Pirelli Reviews Star Driver Inauguration at WRC Portugal
Citroen driver Sebastien Loeb maintained his dominance of the 2009 World Rally Championship with victory on the fourth round of the series, the Rally of Portugal, which ended in Faro on Sunday afternoon (5 April). There’s nothing new there, considering Loeb’s early season form, though the Portuguese WRC stage represented a landmark worthy of note for tyre suppliers Pirelli. The Italian giant’s Star Driver scheme – undertaken with collaboration from the FIA in order to develop new young drivers – inaugurated five new drivers, all of whom will compete at a further five events. Jarkko Nikara of Finland, Nicos Thomas from Cyprus, the Czech Republic’s Martin Semerad, Mark Tapper from New Zealand and South African Jon Williams tackled Portugal as the first stage in their WRC education. Pirelli rally manager Mario Isola said, “We are very pleased with the way this event has gone. We had no problems with the tyres. Okay, there were some punctures caused by accidents, but otherwise the hard-compound Scorpion tyre coped very well with the conditions. This has been another very strong drive from Sebastien Loeb, but once again we saw Ford pushing Citroen hard. This was also a historic rally for Pirelli with the Star Driver Scheme. This association with the FIA to help young drivers in the sport has made us very proud as a company. All five of the drivers have performed well and we now look ahead to the rest of the season with these exciting guys.”
Continue ReadingPirelli Researching the Use of Rice Husk Ash in Tyre Compounds
From an ecological point of view, the new Pirelli Cinturato P7 offers three headline benefits - a CO2 emission reduction of up to 4 grams per kilometre driven, 30 per cent lower noise emissions and a 4 per cent fuel saving. Pirelli’s clincher (particularly aimed at current and potential OE customers) is that it is already in position to meet the targets set by the new EU regulations that are due to take effect from 2011 and that it does this without compromising on wet or dry performance. However, none of this explains how the company is able to achieve these goals. In mid-February, Pirelli gave details of how its 2009 – 2011 industrial plan means the company will have an increasingly “green” focus. In particular Pirelli committed to developing a series of new materials that for use in tyre compounds. One particular silica rich material is rice husk ash (RHA). Pirelli is already (as far as the technological requirements are concerned) in a position to use this material in tyre production this year. However, the material is currently the subject of a large scale viability study focusing on the availability of the kind of tonnages needed for tyre industral scale tyre manufacturing. Tyres & Accessories understands that Pirelli already has research and development teams in place in Brazil and the areas surround Milan, which just happen to be some of the best rice production areas in the world.
Continue ReadingBridgestone Americas Announces Motorcycle Tyre Recall
The recall of a number of Bridgestone tyres fitted as OE to Triumph motorcycles in 2008 and 2009 is currently underway. The tyre in question, the Exedra G850 in size 180/70R16 77H, was shipped with the Triumph Rocket III Touring. This particular motorcycle develops very high torque and can cause torque-induced degradation in a body ply, which may result in cracks forming in the rear tyre’s inner liner, leading to a slow leak. This condition does not affect the front tyre.
Continue ReadingKeegan Outlines Strategies to “Weather the Economic Storm”
In his address at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Companys 2009 Annual Shareholder Meeting on April 7, chairman and chief executive officer Robert J. Keegan said he remains confident in Goodyears ability to drive performance during challenging economic conditions and emerge in a position of competitive strength. This confidence, he said, derives from Goodyears game tested leadership team, a proven track record based on strong strategies and continued new product success, as well as actions the company is taking to improve its cost structure and strengthen its cash position.
Continue ReadingDouble Win for Dunlop Direzza
The winner of the Street Touring Ultra class at this year’s Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) competition, held in California, may have appeared familiar. The man taking the honours at the event was none other than last year’s winner, Richard Jung. At both the 2008 and 2009 competitions Jung attained victory on Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tyres. “There has been a lot of hype about new street tyres from some of Dunlop’s competitors for this type of competition, so it was satisfying to get a repeat victory as evidence that the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec is still the tyre to beat,” said Jung. “Enthusiasts are getting the message that this Dunlop tyre is proven to be the fastest in competition. You can feel the difference when you push the Star Specs, which is an advantage, because it allows a more consistent feel and reduced the need for suspension adjustments between runs.”
Continue ReadingMichelin Withdraws From Shanghai Motor Show
The Michelin Group has withdrawn from April’s Auto Shanghai 2009 motor show, reports Chinese news outlet Sina Corporation. The company has attended the show during the past decade and maintained a significant presence there. A member of Michelin’s public relations team stated that the company will cut back on its exhibition presence this year. The whole industry is in difficulty and we also have to do some adjustment and scale-down, the representative explained. Michelin is, however, still scheduled to attend the IAA show in Frankfurt, Germany, in September.
Continue ReadingATD to Sell 37 Retail Outlets
US based tyre wholesaler and distributor American Tire Distributors Holdings (ATD) intends to sell the 37 retail outlets it acquired in 2008 as part of its purchase of Am-Pac Tire Distributors. In a financial filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the company states: “The acquisition of Am-Pac Tire also added 37 retail stores, predominately in the St. Louis, Missouri and Southern California areas. As these stores are not core to the Company’s business, management’s intention is to divest of these stores during 2009.”
Continue ReadingWolfrace Announces 5-Year Aftermarket Rim Warranty
Wheel designer Wolfrace is confident in the quality of its aftermarket rims – so much so, that it is now offering them with a five-year warranty. This move, which the company claims is an industry first, applies to a number of lines in its 14 design GB range, namely the Porto in silver, Milano, Como, Modena, Oslo, Flair, Campo, Salerno and Riga. A number of designs, the Porto in black/ polished, Trenta, Lugano, Ravenna, Bari, Nogaro, Porto and Ancona in full chrome, are covered by a two-year warranty.
Continue ReadingIn Tyres & Accessories, May 2009:
Tyrexpo Asia Review
High-Performance Tyres
Vintage Tyres
Tyrexpo Asia Reports from this year’s Tyrexpo Asia exhibition in Singapore have been positive, with show attendees commenting on a good turnout and definite signs of flourishing business despite current global conditions. Following a full schedule of meetings with industry representatives at the show, Tyres & Accessories is proud to bring you its 2009 Tyrexpo Asia review. A comprehensive report on the Singapore show can be found in our next edition. Born to Perform If any aspect of the tyre business can at all lay claim to coolness, it is the high performance tyre segment. Manufacturers naturally make the most of this when promoting their wider product ranges, yet the performance tyre sector is a very important business in its own right. Healthy profit margins mean companies are keen to see continued market growth, and the production of high performance tyres is increasingly becoming a means of continued existence for plants located in higher cost countries following the flight of mass-market manufacturing to other parts of the world. Don’t miss the May edition of Tyres & Accessories, when we feature the latest news from the high performance tyre world. Enjoying an Active Retirement As we get older we are admonished to regularly exercise our bodies, to – ‘use it or lose it’. Vintage and classic cars are no different. A full appreciation of yesteryear’s vehicles can only be gained by keeping them on the road instead of gathering dust in a static museum display, but for a full and active retired life, these cars require a little more TLC than average – including the correct tyres. Thankfully, number of firms have dedicated themselves to ensuring these tyres remain available long after wider volume production ended. In May, Tyres & Accessories returns to the world of cross-ply and beaded edges to bring you its vintage tyre feature.
Continue ReadingATD 2008 Net Jumps 700%
American Tire Distributors said last week that its 2008 sales increased 4.4 per cent year-on-year while net income jumped more than 700 per cent. ATD posted 2008 sales of $1.96 billion, up from 2007 sales of $1.88 billion. Net profits, though, increased from $1.37 million in 2007 to more than $9.67 million last year. (Tire Review/Akron)
Continue ReadingTyre Dumping Up 2,300%, Says South African Union
South African trade union NUMSA has spoken out against the importation of cheap Chinese manufactured tyres into the country, reporting on the phenomenon in a press statement that also addressed road safety concerns. According to NUMSA, China’s tyre dumping activities into the country has increased 2,300 per cent from 108,039 in the year 2000 to 1,057,312. These tyres often arrive under-invoiced, NUMSA adds, and therefore attract less duty, something that has caused industry production to drop by about 40 per cent.
Continue ReadingBike Tyrestore Raises Sava Prices
Bike Tyrestore has announced that the pound/euro exchange rate collapse has forced the company to increase the prices of its range of Sava scooter and light motorcycle tyres. Speaking frankly in the company’s customer email newsletter, Bike Tyrestore representatives said: “To be honest, sales have been affected, although the Savas are still priced below most of the other ‘leading brands.’ Which is the point wed like to make. Customers dont always appreciate that Sava scooter tyres are made in Europe, to at least the same high standards as each of the household names, not all of which are in fact of European production, and the Savas are cheaper.”
Continue ReadingUS State Makes Tyre Pressure Checks Compulsory
When a regulation adopted on March 26 comes into force, automotive maintenance outlets in the US state of California will be required to check tyre pressure on every vehicle they service. The Air Resources Board regulation takes effect July 1, 2010, and is one of 44 early action measures intended to extend the average tyre’s useful life by 4,700 miles, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 700,000 tonnes and the state’s fuel consumption by 284 million litres.
Continue ReadingKraiburg Trains Nortenha Sales Staff
Despite the weakness of the European truck tyre market, there are still opportunities for retreaders, says Kraiburg Austria. To take advantage of these, Portuguese retreader Recauchutagem Nortenha organised a two-day training session, with Kraiburg Austria, for its entire sales staff. In what was a practical-orientated workshop, Kraiburgs Product Manager Michael Schwämmlein concentrated on four major themes; tyre technique, vehicle configurations, Kraiburgs tread segmentation with K_base, K_tech and K_plus, as well as professional tread selection depending on vehicle and application.
Continue ReadingMichelin North America Releases New HydroEdge
According to Michelin North America, its newly released HydroEdge tyre range delivers up to 33,000 more miles than its competitor the Goodyear Assurance ComforTred. On top of this, the company says the HydroEdge stops up to 14 feet shorter than its competitor and is the most fuel-efficient tyre in its category. All in all, says Michelin, the new tyre offers consumers even more than the previous generation while providing the confidence consumers expect from its premier large passenger car and minivan tyre.
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