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Dayton
Launch D110 for Value-Conscious Drivers
Pirelli
Makes Film Debut with "The Call"
Michelin
Pilot Sport "Best on Test" says Which?
Bridgestone
Develops New Multi Air Chamber Tyre
Michelin
Back Cycling Safety Rally
Lesjöfors
Completes Move
Bridgestone
Launches New Dueler H/P Sport Tyre for Luxury SUV Market
BFGoodrich
King of the Jungle for African Adventure Couple
Goodyear
Securities Suit Dismissed in Federal Court
Loeb,
Elena, Kronos and BFGoodrich Score their First WRC Win Together
Bridgestone
Sponsors Safety Design Award
Bridgestone
Nominated Peugeot-Citroën Supplier of the Year
Dayton Launch D110 for Value-Conscious
Drivers
 Bridgestone
has upgraded its Dayton range of car tyres, introducing the T-rated
D110 general-use tyre. It replaces the D100 in a phased roll-out
across Europe during 2006.
Dayton is a strong
player in the European economy-price tyre market, with a full range
that fits most popular car models. Designed and manufactured with
latest Bridgestone technology, Dayton aims to give value-conscious
buyers the reassurance of top-quality performance at an affordable
price.
The aim with the new
D110 was to retain safe, high-level standards on wet and dry surfaces,
while extending wear life: a key benefit for customer satisfaction
in this segment. The robust, modern-looking tread provides a perfect
balance of wet and dry handling. Twin uniform centre ribs, aided
by the stiff block design, give plenty of dry grip for acceleration
and braking, with good centre feel and straight-line stability.
Circumferential grooves
in the centre and outer areas ensure fast water evacuation from
the road contact patch, while high-angle slots clear water away
from the lateral sides. The slots and sipes are also deeper, maintaining
improved wet performance throughout the tyre life. At the same time,
durability has been extended by a new tread compound with silica
and an optimised rubber-to-void ratio that puts more rubber on the
road to extend tyre life.
The new Dayton D110
is available in 18 T-rated sizes from 60 to 80 series.
Pirelli Makes Film Debut
with "The Call"
Pirelli Has made its
film debut with the presentation of the first Pirellifilm (www.pirellifilm.com),
a new communications project that will take place over several years
and consists in the production of short films to be broadcast over
the Internet. Created
for the worldwide promotion of the Pirelli image, the films will
focus on the leitmotiv "Power is nothing without control", which
will be interpreted differently each time by international film
stars.
The first short film
- "The Call" starring John Malkovich and Naomi Campbell - was directed
by Antoine Fuqua, who directed "Training Day" and "King Arthur".
Filmed with a dark, gothic mood in a mysterious, tempting nighttime
Rome , "The Call" is an 8 minutes 45 second thriller that depicts
the eternal battle between Good and Evil.
Michelin Pilot Sport "Best
on Test" says Which?
 Which?
Magazine, the valuable product testing publication of the Consumers
Association, has named the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 the best 17-inch
tyre of 15 tested in its survey published in the March edition.
Which? judges the products on a number of criteria such as wet and
dry handling, grip, wear and noise with scores being given as an
overall percentage.
The Michelin Pilot
Sport PS2 scored top marks for handling and braking on dry surfaces
and for low tyre wear, all important, high quality factors that
determine that this tyre represents good value for money. In this
competitive market sector overall the PS2 was a clear two per cent
ahead of the nearest competitor.
For the first time
the magazine included an eco rating in their thorough analysis,
based on a measure of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), the additives
used in tyre manufacture that are released as the tyre wears. The
lower the PAH levels in the tyre the lower the pollutant damage
caused. Which? rated the Pilot Sport PS2 tyre as an environmentally
friendly tyre, on track to meet the new PAH standards that become
law in 2009.
Bridgestone Develops New
Multi Air Chamber Tyre
Bridgestone Corporation
has announced the development of a new multi air chamber tyre, which
features three separate chambers acting as pressure vessels. The
all-new type of tyre contour was born from extensive R&D efforts
with a view to the future of tyres.
The inside of the tyre
consists of a main chamber in the centre and sub-chambers on both
sides. The air pressure in each of the chambers can be controlled
independently, making it possible to adjust the stiffness balance
between the tread area and the left and right sidewalls. This ensures
ideal contact in any condition, and thus, a more stable and comfortable
drive. It also means performance can be adjusted in line with customer
needs such as comfort or manoeuvrability. Also, as the tyre is divided
into three parts, even if the air pressure in one of the chambers
drops to 0kPa caused by a nail puncture for instance, the remaining
chambers will be able to support the weight of the tyre, so it will
be able to continue to operate for a specified distance.
Bridgestone says it
will continue developing the multi air chamber tire for more practical
use.
Michelin Back Cycling Safety
Rally
 A
thousand junior cyclists will take over Dundee City Centre on Sunday
11th June for a massive cycling safety extravaganza backed by Michelin
and Dundee City Council. Aimed at educating school children, - and
adults, - of the value of wearing a protective cycling helmet -
even on the shortest journeys - youngsters from the age of 4 to
11 can show their cycling proficiency in a fun, safe, family atmosphere.
The event has been
created by Michelin, who operate a factory in Dundee. The Junior
Bike event has proved popular in Italy, France, Spain and Poland
and organisers believe the safety message is right for Scotland's
schoolchildren. Every one of the 1000 youngsters who will take part
will be given a free cycle safety helmet to keep and use every time
they get on their bikes even if just nipping down the road to a
friend's house.
"Wearing a safety helmet
is the very best protection any cyclist can take. Falling off and
banging your head can cause serious injury - and a helmet can avoid
this," says the Lord Provost, John R. Letford JP when he launched
the event in City Square. "We are grateful to Michelin for bringing
this super roadshow to town this summer - we know it will put our
safety education campaign in top gear for the school holidays."
Dundee's Reform Street
and City Square will be closed to traffic and turned into a 1000
metre cycle course. Youngsters will ride one, two or three laps
depending on age and each rider must wear the free helmet provided
by Michelin. Karen B - the youthful Tay FM radio presenter will
host the event. Halfords, the national cycle retailer will be on-site
to help with any mechanical problems and Highland Spring and Walkers
Shortbread will refresh the riders.
Entry forms will soon
be available in all primary schools in the City and these need to
be completed with parental or guardian approval and returned by
28th April. Entry to the event is entirely free. The participants
will need to check-in at City Square between 13.00hrs and 15.00hrs
on Sunday 11 June with the first age group being flagged away at
15.00hrs. Retailers in the area of the closed roads have welcomed
this safety initiative and havegiven their complete support. .
Lesjöfors Completes
Move
 Spring
manufacturer Lesjöfors has completed its move to its new purpose-built
25,000sqft warehousing facility, which will house more than 200,000
Coil, Leaf, Sport and Gas springs at any one time.
Bridgestone Launches New
Dueler H/P Sport Tyre for Luxury SUV Market
 Bridgestone
has launched its first 4x4 tyre derived from Formula One technology
- The Dueler H/P Sport. The tyre has been designed to give driving
precision and comfort to the increasing number of powerful sports
utility vehicles (SUVs) on UK roads today. With many new SUVs now
capable of speeds of more than 140mph, Bridgestone UK's marketing
manager Andy Lane believes it is vital that these vehicles have
suitable tyres.
"In the past, 4x4 vehicles
were used primarily for off-roading, but times have changed," said
Andy. "Nowadays they serve more diverse requirements, and as such
we have extended our Dueler range to ensure we cater for all needs.
"The Dueler H/P Sport is designed to give drivers of these new,
luxury 4x4s the driving characteristics of a high-performance road
car: excellent on-road wet and dry handling, sharp steering precision,
and maximum in-car comfort," he added.
Featuring a similar
tread pattern to the company's premium high-performance tyre, the
Potenza RE050, the Dueler H/P Sport combines the pattern advantages
of Bridgestone's Formula One dry and wet tyres, which gives drivers
the best of both worlds - a stunning combination of grip in the
dry and safety in the wet. The tyre has a specially designed buttress
area to clearly differentiate it from the Potenza RE050, and features
a more aggressive edge design in line with the Dueler brand, giving
it a sporty look while ensuring a comfortable ride with low noise
levels.
The tyre's tread pattern
design is fully symmetrical up to 18 inch rim sizes, while the 19
inch and 20 inch sizes are designed with an asymmetrical pattern,
providing the extra performance required by higher-powered models.
Block stiffness is increased on the outside shoulder and by the
tie-bar centre ribs on the larger sizes, to achieve the impressive
handling capabilities.
The Dueler H/P Sport
is available in 11 sizes, from 50 to 65 series, from March 2006,
with a further 20 sizes to follow.
BFGoodrich King of the Jungle
for African Adventure Couple
 A
Midlands couple put their Land Rover TDi Defender and BFGoodrich
All Terrain tyres to the test, when they set off on a 60,000km adventure
from Cape Town, South Africa to their home near Daventry. Rob Ward
and his wife Anne Clare drove through 24 countries across some of
Africa's most challenging terrain, and after 342 days, 6665 litres
of diesel, 12 hours of video footage and 4909 photographs, the couple
returned to the UK, where their Land Rover 'Billy' and its trusty
tyres flew through its MOT.
 "We
wanted to do something a bit different before we settled down to
start a family." said Rob, former business unit manager at Millbrook
Proving Ground. "As it was our first time covering this sort of
terrain we were unsure how the vehicle and the tyres would hold
up. However, we experienced very few mechanical problems and were
able to really push them to the limits -an exhilarating feeling.
" Remarkably, the couple had travelled 55,000 km to Mali, before
they suffered their first and only puncture. The offending object
being a 40mm bolt that pushed through the tread. "Given the tyres'
performance until that point, we felt that this setback could be
excused!" said Rob.
Commenting on the couple's
experience, Dominic Clark, BFGoodrich Brand Manager said, "This
is a great example of customers continuing to choose our tyres with
confidence. Rob and Anne Clare's experience enforces our brand promise,
placing BFGoodrich as market leaders in 4x4 tyre technology."
Goodyear Securities Suit
Dismissed in Federal Court
Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Company has announced that United States District Court Judge John
Adams has ordered the dismissal of the class action lawsuit alleging
securities fraud filed against the company and certain of its current
and former officers. The suit relates to Goodyear's previous restatement
of its financial results. In its ruling, the Court found that the
plaintiffs had failed to sufficiently set forth particularized facts
to support their claim.
"We are pleased that
the Court has dismissed the lawsuit, which we have always believed
to be without merit," said C. Thomas Harvie, Goodyear senior vice
president and general counsel.Goodyear has also asked the Court
to dismiss two companion cases pending before Judge Adams: a shareholder
derivative action and an action based on alleged ERISA violations.
Loeb, Elena, Kronos and BFGoodrich
Score their First WRC Win Together
 After
finishing second on two occasions so far this year, Citroën/BFGoodrich's
Sébastien Loeb claimed his maiden win of 2006 by beating the on-form
Petter Solberg (Subaru) in the recent Rally Mexico. The duel between
the pair kept spectators on their toes all the way to the end of
Leg 2 when the Norwegian was slowed by power steering trouble. Manfred
Stohl (Peugeot/BFGoodrich) finished on the podium for the third
time of his career, while Marcus Grönholm and Mikko Hirvonen harvested
four Manufacturers' points for BP-Ford/BFGoodrich despite both leaving
the road earlier in the event.
Bridgestone Sponsors Safety
Design Award
 Bridgestone
Europe has announced that it is to sponsor a new category - Best
Safety Innovation - in the Interior Motives Design Awards in 2006.
Organised by the automobile design magazine Interior Motives, the
annual awards promote the importance of innovation in vehicle design
by challenging design students from around the world to make their
mark on future car design. Winners are rewarded with prizes and
the chance to receive recognition from top figures in the international
automotive design community.
More than 200 student
teams entered the Interior Motives Design Awards in 2005 and the
organisers expect even wider participation in the 9 categories this
year. After a panel of distinguished automotive designers and other
professionals from the design world have evaluated entries, winners
will be announced at the Paris Motor Show in September 2006.
Bridgestone Nominated Peugeot-Citroën
Supplier of the Year
 PSA
Peugeot-Citroën has named Bridgestone Europe as its Supplier of
the Year 2005 for quality. On Monday 6 March 2006, BSEU Chairman,
CEO and President Minekazu Fujimura accepted the award, based on
the company's achievement of a zero ppm fault rate and zero quality
issues for year 2005, at a ceremony held in the automotive manufacturer's
Poissy (France) facilities.
The event, attended
by Jean-Martin Folz, Chairman of the PSA Peugeot-Citroën Managing
Board, and his fellow board members, was introduced by Jean-Philippe
Collin, General Purchasing Director. Roland Vardanega, Manufacturing
and Components Director, handed over the award to Mr Fujimura. He
acknowledged that BSEU had become a major supplier to PSA, and confirmed
the Group's willingness to further strengthen this relationship.
Speaking after the event, Mr. Fujimura stated that to win an award
like this after supplying PSA for only 3 years is a clear recognition
of the efforts of all our teams across development, manufacturing
and supply chain. "We look forward to new challenges and more success"
he said.
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