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Pirelli WRC Gravel Tyre Gets Nod From FIA

Pirelli’s gravel tyre developed for use in the WRC championship has gained FIA approval for use this year. The new tyre, known as the Scorpion, is designed to deliver strong performance on a range of gravel surfaces and features an asymmetric directional tread pattern that is intended to provide solid lateral grip as well as traction when accelerating and braking.

The Scorpion’s design also reflects changes to tyre regulations introduced this year. “The 2008 FIA WRC regulations state that anti-deflation mousse cannot be used,” comments Pirelli. “So this year’s gravel tyre has been considerably strengthened in order to resist cuts, abrasions and punctures from sharp rocks, potholes, and other such obstacles.”

14th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Sealant, TPMS to be Marketed Together

TPMS-maker Advantage PressurePro and Inovex Industries, manufacturer of Ride-On Tire Sealant, have joined forces to co-market their products. “This joint marketing relationship just makes sense,’ said Mark Farkhan, Inovex president. “PressurePro and Ride-On share the same goals of safety, asset protection and environmental protection.”

“Working together, PressurePro and Ride-On provide a very cost effective and thorough way for everyone, from companies with large fleets to individual car owners, to add safety, savings and peace-of-mind to their travels, while also helping cut on road and tire waste by adding tread life to tires,” said Phillip Zaroor, president of Advantage PressurePro.

The parties claim Ride-On is the only tire sealant proven to work in conjunction with PressurePro TPMS units. (Tire Review/Akron)

14th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Dueler OE for New Generation Toyota SUV

In 2007 and 2008 Toyota is launching in numerous global markets the next generation model of its Highlander 4×4, and Bridgestone has announced that in North America the smaller sibling of the Landcruiser will come fitted with Dueler H/L 400 tyres as original equipment. The 270 hp 3.5 litre V6 powered vehicle is available in three versions: The entry level Base will be sold with P245/65R17 105S size tyres, while the Highlander Sport and Limited, both supplied with 19-inch alloy wheels as standard, will be fitted with the P245/55R19 103S.

The Dueler H/L – the “H/L” being short for ‘highway luxury’ – 400 has a directional all-season tread pattern for wet and dry traction. The tyre is also fitted as OE to the Audi Q7, BMW X5, Mazda CX-9 and Acura MDX in North American markets. While the H/L 400 is not sold on this side of the Atlantic, similar models in the Dueler family, such as the H/L 683, are available in the UK.

14th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyre Pressure & Tread Depth Neglected in Winter – TyreSafe

TyreSafe has marked the post New Year return to work, and the daily commute, by issuing another warning about the importance of regularly checking tyre pressure and tread depth. The organisation’s latest report quotes disturbing figures from surveys conducted by vehicle supermarket Motorpoint, which indicates more than 50 per cent of drivers fail to regularly check their tyre pressure before embarking on a journey, and by carmaker Kia, which found that one in three drivers failed to check their tread depth even monthly during the 2007 winter season.

8th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Solus Masterlease Agreement For Kwik-Fit Fleet

Effective 1st January, Kwik-Fit Fleet has won a solus multi-million pound contract to supply a range of fast-fit services, including tyre repair, replacement and management, to Masterlease. The previous fast-fit agreement was with a number of suppliers, including Kwik-Fit Fleet.

Masterlease is one of the UK’s largest leasing and fleet management specialists with more than 100,000 cars and vans on its books and the company will benefit from Kwik-Fit Fleet’s new web-based ‘intelligent’ tyre management authorisation and reporting system, which is being rolled out to Britain’s biggest fleet operators.

7th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Not-so-Magic Roundabouts Annoy Drivers

Motorists in the Lancashire town of Skelmersdale claim that the large number of roundabouts in the town is the cause of premature tyre wear, which is both expensive and potentially dangerous. Apparently, Skelmersdale boasts more than 40 roundabouts, including Half Mile Island, which is said to be the biggest in the world and taxi drivers and tyre fitters have reported extremely high rates of tyre wear. Said John Kieran, of Skelmersdale Express Tyres: “All the cabbies constantly have to have their tyres turned around because they wear out so quickly, especially on the outside of the passenger side”.

Cabbie Steven Crawley reckons the roundabouts in Skelmersdale wear his tyres down so much he gets through about six sets a year. He said: “My tyres only last about two months at the most and I have to turn them around every six weeks”. So widespread is the problem that it has been given the name of the “Skem Rash”.

4th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental to Carry Teams at Euro 2008

Sixteen Euro 2008 team coaches will be fitted with Continental HSL1 ‘Special Edition’ 295/80 R22.5 tyres, which feature stylised footballs and the yellow Continental logo. The tyre’s specially developed tread pattern means a low rolling noise, whilst also ensuring even contact with the road surface.

12th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Marangoni’s Marge Connors Appointed to New Role

Former Marangoni Tread North America (MTNA) sales development manager Marge Connors has been promoted to a newly created position within the company, that of marketing and communications manager. In her new role Ms Connors will be responsible for increasing the profile of the Ringtread brand and implementing strategies that will further the success of the Ringtread dealer network.

11th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Morecombe Bay Port Chooses Michelin

The Peel Group company Heysham Port Ltd, operator of a fleet of 28 tugs that together perform in excess of 1,000 trailer movements per day whilst loading and unloading ships stopping in north west England en route to and from Belfast, Dublin, the Isle of Man and Warrenpoint, is making the switch to Michelin tyres. A total of six new Terberg RT222 tugs have joined the fleet fitted with Michelin X-Terminal T tyres specified as original equipment, with a further four on order for delivery in spring 2008. Heysham Port is also fitting X-Terminal T tyres to other tugs as wear dictates, with servicing work carried out by mobile support vehicles from ATS Euromaster and Tyrecraft.

3rd December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Ford Reaches Settlement in Explorer Rollover Lawsuit

The Ford Motor Company has reached a settlement in the well-known class-action lawsuit that claimed the company’s popular Explorer SUV was prone to rollovers. This settlement comes two years after Bridgestone Firestone agreed to pay Ford US$240 million to settle liability over the recall of 6.5 million tyres in 2000 and 2001, a recall that took place in response to a number of fatalities in accidents caused by tread separation.

29th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Showcases Winter SUV Tyres at Eurotunnel

A set of Michelin’s Latitude Alpin cold weather tyres was on display at the Eurotunnel Terminal at Folkestone, Kent recently as part of Eurotunnel’s ski tour promotions programme. A set of 255/55 R18 Michelin Latitude Alpin HP Extra Load cold weather tyres was fitted to an Audi Q7 3.6 FSI Quattro SE and displayed inside the terminal for just under a week. The display was completed by top of the range Salomon skis and snowboards mounted on a Thule Ski & Snowboard Xtender carrier.

Michelin’s Latitude Alpin HP cold weather tyres are designed for high performance 4×4 vehicles and are recommended by several of the main vehicle manufacturers.

27th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Avon’s New Cobra Slithers onto the Market

The people at Avon Tyres say they have been listening long and hard to what their cruiser, custom and touring customers demand from a tyre, and handling, durability and aesthetics topped the list. So when it came to designing a replacement for the popular Venom-R, Avon kept its list handy, and the tyremaker reports it has more than met these requirements with a new tyre range aimed at the power cruiser and customiser market.

26th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Releases MotoGP Technology in New Tyre

The latest addition to Bridgestone’s Battlax range of tyres was shown off for the first time at the EICMA 2007 show in Milan. The Battlax BT-016, an advanced hypersport tyre, is designed to provide riders with maximum sport performance via the grip performance offered by Bridgestone’s MotoGP multi-layer compound technology. Compared to the BT-014 it will progressively replace, the new BT-016 provides handling improvement in all riding modes – with noticeably better contact feel, feedback, stability and grip – as well as longer wear life and lower noise levels.

Bridgestone has combined its top MotoGP construction technology with its latest multi-compound technology from SACT (Straight And Cornering Technology) to produce a sport tyre that gives high-level grip performance in braking, cornering and acceleration. The BT-016 front tyre features a new 3-Layer Compound (3LC): a centre compound for linear handling and longer wear life, flanked by a shoulder compound to secure high grip and a strong contact feeling. The rear BT-016 tyre features Bridgestone’s new 5-Layer Compound (5LC) technology, its first ever use on a street tyre. The centre compound gives good stability and higher mileage; the shoulder compound transfers the engine power to the road with strong traction; while the edge compound provides strong side grip and a sense of sure-footed contact at deep lean angles. Bridgestone comments that the line holding feels almost like riding on a rail.

21st November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Celebrates Double Milestone in Canada

Michelin’s Waterville facility in Canada has in November produced its 25th millionth tyre, a double milestone for a factory also celebrating its 25th year of manufacturing tyres for the commercial truck and earthmover market. Tyre number 25,000,000 was an XDA5 long haul drive tyre.

“I’m always saying that we like to do things ‘big’ here at the Waterville plant, so we’re very happy to celebrate two ‘big’ achievements at once,” said plant manager Grant Ferguson. “Our employees certainly have a lot to be proud of because they have worked hard and as a result we’ve enjoyed many significant accomplishments over the years. But, to produce our 25th millionth tyre in our 25th year is very unique indeed and twice the reason to be proud.”

12th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup + OE Approval for BMW M3 Extended

The recently introduced Michelin Pilot Sport Cup + has been approved as original equipment on the latest version of the BMW M3, launched in the second half of 2007. Already OE for the coupe version of the M3, the Pilot Sport Cup + is the French tyremaker’s top-of-the-line sports tyre. Developed for high speed track racing, it also meets all the requirements of public highway driving, as evidenced by the “DOT” marking on the sidewall.

The technology ensconced within the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup + enables the tyre to handle extreme track conditions while delivering optimal grip for safe everyday driving. To achieve this dual objective, Michelin implemented a two-compound design. Because wet-road driving makes considerable demands on the inside shoulder, silica has been included in this section of the tread, thus guaranteeing superior traction on slippery surfaces. Inversely, carbon black is used on the outer shoulder for maximum grip on dry surfaces. These two different blends, each of which is adapted to a specific type of use, are rarely seen together on the same tyre. Michelin claims that its ability to combine technologies that are normally incompatible is what makes the Pilot Sport Cup + a truly innovative product.

12th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors