An old adage says that idle hands do the devil’s work, but Pirelli have been far from idle with their Diablo – Spanish for devil – range. During the last twelve months the legendary tyremaker and official tyre supplier to the World Superbike Championship (SBK) has released two new street-legal offerings under the Diablo label.
Cooper Tire has been named the official tyre supplier for the upcoming Lone Wolf Transglobal Expedition, with Cooper products being fitted to the expedition’s Land Rover Wolf Defender.
Avon Tyres has been confirmed as the official tyre supplier for the Morgan Motor Company’s newest offering, the revamped Aero 8. The £62,500 Aero 8, developed and honed on the racetrack, was launched in 2000, but now features a restyled front end, and has lost weight. At just 1145kg, the lightweight machine’s performance is hugely impressive, with its 4.4-litre V8 powerplant pushing out 325bhp. Morgan will fit Avon’s ZZ3 to the Aero 8, (225/40R18 92Y on the front and 245/40R18 97Y on the rear).
(Akron/Tire Review) Toyo Tire USA Corp. will provide the official tyre “The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift.” The blockbuster movie, “The Fast and The Furious,” and its sequel, “2 Fast 2 Furious,” created a new awareness of the automotive aftermarket, according to Toyo.
It is received wisdom that the vast majority of 4×4 vehicles never leave the tarmac, let alone spend weekends up to their axles in mud, yet image is still very important. Drivers like their vehicles to look as though they could tackle Mt. Everest on a winter’s day, even if their most taxing journey is the school run.
Tyres play an important part in this image creation – aggressive, knobbly tyres certainly look the part but, says Goodyear, fitting these tyres just for their looks can be counter-productive. While many 4×4 drivers want their vehicles to look tough and rugged, they actually want on-road performance similar to that of an ordinary saloon car.
(Akron/Tire Review) Toyo Tire USA Corp. is sponsoring the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a combat sporting event that involves international competitors from martial arts backgrounds.
Goodyear has renewed its contract as the official tyre supplier to the Land Rover G4 Challenge. Commencing in Bangkok on 23rd April 2006, the Land Rover G4 Challenge will travel through Thailand, Laos and Brazil before finishing in Bolivia on 20th May 2006. Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tyres will be fitted to all the Land Rover G4 Challenge vehicles including the new Range Rover Sport and Discovery 3 as well as the Freelander, Range Rover and Defender.
“The Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tyre displayed outstanding performance on the inaugural Land Rover G4 Challenge in 2003” said Matthew Taylor, Land Rover, managing director, “we are delighted to have Goodyear’s expertise to assist competitors as they 4×4 drive their way through some of the world’s most exciting terrain.”
Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, (BFNT) has signed a new sponsorship agreement with Pikes Peak International Raceway (PPIR). The Firestone brand will now serve as the official tyre of PPIR for the Indy Racing League’s Honda Indy 225 IndyCar Series race on 21 August.
“Becoming the Official Tyre at Pikes Peak International Raceway provides us a tremendous opportunity at Firestone,” said Al Speyer, executive director of motorsports, BFNT. “PPIR is in a great setting, with Pikes Peak and the Rocky Mountains as a majestic backdrop, and in the middle of a growing Colorado market where the Firestone brand is assured of receiving excellent exposure. We’re quite pleased with the agreement and look forward to building on the Firestone-PPIR relationship to make racing even more popular with area fans.”
With just weeks to go until the beginning of this year’s F1 season Bridgestone has announced a pan-European search for talented young journalists.
The official tyre partner to Ferrari, Jordan Grand Prix and Minardi F1 has pledged to “nurture the next generation of motorsport talent,” and so Bridgestone e-reporter is offering a chance of a lifetime to students hoping to pursue a career in journalism.
An independent jury will select seven finalists to attend a European Grand Prix to report on the GP2 series, meeting the drivers behind the championship. The articles will be published on the Bridgestone Europe and GP2 websites.
The winner will then win a once in a lifetime trip to Tokyo, Japan, visiting Bridgestone’s global headquarters and reporting on a major company event.
Pirelli is to be the new official tyre supplier to the Volkswagen Racing Cup in the UK. All competitors in the 2004 championship, which gets underway in April, will run on Pirelli P Zero tyres. The Volkswagen Racing Cup joins the UK’s Seat Cupra Championship and the Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge in using Pirelli tyres. The company also supplies its product to the American Le Mans Series and to GT teams internationally. Since its inception in 2000, the Volkswagen Racing Cup has grown to become one of the best-supported and most successful club championships in Britain. Last season more than 30 drivers took part, handling cars ranging in size from a 1.8-litre turbocharged Lupo to a four-wheel-drive Golf R32.
Firestone tyres have a long-standing association with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) and the tyre company has produced a special edition Firestone Firehawk tyre which will be introduced next May, in the period surrounding the 88th running of the Indianapolis 500. Firestone is the official tyre of this race and the Indy Racing League. The new tyre sidewall will feature the IMS distinctive “wing and wheel” logo in full colour, alongside the Firestone name and logo.
Goodyear announced that it is to be the official tyre supplier to the Canadian CASCAR Castrol Super Series, underlining the company’s commitment to stock car racing. Special Eagle tyres were developed in Akron and manufactured at the company’s racing tyre plant in Chile.
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