Japan Archives - Page 20 of 57 - Tyrepress

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Yokohama establishes motorsport company

In future, Yokohama’s motorsport activities will be handled by a new company specifically set up for that purpose. On 1 April, Yokohama Rubber established Yokohama Motorsports International Co., Ltd., a company specialised in governing the development, supply and overall activities related to its racing tyres. The new operation is headed up by Tetsuya Kuze, who has been appointed president of Yokohama Motorsports International. Kuze also serves as a director and corporate officer at Yokohama Rubber. The Tokyo-based company will be fully operational as of July and employ approximately 20 people.

2nd April 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

ABS to be standard on motorbikes

Starting from 2016, antilock braking systems (ABS) will be introduced as standard equipment for an increasing number of motorcycles in the EU. At the beginning of March, the European Union passed legislation to this effect, with the objective of further reducing traffic accident figures. In 2011 alone, around 5,000 motorcyclists were killed on Europe's roads. "A standard-fit ABS can prevent more than one-quarter of all motorcycle accidents with personal injuries," is how Gerhard Steiger, president of the Bosch Chassis Systems Control division, sums up the findings of a Bosch accident study.

26th March 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

Falken Motorsports unveils upgraded VLN Porsche

Falken Motorsports shares that it will field its Porsche 997 GT3 R in this year’s VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring and Nürburgring 24 Hours events. It says a raft of performance upgrades for its Porsche have been carried out and, coupled with an unchanged driver line up of Sebastian Asch, Peter Dumbreck, Wolf Henzler and Martin Ragginger, Falken Motorsports says it holds the “clear aim of a top ten finish in the 24 Hour event.”

8th March 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone OE on Nissan 370Z Nismo

Nissan will fit Bridgestone’s Potenza S001 tyres to its new European market Nismo. The tyre manufacturer will supply wider 245/40R19 sizes on the front and 285/35R19 on the rear with a “tailor-made” compound. The tyre will respond to the V6 344-horsepower coupe’s cornering, sporty handling and power, Bridgestone says.

26th February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

Golf GTi Championship picks Tarox F2000 as control brake disc

Tarox F2000 brake discs have been made available to the Golf GTi Championship, a staple on the MSVR calendar. Competitors can choose to run an OEM style ‘smooth’ disc, or benefit from the improved cooling and pad-facing ability of the Tarox F2000 control option; the choice is left up to the teams. For 2013, competitors can also spec up to the larger 256mm set-up from the later GTi models. A combination, when fitted with a suitably aggressive pad and F2000 disc, that should see lap times falling amongst the quicker cars.

15th February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama enjoys a record 2012

Last year was a new high water mark for Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., with the 2012 fiscal year delivering record net sales, operating income and net income. The company says these results reflect the strong growth of original equipment sales to Japanese vehicle manufacturers, a business recovery in industrial products, success in securing market acceptance for price increases, a decline in raw material costs, continuing progress in reducing costs, and the weakening of the yen toward the end of the year.

14th February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone to open Thailand tech centre

Bridgestone Corporation has announced plans for its Bridgestone Asia Pacific PTE Ltd (BSAP) subsidiary to establish a technical centre in Thailand. The total investment of the project is said to be around 3.7 billion yen, with the opening pencilled in for July 2013.

18th January 2013/by Tyrepress Editors

Toyo to open Toyo Tyre Malaysia in spring 2013

Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. president and CEO Kenji Nakakura has announced a change in name for its forthcoming consolidated tyre manufacturing subsidiary in Malaysia. Formerly Toyo Tyre Manufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, the passenger and light truck tyre manufacturing facility will now be known as Toyo Tyre Malaysia Sdn Bhd. The factory will begin operation next spring.

6th December 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Sumitomo debuts ‘ultra-high precision’ manufacturing system

Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the first car tyre manufactured in Japan. Sumitomo claims the honour of producing this premiere Japanese tyre, and almost a century on the company reports it has finished developing a whole new tyre manufacturing system, which it calls NEO-T01. This new system has been created “in the pursuit of ultra-high precision tyre production technology,” said Sumitomo.

4th December 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Mechel, Marubeni sign Bridgestone supply deal

International News, News

Russian mining and metals company Mechel OAO has announced the signing of five-year contracts for supplies of extra-size Bridgestone tyres with Japan's Marubeni Corporation. These agreements were signed by several Mechel group enterprises – Yakutugol Holding Company OAO, Southern Kuzbass Coal Company OAO and Korshunov Mining Plant OAO –on the sidelines of the official visit of the Russian Federation's First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov to Japan. The deals cover the supply of Bridgestone off-road tyres for heavy dump trucks. The contracts cover the delivery of more than 5,000 tyres.

21st November 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

PricewaterhouseCoopers forecasts continuing UK auto “renaissance”

PricewaterhouseCoopers Automotive partner Phil Harrold has forecast a continuing “renaissance” for the British automotive industry. The analyst suggests the next five years will see the sector improve its workforce’s skills base following recent investments by major brands such as Toyota, and rises in new car registrations. Harrold commented after the firm’s auto analyst arm, Autofacts, predicted global production figures would top 83.19 million in 2013 up from 79.1 million this year.

7th November 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

SUPER GT victory for Yokohama-shod 911

In Japan, a car shod with Yokohama Advan racing tyres finished first in the GT300 class in Round 8 (the final round) of the SUPER GT held on October 28 at Twin Ring Motegi, Tochigi Prefecture, reversing the series point standings to win the 2012 series championship. Vehicles equipped with Yokohama tyres have won the series championship in the GT300 class for the last four years.

6th November 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone to invest in emerging markets

In its 18 October-announced Mid-Term Management Plan 2012, Bridgestone reported it plans to spend an average of 250 billion yen on capital expenditure projects, half of which will be for strategic tyre projects. Further to this company announcement, a Japan-based reporter for Reuters writes that in the 2013 calendar year Bridgestone will spend 280 billion yen (£2.2 billion) to expand capacity in emerging markets, including India and Thailand.

18th October 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik Fit name heading to Russia

International News, News

Japan’s Itochu Corporation, which purchased Kwik Fit Group for £637 million early last year, reportedly plans to adopt the fast-fit network’s name for its Russian operation – a business that may significantly expand. In an interview with The Telegraph, Kwik Fit managing director Kenji Murai explained that Itochu already has a presence in Russia’s tyre retail and wholesale sectors and operates its business there under different brand names. These will adopt the British fast-fit network’s brand name as “Kwik Fit is an Itochu leader brand now.” Murai added that Itochu currently has 15 outlets in Russia but the firm intends to grow this; the company’s network there “could easily” hit the 200 to 250 mark, he said.

8th October 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

European launch for Bridgestone’s Ecopia EP001S

On display at last week’s Paris Motor Show alongside Bridgestone’s concept 100 per cent sustainable materials tyre was the “star” of the tyre maker’s show stand – the new flagship Ecopia EP001S. The new tyre was presented in size 195/65R15 and is Bridgestone’s first tyre to achieve an ‘A’ label rating for both fuel efficiency and wet grip, as well as the first tyre in the world to receive the top grade in Japan’s tyre rating system. The Ecopia EP001S is now available in European markets.

1st October 2012/by Tyrepress Editors