The UK is renown, amongst tyre buyers at least, for an almost complete absence of winter. Although the all-season segment has steadily grown in recent years, the temperate, nearly tropical clime of Albion endows many with the confidence to drive the entire year on summer tyres. But winter tyres are available for anyone seeking extra grip in the less balmy months, including an all-new tyre from Yokohama.
Yokohama Rubber has further expanded its original equipment supply activities in China with a new deal with Lynk & Co, the firm established in 2016 as a three-way joint venture and, from 14 February 2025, a non-wholly owned subsidiary of Zeekr Intelligent Technology. The Lynk & Co Z10 saloon – the company’s first full electric vehicle – leaves the factory equipped with Yokohama Advan Sport EV tyres in size 245/50R19 105W.
Yokohama Rubber has announced international motorsport arrangements that will see it supply Yokohama Advan tyres to a US racing series as well as a team contesting the 2025 Nürburgring 24-Hour Race. These deals involve both Ford Performance and the Haupt Racing Team.
Yokohama Rubber is supplying original equipment tyres to Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co., Ltd. for factory fitment on its Leapmotor C16. The SUV wears Yokohama Advan Sport EV tyres in size 245/45R21 104V XL at the front and 255/45R21 106V XL on the rear wheels. Leapmotor established a strategic alliance with Yokohama Rubber in July 2024, a month after the C16 debuted in China.
Yokohama’s latest premium tyres are proving popular among original equipment manufacturers in a wide variety of applications. The manufacturer’s Advan Sport EV offers a new tread compound designed to reduce rolling resistance, tackling range anxiety in the growing electric vehicle segment. The Adan Sport EV also features Silentfoam, a specially designed foam inside the tyre which contributes to a quieter ride.
Electric vehicle manufacturer Nio Inc. has selected Yokohama Advan Sport EV tyres as original equipment for its Onvo L60, which debuted in China last September. The SUV wears the Advan tyre in size 245/50R19 101V.
The first new winter tyre to join the Yokohama Advan range in 17 years will arrive in 2025. Yokohama will introduce the Advan Winter V907 in a range of sizes for the aftermarket next year, following the tyre’s recent debut as an approved tyre for the Mercedes-AMG E-Class. Yokohama Rubber adopted a similar approach with its Advan Sport V107, first launching the UHP tyre as original equipment on the BMW X3 & X4 in 2019, followed by its expansion into the replacement market in 2022.
Yokohama is supplying its Advan V61 tyres as original equipment (OE) to Mazda Motor Corporation for use on the automaker’s new crossover SUV, the Mazda CX-80, sales of which will be launched in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and other countries in October 2024. The tyre sizes are 235/60R18 103V and 235/60R18 107V.
Yokohama Rubber has announced two further original equipment supply agreements for international markets. These OE deals involve models from the Yokohama Advan and BluEarth ranges.
Yokohama Rubber has commercially introduced a new technology it has been working on for a number of years, aerodynamic fins that improve handling stability. It debuted this feature on the Yokohama Advan A50, a size 165/50R16 75V tyre currently only available in Japan as an original equipment fitment on the Daihatsu Copen two-door convertible kei car.
The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. plans to expand production capacity for motorsport tyres at its Mishima facility in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture. Yokohama Rubber will invest about ¥3.8 billion (£19.4 million) in a new line that will produce 18-inch and larger motorsports tyres, expanding the plant’s capacity for motorsports tyres by 35 per cent.
Yokohama Advan Sport V107 tyres are an approved original equipment fitment for the BMW X7 and the plug-in hybrid BMW XM. In total, Yokohama Rubber is supplying three size combinations for these SUVs: HL275/35R23 108Y (front) and HL315/30R23 111Y (rear) to both the BMW X7 and BMW XM, as well as 275/45R21 110Y (front) and 315/40R21 115Y (rear), and 275/40R22 107Y (front) and 315/35R22 111Y (rear) for the BMW XM.
The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has entered into a partnership agreement with Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing’s Haupt Racing Team (HRT), under which it will supply Yokohama Advan racing tyres to the Mercedes-AMG GT3 that HRT enters into the Nürburgring 24-Hour Race and Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie (NLS). In dry conditions, the car will wear Advan A005 racing tyres in 300/680R18 (front) and 330/710R18 (rear), and in the wet will compete on Advan A006 tyres.
The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has announced plans to strengthen its capacity for supplying tyres to the North American market by building a passenger car tyre factory in Mexico. The company intends to invest up to US$380 million to build a plant with an annual production capacity of 5 million tyres.
Yokohama will supply its global flagship Advan brand tyres and wheels to Kalle Rovanperä in the opening round of this year’s Formula Drift Japan on 6-7 April at the Fuji International Speedway in Shizuoka Prefecture. Rovanperä will be participating in the Red Bull GR Corolla from KR69 Cusco Racing.
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