Van den Ban has expanded its exclusive Gripmax brand with the addition of a new summer tyre, the ultra-high-performance SureGrip Pro Sport. The wholesaler is offering a launch range of more 40 dimensions for 18- to 22-inch rim diameters and will grow the line-up to more than 130 sizes at a later date. All currently available sizes have an EU tyre label ‘A’ grade for wet grip.
The car tyres with the largest dimensions represented the segment least negatively affected by the pandemic and its lockdowns in Europe. While UHP tyre demand varied through the lockdowns of 2020 – as you might expect within a segment quickly trending towards 30 per cent of the entire European market – the negative trend was kept relatively under control. This was increasingly the case as you look further up the size range. Tyres & Accessories asked market analyst GfK to examine full-year panelmarket data, which tracks points of sale around the UK to indicate aftermarket tyre trends, for the top 19” and above car tyre segment in calendar year 2020 versus 2019. The infographic on this page shows its characteristics, as well as the relatively mild effects of the last year on retail sales of the highest performance tyres.
A rare and valuable Toyota Supra Mk4 TRD 3000GT featured in a hit YouTube video has been fitted with Yokohama’s high performance Advan A052 tyres. With a view count over 900,000 in a few weeks, motoring journalist Mat Watson gives the striking Advan-liveried car and its tyres a thorough workout in a series of tests which showcase the car’s capabilities.
The Van den Ban Group (VDB) has added the new Gripmax SureGrip Pro Sport UHP summer tyre to its range. The modern, sporty pattern offers A-rated wet grip and availability in more than 40 size variations between 18 and 22”. The supplier says the tyre’s size range will ultimately be expanded to more than 130 SKUs.
The Nova Force Acro is the latest generation performance tyre from Leao Tire, a sub-brand of Linglong Tire. Tuned for “ultra-high performance luxury cars,” Linglong says the development of the tyre began with the extensive use of FEA simulation in the early product design stage. Using these methods to analyse and optimise overall tyre stress and strain distribution, Linglong says it improved the durability of the new Leao tyre.
Davanti Tyres launched its new flagship tyre, the ultra-high performance Protoura Sport, in early 2021. The brand says the development of the premium pattern complements its existing DX640 UHP product, giving drivers more choice within the range. “With Protoura Sport we have taken the latest in tyre engineering innovation and created a new benchmark in our UHP offering,” said Davanti’s development director, Gary Cross.
General Tire’s Altimax One S is the heritage-rich Continental group brand’s successor to the Altimax Sport, offering reliable dry performance, increased wet grip, and higher mileage due to its silica enriched rubber compound. The tyre is available in the UK from exclusive distributor Micheldever Tyre Services in a broad range of 15 to 20” sizes, approved for speeds of up to 186 mph.
Kumho’s Ecsta UHP tyre range is currently represented by the PS91 and PS71 models, covering fitments between 17 and 21”. This Ecsta range has been embellished with runflat and SUV variants, extending its reach into other areas of the market, and in the process collecting an original equipment homologation on the BMW 5 Series.
General Tire’s Altimax One S is the heritage-rich Continental group brand’s successor to the Altimax Sport, offering reliable dry performance, increased wet grip, and higher mileage due to its silica enriched rubber compound. The tyre is available in the UK from exclusive distributor Micheldever Tyre Services in a broad range of 15 to 20” sizes, approved for speeds of up to 186 mph.
Stapleton’s (Tyre Services) is conservatively optimistic for the summer months thanks to its exclusive brands, which offer particularly strong UHP tyres in the mid-range. Korean manufacturer Nexen Tire is due to begin shipping new N’Fera and N’Blue tyres to the UK imminently, while the latest tyres from Maxxis have helped the Taiwan-based brand to its best year of independent tyre test results ever in 2020.
Linglong is introducing a new range of European focused car tyres in 2021, all carrying the new “Master” brand. The UHP Sport Master represents a big leap forward for the manufacturer in terms of wet grip, with a 17 per cent improvement over its previous UHP products snaring it an A grade on the tyre label. Linglong says its new summer UHP tyre inherits the genes of its D1 racing tyres; the Linglong Tire Drift Team Orange won two annual championships in the Japanese D1 Grand Prix 2020. The manufacturer adds that this sporting pedigree accounts for around 20 per cent of the tyre’s performance – its sporty handling – with the other 80 per cent tuned for regular driving performance.
Pirelli has reported a marked increase in both sales revenues and pre-tax profits (EBIT), which were up 18.4 per cent and 19.6 per cent respectively. As a result of the increase, first-quarter 2021 revenues totalled 1,244.7 million euros. Meanwhile, the proportion of sales generated by so-called high value products now accounts for 72.6 per cent of total revenues, up 3 basis points compared with the first quarter of 2020.
Hankook Tyre UK is the official tyre sponsor at Supercar Fest for a second year. After the event’s successful debut in 2019 at Shelsley Walsh, event organisers will be hosting two events in 2021. Supercar Fest: The Runway will take place on 30 May at Sywell Aerodrome in Northamptonshire, which will see the supercars go head-to-head on a one kilometre runway whilst Supercar Fest: The Hill Climb will be returning to the historic Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb, in the heart of the picturesque Worcestershire countryside on 29 August 2021. Both events will offer exclusive supercar, classic car and motorsport demo runs, trade stands, live music, and close-up experiences in ‘The Paddock’.
Giti Tire has launched a new UHP tyre under its eponymous brand, the GitiSportS2. The manufacturer says the tyre delivers a five per cent improvement in wet and dry braking and handling, a 14 per cent increase in aquaplaning resistance, and around 10 per cent longer mileage, depending on driving behaviour against the previous model. The tyre’s overall target is higher levels of precise control. Aimed at compact and intermediate size cars and SUVs with a sport orientation, such as the Mercedes C Class, Cupra Leon, Audi TT and Audi Q5, the GitiSportS2 is launched initially in 14 sizes for rims from 16-20”, section widths from 205-275, series sizes from 35-45 and with speed indices across W-Y.
Marking the launch of its new flagship UHP tyre, Davanti unveiled Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy as its Protoura Sport ambassador. No stranger to speed, Hoy retired from cycling as one of the most decorated Olympians in history, embarking on a new career in motorsport. He has since won races in the European LeMans Series and the GT4 24hr Series. He now competes in a range of codes from rallycross to endurance to the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. “We are proud to welcome Sir Chris to the Davanti family,” said Davanti Tyres general manager Peter Cross. “As someone with a reputation built on elite-level performance, both on two wheels and four, he perfectly embodies Protoura Sport.”
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