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Goodyear Wins Evo Tyre Test

The new Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric has taken its first major independent tyre test victory, with ‘Evo’ magazine declaring the latest Goodyear ultra-high performance tyre as the winner in a comparison of nine brands. The test was particularly significant because the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric topped the handling tests in both wet and dry conditions.

The test took place at the Bridgestone Research and Development centre, and measured handling, aquaplaning resistance and braking using a Volkswagen Golf GTi. The Goodyear set the fastest lap times in wet and dry conditions, generated the most cornering force and had the shortest stopping distance in the wet. The test drivers raved about the Goodyear performance: “The steering feels clean, direct and positive. It is a decisive win for the new Goodyear” stated Jethro Bovingdon from Evo.

17th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti OE for Low CO2 VW Golf

Volkswagen’s new Golf Blue Motion, part of the German manufacturer’s special range of high fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emission vehicles, is making its debut at the Frankfurt show. The car’s low-resistance tyres from Continental – alongside a host of other technical features – play a big hand in making for earth-friendly motoring. Conti supplies the Volkswagen assembly line with both the ContiEcoContact 3 and the ContiPremiumContact 2 for this vehicle model.

The designers of the Golf Blue Motion decided ultra-low-resistance tyres were an essential component, and approached Continental for supply of the key 195/65 R 15 T and 205/55 R 16 H sizes. And Conti is confident that, in the ContiEcoContact 3 and the ContiPremiumContact 2, Volkswagen is fitting more than just a tyre that reduces fuel consumption. “Volkswagen was looking not only for low rolling resistance. It was just as much interested in a high measure of safety in the form of short braking distances on wet and dry roads, excellent handling features and good riding comfort,” explains Nikolai Setzer, head of the car original equipment business unit, underscoring the main components of the performance specification. “Both products, which we are delivering to VW as sole supplier for the Golf Blue Motion, have been able to completely satisfy these high expectations.”

7th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Keeps it Local in China

The recently reported capacity expansion plans for Goodyear’s Dalian plant in China – to 17,000 tyres a day or 10 per cent of global production – will mostly be supplied from local sources. Over a number of years Goodyear has shared its technology with a number of Chinese companies, and these firms are now playing an ever-larger role in keeping the materials required for making tyres coming into the plant.

Local suppliers include Jiangsu Xingda Steel Tyre Cord Co. Ltd., who provide steel cord; Jiangsu Junma Group for nylon 6 yarn; China Shenma Group for nylon 6,6; and carbon black supplier Jiangxi Black Cat Carbon Black Co. Goodyear plans to source between £300 million and £500 million worth of materials from China by 2010.

And just as much of what enters the factory is from local sources, much of what comes out is also staying close to home. A large chunk of the Dalian factory’s output is being taken up by Chinese based vehicle manufacturers for OE fitment. Goodyear is the exclusive tyre supplier for BMW in China, and the tyremaker also supplies to Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., FAW-Volkswagen Automobile Co., Great Wall Motor Co., Brilliance Jinbei Automobile Co., as well as local Toyota, Nissan and Honda operations.

6th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

All-Season Protection

Vredestein believes there is a need and a good future for cold weather tyres in the UK, and is backing up its confidence in this often ignored market with the release of more winter weather products, including the new Quatrac 3 series, which will be launched at the end of September.

The Quatrac 3 can be visually distinguished by its non-directional asymmetric tread, and Vredestein adds that an examination of the tyre’s summer and winter tread profile sections will also reveal a clear distinction between the two. Upon its initial release the new tyre also offer a world first for all-season tyres – run-flat variants. Vredestein will offer two run-flat sizes when it launches the Quatrac 3.

For discerning motorists the new Quatrac 3 is a very attractive choice. As it is an all-season tyre, there is no necessity for the twice annual change between summer and winter tyres. “The Vredestein Quatrac 3 is a first-rate alternative for countries without extreme driving conditions like snow-covered, icy roads or steep hills,” Bert Stellinga, managing director Vredestein UK and Ireland, explained. “In plain or gently sloping areas and in temperate climates, the Quatrac 3 is the all-season tyre of choice. It offers optimum ride and grip characteristics under all circumstances.”

31st August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti Produces One-Off OE Tyres for Concept Cars

Concept vehicles are a main attraction at International Motor Shows, and Continental is working to ensure the tyres gracing a number of these attention grabbers at the Frankfurt show will inspire the imagination. According to Conti, the tyres on these concept cars are an integral part of the look and feel of a vehicle, therefore the company has a specialist team of designers working on eye-catching designs.

The Continental design team’s task is to give standard tyres a unique look to complement the manufacturers’ concept car. This varies depending on the vehicle’s style and audience. Sports car tyres require aggressive tread patterns that give an impression of speed. These also often feature colour to highlight the tread or the tyre sidewalls. For SUVs, the manufacturer expects prominent tread blocks for maximum off-road traction – the smaller the wheel arch and the broader the tyre, the more prominent the sidewall design. If more space is available for the tyre, focusing upon the tread design is a greater priority.

31st August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama HPT Partners With MK Dons Football Team

The UK distributor for Yokohama tyres and TSW, MAK plus a range of marque-specific replacement alloy wheels, Yokohama HPT Ltd, has become a partner to the Milton Keynes-based football team, the MK Dons. The partnership will see Yokohama logos displayed at the MK Dons’ brand new 31,000-seat stadium in Milton Keynes and will allow Yokohama HPT to support the team from its own box at the stadium during home games.

The MK Dons are eagerly anticipating the start of the new football season this weekend and with it, the commissioning of the brand-new multi-million pound StadiumMK. Situated within strolling distance of the Yokohama HPT offices, thus the relationship between the team and the company is a logical one, and reflects Yokohama HPT’s commitment to the local community.

The MK Dons are currently situated in the Second Division but a series of high-profile additions to the team structure over the winter have strengthened its chances of gaining promotion this season. The former Manchester United and Liverpool player and England captain, Paul Ince, has joined as Manager and brings with him a wealth of experience of top level football, both in the UK and abroad.

13th August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti OE for New Fiat 500

Following the successful reinterpretation of the Volkswagen Beetle and the Mini, Italy’s iconic pint sized town car has made a comeback, and in its 2007 guise is equipped with tyres from Continental. The new Fiat 500, the visual if not technological successor to the hugely popular rear-engine car built between 1957 and 1975, will sport Conti rubber on all standard sizes of rim – 14, 15 and 16-inch.

The majority of tyres supplied by Continental will be in the 165/65R14 T size. Roberto Zazzara, who is responsible for the original equipment tyres that Continental delivers to Fiat, explains: “We supply Fiat with the ContiEcoContact 3, a tyre that offers low rolling resistance and thus reduced fuel consumption, and we are Fiat’s sole supplier for this size.” In terms of 15 and 16-inch tyres, Continental is equally well-represented with its ContiPremiumContact 2, which also offers low rolling resistance. Both tyres have been designed to ensure short braking distances on wet and dry roads, good lateral guidance and comfortable driving characteristics, combined with low rolling resistance.

7th August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper Appoints Robert Welding as Company Director

Cooper Tire & Rubber announced on August 3 that its Board of Directors has named Robert D. Welding as a director of the company, effective immediately. Welding, 58, is president and chief executive officer of Federal Signal Corporation and a member of Federal Signal’s board of directors.

Prior to joining Federal Signal in 2003, Welding was group president of the BorgWarner Driveline Group, a $1.2 billion global business, and executive vice president of BorgWarner Inc. Previously, he served as president and general manager of BorgWarner Transmission Systems, a unit of the Driveline Group. In his 20 years with BorgWarner, Welding held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility in operations and product engineering management. Prior to that, he served in various management and product engineering capacities for General Motors and Volkswagen of America. Welding began his career as a product development engineer in 1970.

6th August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

UK Car Registrations up in June

New car registrations in the UK rose slightly during the month of June, with the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) recording 222,863 passenger cars registered during the month. This is 1.5 per cent more than the June 2006 figure of 219,497. Europe-wide results varied, with registrations in newer EU member states increasing by double-digit amounts – the greatest increase was recorded in Slovakia, where registrations were 56.1 per cent higher in June 2007 than June 2006, at 32,679 units. Germany, on the other hand, experienced a 7 per cent drop in registrations compared with a year earlier, the result of January’s increase in VAT. Vehicles from the VW Group – Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda – continued to be the biggest sellers in Western Europe, selling 276,498 units and taking 19.3 per cent of total market share.

13th July 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bosal Invests In Russian Plant

Global exhaust and towbar manufacturer, Bosal Group, has acquired a 244,000 square metre site at Kaluga, 180 kilometres southwest of Moscow. The largest Bosal site in the world, the Kaluga investment will feature state-of-the-art production facilities and a supplier logistics hub that will play a major role for the distribution of automotive parts in the Russian market. The Dutch-registered privately held business is one of the first OE suppliers to acquire a site at Kaluga, but OEMs including Volvo and Volkswagen have already committed to the area.

Bosal plans to construct a 153,000 square metre plant in stages, the first phase of which will see a 28,000 square metre facility completed by the end of 2008. The Kaluga site will serve as the central manufacturing and distribution hub for Bosal’s operations in Russia where it also anticipates establishing regional satellite facilities to serve OEM assembly plants.

12th July 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Cevher Group Purchase Remaining Subsidiary Shares

Turkey’s Cevher Dokum Sanayii aluminium foundry was acquired in its entirety on June 19 by sister alloy wheel company Cevher Jant Sanayii, who purchased the 18 per cent minority shareholding in Cevher Dokum held by Teksid S.p.A. The Ozyauz family, owners of Cevher Jant, now has full control over the entire Cevher Group. The Cevher Group of companies, established in 1955, supply OE wheels to a number of carmakers, including Vauxhall, Volkswagen, BMW, Audi and Volvo.

6th July 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Punch International Acquires Wheel Manufacturer BBS

Belgium’s Punch International NV, the diversified industrial holding company headquartered in Sint-Martens-Latem, announced on June 29 that it has taken over BBS, the German developer and producer of lightweight wheels for premium segment sports and passenger cars. BBS is currently listed on the Frankfurt and Stuttgart stock exchanges but was declared bankrupt in May 2007, however the company is now expected to make a positive contribution to the Punch group’s net profit as soon as it the acquisition is finalised.

Punch will take over all the bankrupt company’s assets as of 1 August 2007, subject to the transaction’s approval by the antitrust authority. The acquired assets will include those of BBS Kraftfahrzeugtechnik AG and BBS Motorsport & Engineering GmbH, the brand name BBS and the activities of the company’s plants in Schiltach and Herbolzheim, Germany. The transaction also comprises the takeover of all the shares of the American sales subsidiary BBS of America, Inc and the redemption of all lease contracts in progress. BBS has an extensive portfolio of technology patents, which is also included in the takeover. Funds for the acquisition are drawn from a combination of the proceeds of the private placement dated 7 June 2007 and a bank loan. The activities taken over will continue under the name BBS International GmbH and become integrated in the Punch Motive division of the Punch group.

29th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Beru TSS a Factory Option for Audi R8

Audi’s R8 has become the latest in a string of performance vehicles to offer drivers and passengers the added safety of Beru’s Tire Safety System (TSS). The recently launched sports car comes fitted with a 420HP engine capable of propelling the vehicle to speeds in excess of 180 mph, and the optionally fitted TSS provides the added safety of direct monitoring that constantly checks tyre pressure whilst the vehicle is moving and pre-warning the driver of damage through insufficient tyre pressure or through gradual or sudden loss of pressure.

In order to ensure the proper functioning of the TSS system in many different driving situations, the components are tested on a high-speed racetrack. In addition to the enormously high centrifugal forces on the TSS sensors, signal transmission between the TSS tyre electronics, antenna and control unit must meet the highest demands.

27th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama Chosen for Most Powerful Golf Ever

Volkswagen is releasing the most powerful Golf in the marque’s 33-year history, and has selected Yokohama to handle the hatchback’s phenomenal power. The Golf GTi W12-650, created to celebrate the annual GTi festival in Europe and 30 years of the Golf in the UK, features a twin-turbocharged 650bhp version of the W12 engine normally found in the Phaeton.

The massive engine is engine mounted amidships in the Golf GTi W12, behind the front seats. Power is channelled to the rear wheels via a six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. The six-litre W12 engine is usually rated at 450bhp but the addition of two turbochargers raises this by 200bhp and gives the Golf a staggering 553lbft of torque.

12th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

GTI Pirelli Makes a Long-Awaited Comeback

Almost a quarter century after its hugely popular predecessor first saw light of day, Pirelli is once again lending its name to Volkswagen’s high performance hatchback. Differentiated from its lesser brethren by its unique aesthetics and mechanical specifications, the Golf GTI Pirelli will make its debut several weeks after September’s Frankfurt Motor Show. Media and aficionados were treated to an advance showing of the new Volkswagen at its world premiere at the international GTI Meeting in Wörthersee, Austria on May 16.

The rubber chosen for the Golf GTI Pirelli is from the P Zero range, in 225/40 size, fitted to 18-inch 5P Pirelli light alloy wheels. The P Zero theme extends into the GTI Pirelli’s insides, with interior styling inspired by the tyre’s tread pattern. But while they may add to the car’s appearance, the P Zero tyres are not there simply for show – lurking under the Golf GTI Pirelli’s bonnet is a 230hp direct injection turbocharged engine capable of delivering a maximum speed of 245 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds.

21st May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors