Delphi Automotive Systems launched a pre-production four wheel steer development named Quadrasteer today. The system will improve turning capability at all speeds and stability at high speed. The electronic system is claimed to reduce turning circles by up to 20%.
With an average consumption of 3.18 litres Diesel per 100 kilometres, a series Seat Arosa 1.4 TDI completed the 6,367 kilometres distance from Nordkap to Tarifa in the south of Spain. “Across Europe In 100 hours, For 200 Euro” was the target of the fuel saving ride, made on ContiEcoContact EP tyres with an insignificantly higher-than usual pressure (2.8 bar) and at an average speed of 83 km/h.
As announced at the Detroit Motorshow, the new Bentley EXP Speed 8 will be exclusively equipped with Dunlop tyres for the 2001 Le Mans 24 hour race. This renews a 70 year old motorsport partnership. For many years the tyre brand has had a strong connection with Le Mans: exactly half the total number of winners have driven on Dunlop tyres.
Recent reports questioning the reliability of some of the tyres being used by Ford to replace Firestones are doubtless partly responsible for the car manufacturer’s plans to conduct a series of tests on replacement tyres. Ford’s team of around 100 engineers will carry out a number of tests, including measuring wedge thickness, temperature monitoring and how much force it takes to cause a tread separation. Other checks on the relationships between load/speed/temperature will be carried out in conjunction with tyre manufacturers as well as in-house.
Delphi Automotive Systems has bought Federal Mogul’s Advanced Disc System brake technology. ADS features a simplified design offering better performance through an assembly using fewer components which ultimately may speed brake by wire technology and remove the need for booster equipment in brake assemblies. ADS can reduce the mass of the brake assembly by up to 25%.
Goodyear unveiled its newest generation of all- weather tyres, the Vector 5 and the Eagle Vector (EV-2) in Luxembourg at the end of August. The new tyres deliver superior safety on dry and wet roads all-year round as well as in snowy or icy conditions. The highlight of the new SmartTRED technology featured in these innovative products is that different areas of the tyre’s profile, each with distinct properties, come into play, depending on the conditions of the road. The Vector 5 and Eagle Vector (EV-2) will appeal particularly to drivers who usually drive in urban areas or on the flat and who want optimum safety even in adverse weather conditions. They need a tyre that is an excellent all-round performer in the moderate and temperate driving conditions they encounter for 90% of the time they use their car. However they want added safety and peace of mind in heavy rain and when temperatures drop towards freezing or even on snow and ice. Another interesting feature of the new tyres for the cost-conscious driver is that the mileage of these latest all-weather tyres has increased by around 15 percent over previous models. The central profile blocks of the Vector contain a substantial number of 3D-BIS blades – fine incisions in the rubber, whose edges “bite” into the surface of the road in so-called “low friction” conditions. This creates a significant increase in traction and grip on wet roads as well as on snow and ice. The new Vector 5 is immediately available in 21 versions ranging from 155/70R13 to 195/50R15 with a T speed rating (up to 190 km/h). The high performance version Eagle Vector EV-2 will be available in 13 sizes ranging from 185/65R14 H (210 km/h) to 205/55R16 V (240 km/h).
This is a short extract. Tyrepress and Tyres & Accessories subscribers can log in below to read the full article.
If you are not yet a Tyrepress or Tyres & Accessories subscriber, you can change that here.
Becoming a member has benefits such as:
Cooper-Avon has introduced the Avanza AV9 range of tyres, designed for transit and express vans. The tyre is available in 15 sizes, R and T speed ratings and aspect ratios of 65, 70, 75 and 82.
Cooper-Avon Tyres is to manufacture the Cooper Cobra VHP at its factory in Melksham. The tyre has been specially designed for European motoring and comes in H and V speed ratings, in 17 sizes and aspect ratios from 45 to 70 series. The Cobra VHP is the third Cooper brand tyre to be made at Melksham, joining the Sportmaster GLE and Discoverer Sport HP.
The two latest offerings from Uniroyal are classed as “wet weather tyres”. The RainSport 1 is a high speed (V and W rated) tyre which succeeds the RTT 2 and features include a directional tread with a double-V tread pattern and a silica compound for improved wet grip and lower rolling resistance. The rallye 680 is a T-rated tyre, aimed at the family driver, and it is a replacement for the rallye 580. Again, the compound is silica-based and Uniroyal claims improved performance in the areas of aquaplaning resistance, wet braking, tyre life and noise generation.
New Zealand’s land Transport Safety Authority is proposing that space saver tyres be limited to maximum speeds of 80kph. Other recommendations are that they only be used in emergencies, only one is fitted to a vehicle at a time, they are used in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions and to the correct tyre pressure. Recently, a parliamentary committee stated that it was concerned about the use of spacesaver tyres, but they did not want to see them banned.
Nokian Tyres introduced its new intelligent tyre technology system to the press in Essen. It will communicate directly with the driver’s mobile phone, sending real time data on tyre pressures without the need to install any extra equipment in the vehicle. Furthermore two new tyres that will be available next spring were presented: The “NRZi” with speed index “W” and an asymmetric and directional tread pattern is designed to meet the demands of high-performance cars. The van tyre family will get a new member with the “NRC2”, the tread profile of which will be 10 per cent wider than that of its predecessor.
From the spring of 2000 the new ContiPremiumContact will gradually replace the ContiEcoContact CP as the tyre for top-class cars. With this new summer tyre Hanover expects a significant increase in the replacement and the original equipment business in tyres with speed categories of 190 km/h and above during the next few years. The new tyre was presented to the international trade press in mid-February. A study undertaken by the development/consultancy “Institut für Sensorikforschung und Innovationsberatung” has established that the first and foremost user requirement of a tyre is safety. By which he means aquaplaning protection, short brake distances, steering precision, roadholding and tracking stability. With three construction specifications – an innovative bionic contour emulating a cat’s paw that extends in width when the brakes are applied, an asymmetric tread pattern and a third-generation silica compound – the PremiumContact wants to fulfil these requirements. Continental is seeking a total of 37 original equipment approvals from 14 vehicle manufacturers with the PremiumContact – available in eleven different 16 and 17 inch sizes. In the replacement business the ContiPremiumContact will initially be launched in 13 sizes, a 75 p.c. market coverage, according to the manufacturer. The new tyre will be positioned at the same price level as its predecessor.
At the beginning of April Marangoni, the Italian tyre manufacturer, broadened its tyre range in the high-performance sector by seven new sizes within the product programme 2000. Top of the summer tyre series is the “Zeta ESC”, a low-profile tyre with a directional tread pattern approved for speeds up to 270 km/h, which had five new 17-inch sizes added. Two more sizes were introduced to the second product line, “Heron”, making a total of 25 sizes in aspect ratios 65, 60, 55 and 50 and speed indices from H to W. On the occasion of these new introductions Marangoni invited the European trade press to Rapallo on the Italian Riviera, where questions were answered not only about the latest additions but also about the past, present and future of Marangoni Tyre S.p.A. When all is said and done, Marangoni is a kind of outsider in tyre production matters, hoping to raise the degree of international awareness and acceptance by its presentation. The production of new tyres (the Marangoni and Stunner brands) for cars, trucks and small transporters is one of the business units of Marangoni Holding, best known for its divisions Marangoni Tread (production of materials and technology for retreading) and Marangoni Pneumatici (retreaded tyres),which last year generated a turnover of 400 billion lire. The Marangoni Tyre share of the consolidated annual turnover of the group of companies is a quarter, according to Andrea Vassura, managing director and board member of Marangoni Tyre S.p.A.
The Morgan Motor Company has decided to fit the new Morgan Aero 8 with the tyre pressure control system SmarTire. The 260 km/h top speed Aero 8 will have no spare tyre fitted.
This year, Continental is once again supplying tyres for the European Truck Racing Championship. New tyres have been developed for the front and rear axles: HSR Speed and HDR Speed.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
