Toyo Tire USA has announced that its Proxes A20 tyre will be fitted as original equipment on Nissan’s new 2011 Murano CrossCabriolet, which is available for sale this week. The Proxes A20 is an all-season tyre designed to reduce noise, while maintaining ride comfort in wet and dry. It also boasts reduced rolling resistance, according to the manufacturer.
Across the Atlantic, Bartec USA has launched its new EZ-Sensor starter kits, which include the new programmable TPMS replacement sensors from Schrader.
Fast fit network HiQ has announced the appointment of Kelvin Taylor as its new regional franchise manager for the Midlands and surrounding areas. Taylor brings 13 years’ automotive sector experience with him into the new role, having previously worked in similar positions for a number of vehicle main manufacturers, including Citroën, Nissan and Subaru.
Nissan’s ‘Leaf’ electric car goes on sale in December 2010 and will hit the streets fitted with tyre’s from Bridgestone’s Ecopia range as original equipment. In Europe and Japan the Ecopia EP150 is being supplied to Nissan in size 205/55R16 91V while North American customers will receive their Leaf fitted with a size P205/55R16 89H version of the Ecopia EP422, a product designed for all-season use in this particular market. Beyond this fitment, Bridgestone states it will “continue working to bolster its line-up of Ecopia tyres, roll them out globally, and increase their use as original equipment.”
Six new sizes have been added to Yokohama Tire’s Advan high performance range in the US. The Neova AD08 line-up has received three fitments, sizes 245/40R19 94W, 265/35R19 94W and 275/35R19 96W, and the S.4 range has also received three new fitments, namely sizes 255/50R19 107W, 275/45R19 108W and 275/40R20 106W.
The Nippon Challenge, described as “the nation’s premier racing series for Japanese cars”, will roll out this year with Federal’s new motorsports extreme tyre, FZ-201 semi-slick, as one of the spec tyres. The Taiwanese tyre brand will also be the title sponsor for all of the 14 races over seven weekends between April and October.
Toyo Tires have developed a specific fitment tailored to the needs of the Nissan R35 GTR. The 285/35 ZR 20 (100Y) front and 315/30 ZR 20 (101Y) rear sizes have been added to the Proxes R888 range. At the Autosport Show in January 2010, the tyres were fitted to the Sumo Power 660bhp Nissan R35 GTR demonstration car on the Time Attack stand. The Time Attack series has chosen the R888 as its control tyre. The series includes cars that have in excess of 700bhp, giving the R888s have a track record (so to speak) of handling the type of power output expected from such highly powered sports cars.
Nissan will recall close to 150,000 cars in the US due to a fault in the vehicle’s tyre pressure monitoring system. A nut in the TPMS fitted to several Nissan models, including the Murano, Cube and the beautifully named Rogue (who, with 73,845 TPMS units to be recalled, is indeed the most roguish offender) is vulnerable to corrosion and cracking in areas where road salt is heavily used. This defect could lead to the nut falling out, causing the entire TMPS display unit to illuminate.
The handling qualities of the latest Nissan 370Z have received a tweak from suspension specialist Eibach. The company’s new Pro-Kit spring upgrade lowers the car by up to 40mm, giving it what Eibach calls a more “aggressive” stance and allowing the factory alloys to better fill the wheel arches. However the kit is not all show and no go, notes Eibach; the 370Z’s new, lower centre of gravity endows it with sharper steering responses and far less body roll.
Maxxis has been heavily involved in the spectacular sport of drifting in the UK this year, so it must be gratifying for the manufacturer to have experienced the success of Steve Biagioni from Maxxis-sponsored Team Japspeed, who was crowned British Drift Champion for 2009.
Maxxis-sponsored Team Japspeed experienced success with driver Danny Eyles winning Round Three of the Prodrift Super Series at Donington (held back on 8 August), setting up an exciting series climax to be held at the end of the week (6 September).
The relationship between Avon Tyres and Caterham Cars, which stretches back 18 years, is being taken a notch further with the release of a bespoke version of Avon’s road-legal ZZR, designed for maximum dry weather grip. The standard version of the UHP tyre is already popular within the track-day fraternity for its grip and handling qualities, yet the boffins at Avon have adjusted the ZZR further in order to make it an even better match for the Caterham Superlight range.
Cobra has launched customer springs for the Nissan 350Z, which lower the customer supercar by 30mm. For those looking to keep a lid on cost – without compromising ride quality – says the company, the Cobra Spring Kit comes in the form of the Evo III coilover kit which allows full damping and rebound adjustment combined with ride-height adjustment. The bodies are constructed from stainless steel to give long and faithful service, even in the depths of a salted British winter. Prices start at £224.00 + VAT for the spring kit rising to £1,079.00 + VAT for the coilover units.
Cooper Tire Europe has announced the launch of the second generation of its Discoverer Discoverer range of 4×4 tyres, the UK-built Discoverer M+S2. Replacing the existing Discoverer M+S product, the new tyre is designed to offer superior grip and braking ability, particularly in wet, snowy or icy conditions.
With nearly a third of all road accidents happening on wet, snowy or icy road surfaces – a figure provided by the DfT in its 2007 Road Casualties of Great Britain report – having a tyre that grips the road is imperative, says Cooper. The Discoverer M+S2 has a new directional tread pattern to attempt to achieve greater grip in the slippery conditions described. It is also stud-able and the optimised offset stud pattern help maximise grip on icy roads, when studs are fitted.
The first batch of European spec Nissan GT-Rs have arrived in the UK, and the specification list for the Japanese sport coupe is very impressive indeed. In its European guise the GT-R has had its 588 Nm-rated 3.8 litre V6 twin-turbo engine tweaked to deliver 485 horsepower, and this is complemented by a paddle shift six-speed dual clutch transmission and all wheel drive. Despite a top speed of 193 mph, however, the Nissan is not just about performance – every GT-R is delivered with Bluetooth connectivity, touch screen satellite navigation, climate control, leather trim and Bose sound system.
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