Yokohama Rubber has commercially introduced a new technology it has been working on for a number of years, aerodynamic fins that improve handling stability. It debuted this feature on the Yokohama Advan A50, a size 165/50R16 75V tyre currently only available in Japan as an original equipment fitment on the Daihatsu Copen two-door convertible kei car.
Drag is, for want of a better word, a drag. It literally gets in your way wherever you go. Design teams must combat this restrictive force whenever developing a new vehicle, and Maxion Wheels has come to their aid with a new concept. It calls this the Aerowheel.
To help it design tyres that contribute towards lower fuel consumption and, in electric vehicles, increased range, Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. has developed its own aerodynamic simulation technology. It calls it ‘Mobility Aerodynamics’ and says the technology “represents an advance never seen in the industry before.”
Pressure Systems International (PSI), a market leader in automatic tyre inflation systems for commercial vehicles, has invested in a new aerodynamic technology and entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Plasma Stream Technologies.
Researchers from Yokohama Rubber report making progress in a project that may lead to lower external tyre noise and improved tyre aerodynamics. The Yokohama contingent is working together with a team of researchers at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), which is a part of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The team, led by Professor Kozo Fujii, has successfully conducted the world’s first simulation of near real-scale flow structures (turbulence) around a tyre rolling on a road surface and the acoustic waves, or noise, generated from these structures. Yokohama Rubber expresses confidence that the ability to simulate a flow structure that enables precise measurement of acoustic waves opens up potential for new technological breakthroughs, and the company says it will therefore continue to support further research in these areas.
A meeting of the Formula 1 commission has voted to re-introduce tyre changes into the racing series. The Daily Telegraph described F1’s decision to reintroduce tyre changes as “far from unanimous”. In addition the series will adopt a new qualifying system for next season as well as a radical alterations to vehicle aerodynamics and appearance.
For the first time the Porsche Michelin Supercup will compete on Arabian soil, when it takes place in Bahrain from 1 to 3 April. The extra racing weekend, where no points for this year’s championship are awarded, came as an express wish from the Royal Palace as well as from the race organizer, the local Al-Bawaba news source reported. With 400 hp, a sequential six-speed gearbox and the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB), as well as sophisticated race aerodynamics, this GT3 Cup is the most powerful and at the same time the most challenging racing sportscar in the history of the Porsche Michelin Supercup, the report added.
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