Kimi Raikkonen has won the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix, beating championship leader, Fernando Alonso, into second position. Meanwhile reports that Michael Schumacher is considering a move to McLaren have emerged in the German press.
General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have posted double-digit US sales gains for July. Toyota and Nissan North America also posted their best sales month in the United States.
DaimlerChrysler, including Mercedes-Benz, sold 260,945 units in July, a boost of 25.1 per cent for the month. Year-to-date, the car manufacturer has sold 1,547,536 vehicles, up 6.9 per cent from the same period in 2004.
GM’s July sales rose 15.2 per cent, boosted by the GM Employee Discount for Everyone incentive programme said the company. Its US sales totaled 524,218 vehicles in July compared with 454,963 in July last year. GM has sold 2,844,839 vehicles to date, a 4.3 per cent increase from the same time last year.
Paul Ballew, GM’s chief sales analyst, said 71 per cent of retail sales in July came from trucks, and he predicted that the company would achieve a market share of 27 per cent for the year.
(Akron/Tire Review) Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. has expanded its Zeon 2XS and Zeon XST ultra-high performance lines with new sizes for performance cars and SUVs. And it added two new sizes to its Cooper Lifeliner SLE touring line. Cooper added five new 18 and 19-inch sizes to, its Zeon 2XS line targeting BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Cadillac, Lexus, Mustang, Audi and Chrysler models.
In addition, it added sizes 305/35R23, 305/40R23 and 285/45R22 to the Zeon XST line to target sport tuned trucks and SUVs. Sizes 235/65R16 and 225/60R17 were added to the Lifeliner SLE family, Cooper said, to target the Saturn Vue, Chevy Equinox and Lincoln Town Car.
Pirelli has won several summer tyre tests carried out by German motoring publications. Products ranging from the ultra high performance sector to the balanced performance ranges were put through their paces.
In particular, Pirelli’s UHP tyre, P Zero Nero, fitted to BMW Z4, Mercedes-Benz C 320 Sport Coupé, Audi A3 and Audi TT and the P Zero Rosso fitted to Mercedes-Benz CLS 350 returned performances of “extremely high levels,” says the manufacturer, winning tests on both wet and dry asphalt.
Pirelli’s SUV Scorpion STR tyre, tested on a Jeep Cherokee, also received recognition, as did the high performance P6 on a Volkswagen Golf V and P3000 Energy on a Ford Fiesta.
Before launching its Greatec single drive tyres, incorporating the Aircept safety system, on to the market, Bridgestone subjected it to prolonged and extensive testing.
For the record, the Aircept system consists of an inner tube which, in the case of a tyre blow-out, expands to support the tyre at around half its normal pressure and enables the driver to continue his journey.
Quality comes at a price, or so they say. However, Hofmann is offering visitors to the Brityrex show a once in a lifetime opportunity to win quality for free! Visitors to the Hofmann stand (M7) can enter a free competition to win a Geodyna 4801 computerised wheel balancer worth over £3,000.
16 years ago Goodyear presented the grandfather of today’s sidewall strengthened tyres on the Corvette. Later the technology was named EMT (Extended Mobility Technology). Now the EMT contraction has outlived its usefulness and, alongside the release of its new “Excellence” summer tyre, Goodyear has renamed the system “RunOnFlat” technology. The first three products to bear the “RunOnFlat” name will be BMW OE versions of the Excellence in sizes 205/55 R16, 225/50 R16 and 205/50 R17. Naturally these will also be available on the aftermarket and four further sizes are due to arrive in the spring.
Bridgestone is to supply Potenza RE050 radial tyres for the Ferrari Superamerica. Delivery of the tyres, for factory installation on the newest Ferrari convertible, will begin this month.
The Superamerica is derived from the 575M Maranello and will be produced in limited edition. Powered with a 12-cylinder engine and featuring a rotating roof in combination with electrochromic technology, which allows the driver to adjust the amount of sunlight that shines into the cockpit.
An annual survey carried out by US magazine, Consumer Reports, has found that when it comes to car and truck reliability, European produced vehicles are worst; US mixed, with Asian brands topping the table.
Rondell is to aim at enhancing its market share of luxury and performance brands, the company has announced. The news follows the successful launch of a number of other wheels earlier in the year. According to Rondell’s UK distributor, Sherbrook International, demand for the existing designs has “soared.”
Industry Media sources, including European Rubber Journal and Tire Business, are reporting that TW-Fitting, a Group Michelin and Continental AG joint venture, will set up a factory to supply Mercedes-Benz America with mounted tyre/wheel assemblies.
The Motor Transport Fleet Truck of the Year Award went to Daf’s CF85, for the third time in four years. The Motor Transport Award judges, a mix of fleet engineers and managing directors, praised the truck for its “overall package,” and described the victor as “a clear class-leading truck that continues to evolve in the tough retail market.” The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter achieved Fleet Van of the Year for the second year running and Grocontinental was Haulier of the Year.
The Mercedes-Benz CLK cabriolet is the first vehicle to come from the design partnership between the vehicle manufacturer and designer Giorgio Armani. The car will be fitted with Marangoni Zeta Linea tyres but, instead of the usual black, these tyres will be green in colour to complement the car’s sand-coloured matt paintwork.
Beru AG is to supply Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles and trailer manufacturer Schmitz Cargobull with tyre pressure monitoring systems from this summer. The monitors will be used on the new Actros, which are supplied with super singles, making the truck 300 kg lighter and reducing fuel consumption. A high-pressure support tube inside the tyre acts as back-up. Beru’s TSS Tire Safety System transmits data on pressure and temperature to the in-cab display every 60 seconds.
Yokohama Rubber has been rated by DaimlerChrysler as an A-grade supplier. The Japanese company was evaluated in the areas of Cost, Delivery, Quality and Communications and scored 92 out of a possible 100. Yokohama supplies its Geolandar H/T G038 for the Mercedes-Benz G500. Another company, AMG, which specialises in tuning up Mercedes-Benz vehicles, has chosen Yokohama’s AVS S/T type-1 as OE for the G55 AMG, which is a tuned-up version of the G Class SUV. Tyre size for both front and rear wheels is 285/55 R18 V.
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