Tyre News

KRT Competition Winners on the Rocks with Cooper and Kankku
Michelin New Energy Saver Tyres Win Economy Drive Honours in 2007 MPG Marathon
Bridgestone secures first Chrysler LLC Fitment
BF Goodrich Takes Donnelly to Championship Title
Viper strikes to win Avon Tyres British GT
Maxxis to Sponsor Rugby's Super League in 2008
Tyre Pressure Survey from TyreSafe
Motoring Weekly Rewarded for Commitment to Promoting Tyre Safety
Lamborghini Selects BERU F1 Systems to Supply Digital Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
Hankook Recognised by German Fleet-Magazine Magazine
KTM Names Maxxis as OE supplier for new ATVs
Avon Tyres Names Formula 3 Award Winners
Gorilla Charity Gears up for Congo Challenge with Bridgestone
Yokohama's ADVAN WINTER Tyres Approved for the Audi S6 and S8

KRT Competition Winners on the Rocks with Cooper and Kankku

Crewe family firm Hopley Tyres enjoyed an exciting day of offroad driving at the Kankku 4x4 driving school recently, courtesy of Kings Road Tyres, and Kankku supplier, Cooper Tire.

Dudley, Carl and Geoff Hopley travelled to the premier adventure driving centre in the beautiful Lake District countryside, with KRT branch manager, Mark Sneap, and purchasing and marketing manager, Tim Bader. The Hopleys had won the trip in a competition run by Middlesex-based KRT and Cooper Tire at the Brityrex show at Manchester's G-Mex Centre in May in order to showcase the Cooper Discoverer STT's astounding capabilities off-road.

Dudley Hopley said: "There were certain tracks we went up that I thought were impossible in any vehicle, but the Cooper STTs proved us all wrong." "When we drove on normal roads, I was also amazed that the tyres were not noisy, being an aggressive, off-road tyre," added KRT's Sneap.

Kankku's fleet of Land Rover Defenders and Mitsubishi Shoguns are all shod with Cooper's rugged Discoverer STTs, which are perfect for the rock-climbing, mud-eating and terrain-taming activities undertaken at Kankku.

Michelin New Energy Saver Tyres Win Economy Drive Honours in 2007 MPG Marathon

Michelin's new Energy Saver tyres have carried the Peugeot 308 to the title of most economical family sized car in the 2007 MPG Marathon.

Using Peugeot's 1.6 litre HDi 110hp SE model, an impressive 71.92 mpg was achieved over a 330 mile round trip between Basingstoke and Torquay, which is a 19.67% improvement on Peugeot's published figures. Michelin's new Energy Saver tyres are included as standard on all 1.6 litre HDi 90 and HDi 110 versions fitted with both 15" and 16" wheels.

Experienced MPG Marathon Drivers John Dalton and David Adams were at the wheel, as the 308 triumphed over its class rivals including the Audi 3 2.0 TDi, Kia Cee'd 1.6D and Seat Leon FR tdi. The annual MPG marathon presents competitors with a variety of urban and extra-urban driving conditions in an attempt to recreate circumstances feaced each day by the British motorist. The test course encourages drivers to consider their fuel gauge whilst driving, demonstrating the financial and environmental benefits of economic driving.

Bridgestone secures first Chrysler LLC Fitment

Bridgestone's Turanza ER300 tyre has been chosen as one OE fitment for Chrysler's latest saloon, the Chrysler Sebring. It is the first time the Chrysler brand has fitted Bridgestone rubber to one of their vehicles in the UK.

The Turanza ER300 will be fitted as standard in a size 215/60 R17.

BF Goodrich Takes Donnelly to Championship Title

Irish rally star, Eugene Donnelly, secured a fourth Irish tarmac rally championship title in early October with a fourth place performance on the Cork 20 International Rally.

Going into the event Donnelly and his co-driver Paul Kiely, held a nine point advantage over closest rival , Mark Higgins but with the final event of the season offering one and a half times the normal points haul, Donnelly needed to make sure Higgins was no more than two places ahead of him in the final result. In the event, Donnelly brought his Reid Transport-BF Goodrich Subarau WRC machine home in fourth place with Higgins only managing third.

BF Goodrich brand manager, Andy Williamson was delighted with his man's result. "BF Goodrich would like to congratulate Eugene on the fantastic achievement of winning his 4th Irish tarmac crown. Eugene's victory complements our success in the WRC and supports ourclaim of being the world leader in rally tyres. The brand awareness this brings will really support the sales of our BF Goodrich car and 4x4 products through our Irish dealer network".

Viper strikes to Win Avon Tyres British GT

After a thrilling last-round showdown at Rockingham Motor Speedway, it was American muscle that prevailed in the 2007 Avon Tyres British GT Championship, in the hulking shape of the Team RPM Dodge Viper. Young driver pairing, Bradley Ellis and Alex Mortimer, piloted the 8.3-litre, V10 Viper to overall title victory in their first season in the UK's premier sportscar championship.

Avon Tyres has been the title sponsor and sole supplier of the British GT Championship since 2006. "Becoming the supplier and sponsor of the British GT Championship has provided us with a unique, and impressive challenge," said Cooper Tire Europe managing director, Julian Baldwin. "The sheer number of different cars competing in GT racing, all using their tyres differently, has given us one of the most exciting, and demanding, jobs in motorsport.

The 2008 Avon Tyres British GT Championship will feature a new GT4 class, which opens the way for cars such as the Porsche Cayman, Audi TT, Honda S2000, Nissan 350Z and Mazda RX8 to join the series. It will start next spring.

Maxxis to Sponsor Rugby's Super League in 2008

Maxxis International UK has signed a deal to raise awareness of its brand in association with the English Super League 2008.

Maxxis will advertise at the first ten live games of the 30-game season, which runs from February to September, with an option on additional hoardings and further games. The championship will be shown live on Sky Sports 1 on Friday evenings, with further TV coverage in Sky Sports 3's Saturday afternoon full match replays and in extended highlights on BBC 2 on Sundays. It will also feature on Sky Sports rolling news bulletins and in Sky Sports 1's 'Boots 'n' All' weekly round-up programme, adding up to a UK TV audience of around 38 million.

In addition, Super League action will be seen in 120 countries worldwide each week. "We will be promoting Maxxis via the scrolling perimeter advertising boards, which are positioned in the front row at ground level, approximately halfway between the try line and the centreline, directly opposite the main TV cameras," says Maxxis International UK managing director Derek McMartin.

"Rugby League's top players will be in action and since they kick off their season in the winter months, we are taking advantage of this opportunity to promote our extensive off-road range, including the more extreme 4x4 patterns which are now in stock."

Sky Sports will select its TV matches after the RFL publishes its 2008 fixture list in December.

Tyre Pressure Survey from TyreSafe

Women hate being told that they are no good at looking after their cars. And yes, it is a stereotype, and of course it does not apply to all women, but a recent survey has shown that a substantial 21 percent of women do not have a clue about the correct tyre pressure for their car, preferring to get someone else to check their tyres for them!

This is one of the worrying findings of the largest ever tyre pressure and tyre safety survey undertaken in the UK, carried out by supporters of TyreSafe, the UK's leading tyre safety organisation, to coincide with Tyre Safety Month which runs for the month of October..

Tyre Safety Month focuses on the vital part that tyres play in road safety and highlights the importance of having correctly inflated tyres not just in terms of road safety but also their role in conserving fuel and reducing greenhouse gases.

Under-inflated tyres, combined with bad driving practice, cost UK motorists over £2 billion in extra fuel, and are responsible for the release of 5.5 million tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere each year.

Severely deflated tyres are also a serious safety risk, warns TyreSafe, as a vehicle's handling can be adversely affected, leading to a potential accident.

Part of the TyreSafe campaign is designed to encourage motorists to visit participating tyre retailers, garages and franchise dealers displaying a TyreSafe poster, to take advantage of free tyre pressure and safety checks which extend throughout the month of October. In addition to major tyre retailers, VW and Kia dealers are also offering free tyre safety and pressure checks.

Female and male drivers not aware of the correct tyre pressures for their vehicle can log on to the TyreSafe website (www.tyresafe.org) and by simply typing in their car's registration number the correct pressure will be displayed on screen.

Motoring Weekly Rewarded for Commitment to Promoting Tyre Safety

The leading consumer weekly motoring magazine, Auto Express, has received a special award from TyreSafe - recognising the publication's consistent commitment to raising the awareness of the importance of tyre safety.

Receiving the award from TyreSafe chairman Rob Beddis at the Rubber Industry Dinner in Birmingham at the week-end, news and features editor Mat Watson said that on behalf of the magazine he was delighted to receive the award and thanked TyreSafe and tyre companies for their assistance in providing material enabling them to further promote to their readers information related to the safe use of tyres.

Auto Express recently produced a 32 page booklet on tyres containing a considerable amount of information on buying and using tyres together with details on understanding tyres and their use. Earlier this year the magazine tackled the thorny area of part worn tyres with a thorough investigation on the purchase and use of these tyres.

Lamborghini Selects BERU F1 Systems to Supply Digital Tyre Pressure Monitoring System

Automotive engineering specialists BERU F1 Systems has announced that it is supplying its award-winning digital tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) DigiTyre to Lamborghini for the Gallardo and Murciélago platforms.

The safety feature, developed using BERU F1 Systems' extensive motorsport experience, is standard fit on US Gallardo and Murciélago models to comply with the TREAD act. (The TREAD act makes it mandatory for passenger vehicles and light trucks sold in the USA to be fitted with a pressure monitoring system).

Specialist and niche vehicle manufacturers rightly demand robust and integrated solutions," says BERU F1 Systems' managing director John Bailey.

"The higher speeds, higher cornering forces and demands experienced by performance cars rule out many solutions currently available. Our system is robust, light yet still retains all the integration features such as end of line testing and dealer diagnostics that OEMs require.

" DigiTyre's components comprise wheel electronics, an ECU, two antennae and four LF satellite triggers. The wheel electronics contain a battery, absolute pressure sensor, temperature sensor, accelerometer, micro controller and radio transmitter/receiver housed in a robust wheel housing. By mounting this onto the rear of a modified valve there are no rim modifications and the installation becomes very straightforward. The four LF satellite triggers allow the wheels on the car to be swapped or changed; the system instantly learns the wheels when the ignition is switched on, providing immediate warnings to the driver. The flexibility of the system allowed Lamborghini engineers the opportunity to fit the system onto the cars without costly modifications to the existing platforms.

"Our system is highly configurable," continues Bailey. "We can adjust software, diagnostics and CAN messaging whilst retaining the proven hardware. This allows us to integrate our components within an existing vehicle architecture, a feature that is attractive to low volume manufacturers."

The requirement for TPMS is being driven by legislation and tyre construction. Modern rigid tyre walls mean that any drop in pressure will only lead to slight increased flexing of the wall when the vehicle is stationary making it difficult to visibly spot pressure loss. Under inflation can lead to increased loading on the tread shoulders, leading to difficult vehicle handling and loss of control on wet surfaces.

The TREAD act makes it mandatory for passenger vehicles and light trucks sold in the USA to be fitted with a pressure monitoring system. TPMS is fitted as standard on US specification MY08 Gallardo and Murciélago vehicle lines and is an option in other markets.

Hankook Recognised by German Fleet-Magazine Magazine

Hankook Tire has received the "Flottina" award for its Centum H720 (best all-season tyre), which was given this year for the first time ever by the German fleet-magazine "Flottenmanagement". The jury, consisting of members of the editorial office, awarded different vehicle categories, fleet-management systems, as well as tyres.

Here, Hankook Centum H720 outranked all competitor tyres in the increasingly important category "all-season tyres" and thus was ranked first. The tyre ranking was not based on expert and/or reader opinions - as is often the case. Instead, the award for the tyre segment was based on profound and objective tyre test results carried out over the last three years by German Automobile club ADAC, which ranked Hankook's Centum H720 all-season tyre number one.

"We are extremely proud of this award", explains Byeong Jin Lee, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Hankook Tire Europe. "The award represents the genuine, independently tested and particularly enduring efficiency of our first-class product. We are especially excited about this result in light of our new European Tyre manufacturing. After all, our all-season tyre is a European product to the core, which is going to be produced in our Hungarian plant in the future.

" The Hankook Centrum H720 was developed especially for the European market and, for state-of-the-art hydroplaning protection it disposes of an unidirectional, streamlined V-profiled tread design that has been optimized particularly for all-season usage. In addition, the Full-Silica tread compound allows for outstanding brake performance, not only during the wet summer months, but also under wintry, cold road conditions. Centrally arranged blocks with multi-waved sipes in the middle tread area offer outstanding traction on snow-capped surfaces. Even on dry roads broad, rounded shoulder blocks provide for good handling, as well.

In addition, the 4-rib tread profile provides for excellent directional stability. Further performance attributes include an endless nylon cap over the two-ply coated steel belt package, which allows excellent stability for high-speed, as well as rolling comfort and a very robust, two-ply, polyester-strengthened carcase.

Of course, Hankook Centum H720 holds the M+S label, as well as the snowflake-symbol proving its full qualities as a winter tyre. Available in more than 25 different sizes, ranging from 13 to 16 inch and width 80 to 50, Hankook Centum H720 is ideal for many kinds of vehicles such as small, compact and medium-sized cars as well as family vans.

KTM Names Maxxis as OE Supplier for new ATVs

Market-leading off road motorcycle manufacturer KTM is adding all terrain vehicles to its range and has appointed Maxxis as its OE tyre supplier. KTM has chosen the Maxxis Razr2 (M933/M934) as standard equipment for its new four-stroke single cylinder 450XC and 525XC ATV models, which will be available in the UK in mid 2008.

"This is an exciting time for off-road sports as KTM prepares to capitalise on its motocross and Enduro racing expertise and engine-building innovation to develop a winning package for the ATV market," says Maxxis International UK managing director Derek McMartin. "Maxxis is an OE supplier to all the leading ATV manufacturers and this latest accreditation will further enhance our credentials in professional off-road racing circles." (photo: J Bonello)

Avon Tyres Names Formula 3 Award Winners

Rising British star Sam Bird and the Ultimate Motorsport team have been named as the winners of Avon Tyres' two annual British Formula 3 awards. Englishman Bird finished fourth in his rookie season of British F3, taking two race wins in a championship widely acknowledged as the toughest domestic junior single-seater championship in the world. The Carlin Motorsport driver was given the Avon Tyres Rookie of the Year Award at a ceremony, held at the Victoria Park Plaza Hotel in London.

Meanwhile, Northamptonshire team, Ultimate Motorsport, was handed the Avon Tyres Team of the Year award for running Argentine Esteban Guerrieri and Irishman Michael Devaney to 12th and 13th in the standings in its first year of F3. Adding to the squad's challenge in 2007 was the fact that it was the first team to run the new Mygale chassis in British F3. Despite this, the team scored consistently in the premier Championship class of the prestigious series.

"Both of these award winners showed a lot of grit, determination and talent in their debut seasons of British F3," said Cooper Tire Europe managing director, Julian Baldwin. "It is no mean feat to succeed in your first year of anything, but particularly a championship as hard-fought as this one."

Gorilla Charity Gears up for Congo Challenge with Bridgestone

A charity that provides ground support for the world's most endangered primate has secured a vital donation of tyres from Bridgestone UK. Gearing for Gorillas (G4G) sources off-road vehicles and equipment for rangers protecting rare mountain gorillas in Africa. The organisation's latest project is to refurbish a rusting pick-up truck for use in the Virunga National Park in Congo. Bridgestone is supplying four new tyres for the vehicle after answering a plea for help.

"The rangers that will use the Bridgestone-shod pick-up currently only have one vehicle between them to patrol some 8,000km of rough terrain, which limits the amount of ground they can cover, and exposes them to attack from rogue militia groups," said Andy Lane, marketing manager of Bridgestone UK. "The job they do is extremely worthwhile, and we're happy to help out by supplying a set of tyres from our Dueler off-road range. The pattern we've supplied is designed to handle all-terrain and extreme weather conditions, so it should serve the rangers well as they go about their patrols in Congo."

The pick-up being refurbished for G4G is an ex-farming vehicle, which had four completely worn tyres when it was acquired by the charity. It is expected to reach Virunga National Park before the end of the year.

Caroline Page, of Gearing for Gorillas, added: "There are only around 700 mountain gorillas left in the world, and without adequate ranger protection the long-term survival of the species is bleak. We're tremendously grateful for the Bridgestone donation, and we hope the company's involvement with the charity acts as a call to action for others to give us their support."

Yokohama's ADVAN WINTER Tyres Approved for the Audi S6 and S8

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has announced that its ADVAN WINTER (V902) tyres have been approved by AUDI AG as original equipment winter tyres for the Audi S6 and Audi S8. The tyres are the latest additions to ADVAN WINTER, Yokohama's high-performance flagship winter-tyre series.

Tyre sizes are 265/35R19 98V XL (Extra Load) for the S6 and 265/35R20 99V XL for the S8. Both sizes are for front and rear.

The S6 and S8 are in the Audi S-series, the top performance range of the company's lineup, and are the first Audis to come equipped with Yokohama winter tyres. The approved ADVAN WINTER tyres are factory-fitted options for the German market, but can be ordered at Audi dealerships worldwide.