Dunlop Motorsport has announced the appointment of Jason Dee as manager, Motorcycle Motorsport Europe. He replaces Steve Male, who announced his retirement from Dunlop Motorsport after 43 years’ service. Dee has worked at Dunlop for 16 years, most recently being responsible for the Motorsport Sales and Operating Process and Supply Chain functions. He will be based at the company's Motorsport Technical Centre at Fort Dunlop, Birmingham, England.
In developing its latest tyre for Nordic winter conditions, Bridgestone says it aimed to meet the challenge posed by increasingly strict environmental regulations on tyre studs. The all-new Blizzak SPIKE-01 replaces the Noranza 2 EVO and features studs that incorporate a “square-shouldered, round pin with revolutionary cross-edge to maximise edge and scratch effect while minimising road wear and associated dust pollution.” According to the tyre maker, preliminary internal tests already reveal the superiority of the Blizzak SPIKE-01 stud’s multi-directional biting effect on ice and snow and its retention rate over the lifecycle of the stud and tyre compared to on the predecessor tyre. Side-by-side tests of the new and previous generation tyres conducted in Sweden using size 205/55 R16 tyres fitted on a VW GOLF 2.0tdi also showed a 20 per cent better performance on ice and five per cent better performance on snow for the Blizzak SPIKE-01.
Recently, Denmark-based wholesaler NDI decided to establish a warehouse in China near to where its Nordexx private brand is manufactured. From this warehouse the wholesaler will directly supply Nordexx-brand and other products to its European and international customers. Last week the first shipment of Nordexx tyres arrived in the new Qingdao warehouse, and NDI says it will have the full Nordexx range in stock there within three weeks.
It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it. Once again, Michelin’s guide inspectors have travelled through 20 countries looking for the best hotels and restaurants to suit every taste and budget. The result of their labours is the 32nd edition of the Michelin guide Main Cities of Europe. The 2013 issue of the gourmet’s bible offers a selection of 3,728 establishments, including 2,154 restaurants and 1,574 hotels.
Micheldever’s 4×4 tyre specialist distributor Southam Tyres has announced that it will add the Falken WildPeak WP/AT01 all-terrain tyre to its range. Falken Tyres UK director, Matt Smith says: “Falken will be adding more size ranges for the UK replacement market in order to meet the demand for performance 4×4 and SUV tyres.”
Giti Tire has announced the appointment of Dr Gabriele Bosselmann to the newly created position of HR director – Europe. Dr Bosselmann will join the EU leadership team and be responsible for HR policies, processes and procedures, as well as hold a key role in the development of business plans and objectives.
Along with new series and concept tyres, at the Geneva motor show Bridgestone Europe has launched its new website for car, SUV, 4×4 and van drivers. The company says the site aims to give drivers a “fresh, attractive, user-friendly and engaging experience” and offers a number of different ways of finding the right Bridgestone tyres for a vehicle, regardless of whether a driver already knows exactly which tyre they’re looking for or would like additional guidance from Bridgestone to find a suitable product. The site is currently only available in English, however French, German, Italian and Spanish versions will follow in April, with others to arrive in the coming months.
Avon will begin its eighth successive year as sole tyre supplier to the Avon Tyres British GT Championship at Oulton Park on Easter weekend. Launched on the evening of 7 March in London, the 2013 season features grids boosted by a number of European entries.
Bridgestone has introduced an upgraded version of its Blizzak LM-80. Displaying the new Blizzak LM-80 EVO at the Geneva motor show, the tyre maker said the new SUV tyre features three improvements designed to upgrade snow and wet performance: New sipe distribution for traction, a new silica-rich compound developed exclusively for European winter conditions, and an optimised centre rib and shoulder block design for improved handling and road holding.
Infinity Tyres Europe has announced a new distribution partnership covering Greece and several other southern European markets with the Athens-based Saracakis Group. The deal covers PCR, TBR, OTR and agricultural product lines. Saracakis has almost 100 years’ experience in the automotive business and today supports long-standing distribution agreements with Honda, Mitsubishi, Volvo and Komatsu amongst many other world-class brands.
At Continental’s annual press conference on 7 March, CEO Dr. Elmar Degenhart described the company’s 2012 performance as “the best results in Continental’s 124 year history.” He reiterated that last year’s annual profit of almost 1.9 billion euros equals 9.24 euros a share, compared with 6.21 euros in 2011. Therefore, Dr. Degenhart shared, Continental’s management intends to propose to the company’s Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on 15 May that a dividend of 2.25 euros per share be paid out for fiscal 2012. “As in the previous year, out intention here is for our shareholders to participate directly in the company’s success,” he added. “In addition to the dividend, our shareholders also benefit from the extremely positive share price performance – with an increase of 82 per cent in fiscal 2012 alone. As such, our shares displayed the highest price increase of any of the DAX companies. It is fair to say that an investment in Continental shares paid off handsomely in 2012.”
The Geneva Motor Show has served as a backdrop for the official European debut of Bridgestone’s Potenza Adrenalin RE002. The premium sport tyre was first introduced last year, and Bridgestone says the aftermarket-only tyre was launched across Europe in February. The range focuses on 15 to 18-inch rim diameters and 60 to 40 series; the manufacturer describes the Potenza Adrenalin RE002 as an “urban sporty, offering car enthusiasts a daily driving sensation with sharp steering response and exhilarating sporty handling.”
Michelin reports its Pilot Sport Cup 2 will premiere on the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Black Series. All versions of this particular car will be fitted with the new tyre, which Michelin says was developed together with Mercedes-AMG.
Franchised vehicle dealers believe there has been an overall improvement in the day to day relationship with their manufacturer. Sales incentive programmes and improved profitability boosted partnerships, according to the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) Dealer Attitude Survey Winter 2012/2013 results.
On 1 March, Titan International announced its intention to offer through a private placement, subject to market and other conditions, US$275 million aggregate principal amount of its 7.875 per cent Senior Secured Notes due 2017. The tyre maker says it intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to repay a portion of the existing indebtedness of certain of its indirect subsidiaries under the European credit facilities assumed as part of its acquisition of Titan Europe Plc in the fourth quarter of 2012. Any remaining net proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, which may include financing potential future acquisitions and the repayment of other existing obligations.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
