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.
Until recently, half a dozen companies in China produced counterfeit Yokohama Advan Racing alloy wheels, but their days of fakery are over thanks to the joint efforts of intellectual property rights holder Yokohama Rubber and the authorities in three cities. Yokohama Rubber speaks of a “successful completion of its efforts to eliminate counterfeit versions of the company’s aluminium wheels in China.”
Yokohama tyres are an original equipment fitment on the Lexus LBX. The compact SUV, which debuts in Europe, Japan and Asia in December 2023, will be available with Yokohama Advan V61 tyres in sizes 225/55R18 98H and 225/60R17 99H.
In addition to its already announced supply of Yokohama Advan V107 tyres for the Porsche Cayenne, Yokohama Rubber is producing its Advan V35 as original equipment for the SUV. It is shipping the Yokohama Advan V35 to Porsche AG in the front wheel size 285/40R22 110V and rear size 315/35R22 111V.
Yokohama’s Advan tyres helped the JLOC Lamborghini GT3, driven by Takashi Kogure and Yuya Motojima, win the GT300 class in the final race, Round 8 of the 2023 Autobacs Super GT Series, held at Mobility Resort Motegi in Tochigi Prefecture on 4 and 5 November, 2023. In Japan’s premier touring car racing series., many teams in the GT300 class equipped their cars with Advan racing tyres this year. These cars won four out of eight races.
Walkenhorst Motorsport’s Advan-liveried #34 BMW M4 GT3 running on Yokohama’s Advan A005 (dry) and A006 (wet) tyres claimed first place in Round 8 of the 2023 Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) on 23 September. Driven by Christian Krognes and Jakub Giermaziak, the team qualified fifth and took the lead around the race’s midpoint, widening the gap with the rest of the field before taking the checkered flag more than two minutes ahead of the second-place car.
Tyres for electric vehicles made using renewable electricity. This is reality at Yokohama Rubber, whose Shinshiro-Minami plant in Japan has begun producing Yokohama Advan EV tyres with power from a new proprietary solar panel power generation system that officially entered operation in August 2023 and with renewable energy-generated electricity that the plant has been procuring since April.
Recent sales data from the SMMT reveals a new electric vehicle (EV) is registered every 60 seconds in the UK, indicating a strong shift towards greener transportation. This demand amplifies the need for optimised products with tyre performance to cater to the specific needs of these vehicles. Yokohama has designed the new Advan Sport EV to be tailored specifically for electric vehicles with several features to help EV drivers get the most out of their vehicles. Yokohama has indicated the tyre’s suitability for EV applications with an enhanced sidewall including the ‘E+’ mark. This emblem stands as an assurance of a product that combines technologies crafted specifically for EVs. The manufacturer says it signifies its dedication to promoting minimal electricity consumption and peak quietness, ensuring an unparalleled EV drive experience.
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