Polyurethane car tyres, made by the Amerityre Corporation, have passed US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109, which specify tyre dimensions, load ratings and laboratory test requirements for bead unseating resistance, strength, endurance and high speed performance. Passing the test is the first step towards a tyre being able to be offered for sale in the USA.
Hankook Tire has introduced a new corporate identity as part of efforts to engineer a new growth surge. The new logo aims to reflect progressive and innovative thinking, specialised technology, passion, sophistication, dynamism, and internationalism. It also visualizes brand individuality. The symbol stands for speed and flight and is combined with a mixed-script logotype. The new logo was designed by UK designer Neville Brody.
A Texas state court judge has approved a 149 million dollar settlement of 30 class-action lawsuits filed on behalf of tyre owners against Bridgestone-Firestone North American Tire.
A Dodge Ram SRT-10 has taken its place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “World’s Fastest Production Pickup Truck”. Unmodified for additional power or enhanced aerodynamics, and using its original equipment Pirelli Scorpion Zero tyres, the Dodge Ram SRT-10 posted a two-lap, both-directions average speed of 154.587 mph over a “flying kilometer” on the 4.71-mile oval at the DaimlerChrysler Proving Grounds in Chelsea, Michigan. The record run by the Dodge Ram SRT-10 was certified by Guinness World Records and the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). Filling the Ram SRT-10’s wheel wells for the record runs were production 305/40ZR22 XL 114W Pirelli Scorpion Zeros mounted on standard 10 x 22 inch alloy rims. These tyres have a maximum speed rating of 186 mph and are manufactured in Pirelli’s new factory near Atlanta, Georgia.
Amerityre Corporation has been submitting prototype polyurethane car tyres to an independent lab for testing to determine if the tyres comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109, applicable to new pneumatic tires.
The Nokian Hakkapeliitta RSi for passenger cars is a successor for the popular Hakkapeliitta Q friction tyre and it has been developed for the Nordic, Russian and North American markets. Consumer sales with the wide size range will start in the autumn of 2004, writes Nokian in a press release. Several technical innovations developed for the new R speed rated (170 km/h) friction tyre improve grip properties especially when braking and accelerating on snowy, slushy, icy and wet surfaces. The tyre has been manufactured without using harmful high aromatic oils.
Austrian journalist and ‘fuel economy record man’ Gerhard Plattner succeeded in crossing 20 European countries in a VW Lupo 3L TDI, with a fuel budget of less than 100 Euros. Plattner relied on Bridgestone Ecopia low-rolling-resistance tyres that are fitted as standard on the Lupo. Their fuel-saving capabilities helped him to achieve a record average consumption of a mere 2.78 litres/100 km. The attempt began on 3 November 2003 in Oslo, Norway, and ended 4,683 kilometres and four days later in The Hague, The Netherlands. Running at an average speed of 80.76 km/h, the Austrian managed to complete the trip having spent only 90.94 Euro from the budgeted 100.
US consumer magazine Consumer Reports’ has issued its annual UHP and all-season tyre ranking and Goodyear and Falken head the listings. The Falken Ziex ZE 512 came first out of 18 H-speed rated, all-season performance tyres and the Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 topped the ranks of 13 Z-rated, ultra-high performance summer tires. The Bridgestone Turanza LS-H came in second on the magazine’s all-season list, and the Toyo Proxes T1-S ranked second in the ultra-high performance list.
Michelin has launched the new AC10, a street-legal motocross tyre designed around the casing of its successful 12 range and suitable for everything from racing to green-laning. The AC10 features a non-directional tread to allow the tyres to be turned and increase their usable life, plus a treadwear indicator to ensure that this is done at the optimum time. Available in five sizes: 80/100-21, 100/100-18, 110/100-18, 100/90-19 and 110/90-19, the AC10 can be used with an inner tube or Michelin’s Bib-mousse and is speed rated to 80mph on the road. However, due to the depth of the tread blocks the AC10 is only suitable for use in enduro competitions not subject to FIM regulations.
The Maserati Quattroporte made its world debut at the Frankfurt International Motor Show, fitted with Pirelli P Zero Rosso tyres as OE. The Quattroporte is described as “the fastest sedan in the world”, with a top speed of 172 mph, and the tyre sizes are 245/45 ZR18 (front) and 285/40 ZR18 (rear).
The latest street tyre from Goodyear, the new Eagle GT-HR, features RaceWrap TM construction technology, evolved from the way Goodyear develops tyres for NASCAR racing. The Eagle GT-HR has a ply that wraps from the centre of the tread down around the bead, up the sidewall and back up under the steel belts. The result is an H-speed-rated tyre in 20 popular sizes for the auto enthusiast who demands high performance in a value-priced package. However, its 50,000-mile tread life limited warranty is a far cry from its racing cousin that is ready to retire after 100 or so laps on the racetrack. “Because the basic construction of a race tyre is similar to a consumer auto tyre, some of the subtle improvements we make in tyre performance on the track transfer readily to high-performance auto tyres.” said Randy Brayer, team leader for advanced engineering.
The Internet must surely qualify as one of the greatest inventions of the modern era, as there are very few aspects of domestic or business life that have not been profoundly affected by it. So ubiquitous has it become that it is all too easy to forget what a comparatively recent invention it is in little over a decade, it has become an indispensable tool and source of information for the developed world. The Internet has wrought a major change in the way we access information and in the resources available to us. What the Internet does do is give people time and time, as they say, is money. Some of us will remember being impressed by the speed and immediacy of communication afforded by telex, which was hailed as a great invention in its day. When was the last time you sent anyone a telex? Telex was superseded by the fax machine, which in turn is giving way more and more to e-mail. Not only does it give you very rapid communication, but you can send words and pictures – even moving pictures, which is something no fax can do. Immediate communications and a seemingly-limitless amount of information – no wonder so many people and businesses have taken to the Internet so warmly and so quickly. Business or information? There are two distinct types of website; those which are used to transact business and those which supply information only. Let’s look at the latter type first. The website has become, to many companies, the latest status symbol, replacing the full-colour, glossy brochure. Company history, product portfolio and a piece from the chairman saying how important customers are and how the staff is one happy family – all can be accommodated on a corporate website which can (and all too often does) go on for page after page. Like the glossy brochure, the website can be in glorious colour, but there are many advantages; the website does not need to be printed or mailed out and, should one million people suddenly decide that they want a copy, you do not have to order a reprint. There is also the advantage that a website can be an evolving entity and can be amended the same day. With many sites existing for the purpose of imparting information clearly and succinctly, it is surprising how many seem to try to make it difficult for the reader. Your corporate colours may look great on your company logo, but it can be a mistake to insist that everything on your site is corporately branded – people will soon get fed up if faced with pages of, say, bright yellow words on a red background. By all means show the logo somewhere, but never forget that words are designed to be read. Business sites And so we move to those websites that are designed for the purpose of enabling customers to do business. It goes without saying that these should be easy to understand and navigate and that they should be totally secure. It helps too if the company is able to stick to any promises made regarding delivery periods and so on. Does it matter if the site is a business-to-consumer or a business-to-business site? There could be an argument made that a B2C site might be made to look more attractive in order to tempt the consumer, but the overriding criteria in both cases should surely be speed and ease of use. In the tyre world, it is notably the wholesalers who have pioneered B2B websites and it is probably true to say that orders through this medium represent a small percentage of their total sales. It is the same with B2C sites – more people visit Tesco stores than Tesco.com to buy their groceries. This fact is eagerly seized upon by those who are suspicious of the Internet, pointing out that a) people would rather deal with other people and b) the small percentage shows that the idea isn’t catching on. This rather misses the point, as we are talking about a totally new way of doing business, in a medium that is barely over a decade old. However technologically sophisticated we may imagine ourselves to be, there tends to be an innate suspicion of anything new or technologically advanced. This is especially true among the older generation – when did you last hear a teenager moaning about computers (except when they do not work, or the game is suddenly terminated)? The point of B2B sites is that some people are using them and, granted this might be a small percentage at the moment, few doubt that the numbers will grow as the Internet becomes more of a part of people’s lives. Think what a marvel television must have been when it first made an appearance and the effect it must have had on people, yet today it is taken for granted – children grow up with it and never once ask what it is, or how it works, it just is. And so it will be with the Internet one day.
History was made at the Le Mans 24 Hour race, with Bentley Speed Eights coming first and second – the first time since 1930 that Bentley has been on the podium. Guy Smith drove the car over the finishing line – the first time he had finished a Le Mans race, in contrast to team-mate Tom Kristensen, for whom this year’s victory made it four in a row. The drivers paid tribute to the Michelin tyres, saying that they “played a big part”. Bentley’s victory ended three years of domination by Audi, who had to settle for third and fourth this time around.
The sector of high performance 4×4 vehicles is one which has grown by leaps and bounds recently. The vast majority of these vehicles never venture far from the tarmac and are built for speed and comfort. So too are the tyres. We take a look at the latest offering in this area from Goodyear.
Pirelli has ambitious plans to increase its presence on the US market, Dr. Francesco Gori told assembled journalists at a new tyre presentation in Georgia. Georgia had been chosen as it is the state where Pirelli’s latest MIRS factory has been built, and it is this technology that is at the heart of the new strategy. The new tyre being launched was the Scorpion STR, which is already homologated on vehicles such as the Ford Excursion and the Ford Super Duty F-250, and which is made in the MIRS factory. Dr. Gori said that $100 million had already been invested in Pirelli’s US operations and this would increase significantly over the next couple of years. Pirelli, he went on, plans “a dramatic increase in US growth”. The Scorpion STR combines Pirelli’s expertise in the areas of high performance and 4×4 tyres, to produce a product that can cope with the demands of modern-day vehicles. STR stands for Dynamic Stability, all weather Traction and load and speed Rating. Stability comes from the design and materials used; a dual ply radial carcass is flexible and resistant to give uniform support, improved comfort and better resistance to sidewall damage.
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