grip while cornering, but also ensure stable straight-line stability. Wide, deep grooves also deliver particularly good water drainage and minimise the risk of aquaplaning.

With weight also an important factor when it comes to high-performance vehicles, Falken’s engineers explored all weight-saving possibilities – both in construction and compound – to make the Azenis RS820 lighter than its comparable internal reference product.

Falken’s proprietary advanced 4D Nano design technology, simulating and controlling the molecular structure of rubber compounds at nano level to create compounds with lower wear rates and offer a longer lifespan. The label values for the Azenis RS820 – which have not yet been fully defined – are provisionally classified as A (performance in wet conditions), B (noise) and C (fuel economy).

30 out of the 38 sizes are set to go into production before the end of 2023, with the remaining eight to follow in 2024.