Double Pirelli victory in semi-slick tyre test – ‘regular’ tyre beats specialist products
The latest issue of Germany’s sport auto magazine (5/2015) has published a test of road-legal size 235/35 R19 91Y semi-slicks. Three candidates were mounted on a VW Golf R and evaluated under a range of motorsport-oriented criteria. In contrast to the weighting system commonly seen in tyre tests, dry road surface criteria contributed 70 per cent to the sport auto test’s total score, while wet surface criteria only carried 20 per cent and environmental factors ten per cent. The clear test winner was the ‘particularly recommended’ Pirelli PZero Trofeo R, which finished ahead of two ‘recommended’ tyres, the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 and Dunlop SportMaxx Race.
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Putting quality to the test – Aeolus seeks brand differentiation with the TÜV mark
The days when a handful of well-known brands dominated the tyre market are long gone, and while consumers are now spoiled for choice, this choice comes with one major hitch – gaining an overview of the good, the bad and the ugly in the tyre world is nigh on impossible. All but a few brand names are ‘unknowns’ to the average tyre buyer, and as a result serious manufacturers can easily remain invisible. Faced with this situation, passenger car tyre sector newcomer Aeolus Tyre Co. Ltd is drawing attention to its products through a name synonymous with product quality the world over.
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ATS Euromaster piloting new van and truck maintenance services
Yesterday ATS Euromaster announced that it is offering a range of service, maintenance and repair (SMR) facilities for trucks and trailers, designed to make it easy for fleets to get rapid access to expert care for larger commercial vehicles. Six ATS Euromaster centres have been selected to take part in the pilot scheme, in Birmingham, Avonmouth, Liverpool, Rugby, Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester. In addition to offering tyres for trucks and trailers, these centres are now fit replacement air cables, electrical coils and suzie lines – with work carried out either in centre, on-site or at the roadside. They are also offering replacement batteries with two year unlimited mileage guarantees, plus a rapid response service for jumpstarting trucks in need of urgent assistance.
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Michelin acquires 40% stake in leading French online tyre retailer
Michelin says its acquisition of a 40 per cent share in France’s leading internet tyre retailer is a way to offer consumers “a simplified and financially-advantageous path” between searching online for tyre information and making a purchase and having tyres fitted by professionals. The tyre maker is investing €60 million for a minority stake in Allopneus SAS, which currently holds a seven per cent share of the French tyre market and sold some three million tyres last year.
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Apollo lays foundation of Hungary Greenfield tyre manufacturing plant
Construction of Apollo Tyres’ first European Greenfield plant in Gyöngyöshalász, Hungary, officially began on 10 April 2015, with a foundation stone laying ceremony. The international tyre manufacturer’s facility will start production in early 2017. The facility will produce both, Apollo and Vredestein branded tyres and will cater to the entire European market.
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Superior Industries prepares shareholders for another AGM showdown
For the last two years, wheel manufacturer Superior Industries International Inc. has faced a shareholder proxy challenge at its Annual General Meeting. On each occasion the company’s largest institutional shareholder, GAMCO Asset Management Inc., presented rival candidates to Superior Industries’ own nominees for directorship. And while GAMCO’s efforts failed both times, it is hoping for third time lucky at the 2015 AGM on 5 May. In strongly-worded letters dated 30 March and 7 April, Superior Industries has urged its shareholders to once again reject the GAMCO-backed candidates and vote for its own nominees.
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Kwik Fit benefiting from increased mechanical work
Kwik Fit reports that it is seeing fleet demand for its range of mechanical services increasing and is forecasting further growth in 2015. According to the company, the catalyst for growth was the opening of 20 Kwik Fit Plus centres. Indeed, Kwik Fit Plus centres are said to form a key part of parent company Itochu Corporations ongoing network-wide multi-million pound refurbishment and modernisation programme.
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Goodyear adds new retread sizes to KMax portfolio
The KMax range of mileage-oriented truck tyres from Goodyear has been extended with the addition of several retreaded products. New arrivals include a pair of KMax sizes in the TreadMax mould cure line-up and two pre-cure treads for Goodyear’s UniCircle portfolio.
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Valtra sets new tractor speed record on Nokian Tyres
Nokian Tyres and Valtra have combined their expertise to set a new record for tractors, clocking 130.165km/h (80.88mph) on a snowy and icy road in Finnish Lapland. Multiple World Rally champion, Juha Kankkunen drove the Valtra T234, which ran on the world’s first winter tyre for tractors, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta TRI (440/80R28 151D & 540/80R38 167D). Click through to the full story to watch a video documenting the new World Record.
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Will Clarkson, Hammond and May Live satisfy sponsors?
Top Gear Live is dead; long live Clarkson, Hammond and May Live! The deal struck this week following Jeremy Clarkson’s ignominious departure from Top Gear to salvage the extensive 2015 Top Gear Live schedule has underlined the ending of Clarkson’s association with the brand and the BBC. While a decision on the fate of the programme – and presenters Richard Hammond and James May – remains in discussions, the deal guarantees ticket holders to see most of the show for which they bought tickets. But are the show’s principle corporate supporters happy with the new arrangement?
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Dunlop launches BTCC overtakers league with #ForeverForward social media hashtag
Dunlop will leverage the widespread popularity of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship to push interaction with its social media channels further in 2015. The tyre supplier and official sponsor has launched a new overtaking league table that will focus on battles throughout the field, fightbacks from adversity and the determination of the best drivers in bumper-to-bumper combat.
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Cooper Tire Europe extends Arsenal association with #MatchReady competition
Cooper, the first ‘Official Tyre of Arsenal Football Club’ has launched a new competition asking fans of the club to share their pre-match rituals. The tyre brand is using the hashtag #MatchReady to engage fans on social media, with three Arsenal stars taking part in the campaign-launching fan film (see below). Cooper is asking players and fans across Europe to share their #MatchReady rituals on Twitter, with the chance to win two tickets to see Arsenal v Swansea in the Premier League, hosted by former midfielder and ‘Romford Pelé’, Ray Parlour.
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The AA partners Event Tyres in new ‘AA tyres’ mobile service
2 April sees the launch of the AA’s first professional mobile tyre fitting service. Called ‘AA Tyres’, the service is a joint venture with Manchester-based Event Tyres and initially, the fleet consists of 30 AA-liveried vans, each equipped to change tyres, repair punctures and balance wheels at a location convenient to the driver. The news confirms earlier reports suggesting such a move was on the horizon.
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Hunter CV aligner offers ‘rapid fuel saving opportunity’ – Pro-Align
Hunter’s new wheel alignment system for commercial vehicles is now available in the UK, and its distributor believes the innovative product is set to help fleets reduce their running and maintenance costs significantly. The Hunter system, available exclusively through Pro-Align, is the first and only CV alignment system on the market today capable of providing live alignment readings on three axles simultaneously, according to the distributor.
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Event Tyres launching three new products at Autopromotec
Netherlands-based Event Tyres BV has revealed plans to launch three new products at the Autopromotec exhibition in Bologna, Italy in May. The new products are called the Futurum, Semita and Potentum and are aimed at high performance, SUV and UHP orientated vehicles respectively. With Autopromotec less than two months away, Tyres & Accessories spoke with Eddy Oost, managing director of Event Tyre BV, in order to find out more about the products and the company’s broader expansion strategy.
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