Based in Japan, Bridgestone Corporation is the world’s largest tyre and rubber company.
Bridgestone has confirmed that its Dueler H/L 33 tyres are being fitted as original equipment on the Lexus NX. According to the manufacturer, the tyres are “engineered with low rolling resistance [and] will play a key role in the vehicle’s ability to deliver impressive handling, stability and fuel efficiency.” The latest news comes as part of a continued strategy of targeting SUV OE, according to the official announcement.
Bridgestone is to be title sponsor of the inaugural America’s Golf Cup, which will take place at the Pilar Golf Club in Buenos Aires, Argentina between 20 and 26 October. Upon announcing the deal, Bridgestone described the Bridgestone America’s Golf Cup as an “important platform” for advancing golf in the Latin America region and a venue for promoting the company’s product portfolio.
Bridgestone’s mooted rejuvenation of its Firestone brand in Europe is partially focused on its motorsport heritage. One recent Firestone promotion will allow a couple from Toynton, near Spilsby, Lincolnshire, to experience the brand’s US motorsport involvement at first hand, winning a £10,000 Indianapolis 500 motorsport holiday. The sales campaign ran in a number of garages around the country to coincide with the brand’s efforts to reinvigorate itself and become a major force in the UK tyre market once more, Bridgestone stated.
Bridgestone launched a new winter tyre for smaller cars in February 2014, the Blizzack LM001 winter tyre, completing its range of passenger car fitments alongside the LM-32 for higher performance vehicles. In the UK, however, Bridgestone’s north region communications manager Andy Dingley believes the brand’s Weather Control all-season tyre represents an even better proposition for British motorists.
As of 1 September, executive chairman of Bridgestone Europe NV/SA, Eduardo Minardi, will be promoted from vice-president and senior officer of Bridgestone Corporation to senior vice-president. Minardi’s status changes along with that of Bridgestone Americas CEO and president Gary Garfield, who will also go from being vice-president and senior officer of Bridgestone Corporation to senior vice-president.
Bridgestone has announced the appointment of several senior executives to a new organisation called the BIOC – the Bridgestone International Organizing Committee. Bridgestone CEO and board chairman Maasaki Tsuya has been named BIOC chairman, effective 1 September. Tsuya will be supported in this position by COO and Japan business head Kazuhisa Nishigai, who will become vice-chairman of the BIOC, and Yuichiro Takenami, who will be BIOC secretary general.
In the second quarter of 2014, Bridgestone managed to increase its turnover, and its operating profit even more so. And the figures for Europe were particularly noteworthy and show a continued improvement, even if they remain below company average.
It bears more than a passing resemblance to the M1 of three decades ago and represents something of a sea change in how hybrid vehicles are perceived by performance car fans; such is the popularity of the new BMW i8, UK stocks of the £95,000 supercar sold out within two weeks. New buyers have been informed they face a wait of up to ten months to receive their pride and joy.
One of Britain’s leading MotoGP stars, Bradley Smith has endorsed Bridgestone’s Battlax Hypersport S20 Evo in a new video made by the MotoGP tyre supplier. Bridgestone says the new sporty road tyre improves upon the performance and safety of the S20, with greater durability and stability. The tyre was unveiled at the Autódromo Internacional race circuit near Portimão, Portugal, with Monster Energy Tech 3 star, Smith allowed to get a feel for it on his Yamaha.
The Lexus NX has now been launched in Japan and it will be introduced in other markets in the coming months, reaching the UK in October. Bridgestone says its tyres have been homologated as an original equipment fitment for the crossover SUV; the Bridgestone Dueler H/L 33 will be fitted to the Lexus NX200ｔand NX300h in both the Japanese and other global markets. Lexus will receive the tyre in 225/60R18 100H for markets that include Japan, Europe, Australia and China, and in size 235/55R18 100V for markets that include Japan, Europe, Australia, North America and South Korea.
Bridgestone representatives at the launch of the new Firestone Destination HP SUV tyre in Valencia were particularly keen to stress the importance of the event beyond the product itself. While the product, representing an important segment for the company’s second line brand, provided plenty of the technological improvements usually expected of a new flagship tyre in metrics such as dry and wet braking, rolling resistance and noise, this was also a “rejuvenation” of a name that has kept a relatively lower profile outside USA in recent years.
Bridgestone is supplying National Tyres’ next generation of automotive apprentices with “tyre toolbags” for a second successive year. The manufacturer says it was keen to support the vocational offering by way of a branded holdall for each learner for another year, containing a wide range of equipment to assist in both the classroom and in-branch, after first hearing about National’s pioneering NVQ level 2 training courses in 2013.
Bridgestone has beaten Michelin and Pirelli to be named Australia’s ‘most trusted tyre brand’ in a survey carried out for Reader’s Digest Australia. The publication’s Trusted Brands 2014 survey rated brands in 46 categories on a scale of one to ten, and named one winner and two highly commended runners-up for each category.
Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations has rebranded its GCR Tires & Service division. The company says the effort signifies its pledge to be the “leading provider of commercial tyres and service in North America.” The rebranding includes the introduction of a new logo, which Bridgestone describes as “crisp, clean and colourful” and a “visual representation of GCR’s continued pledge and commitment to its customers.”
The world’s top golfers will once again descend on Akron in the US as the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational returns to the Firestone Country Club’s South Course between 31 July and 3 August. The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is one of four in the WGC series, the international golf tournament organised by North American tour organiser PGA TOUR. The top players of the six major global tours – the PGA Tour, European Tour, Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, and Sunshine Tour – and players in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings are eligible to compete in the tournament.
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