Continental Adds LSR1 and LDR1 to Light Truck Range
Stapletons Introduce Jupiter/Nexen to UK Market
New Agricultural Tyre from Nokian
Michelin Launches New E2 Tyre Range

Michelin Creates the Ultimate Truck Tyre Set-Up

A futuristic truck tyre configuration custom designed by Michelin is currently being shown on Renault Trucks' new Radiance concept vehicle. According to Michelin, the system combines visionary design with superior technical performance, offering stunning looks combined with optimum safety and efficiency.

The system's steer axle tyres integrate Michelin's new Anti-Splash technology, which reduces the height of water projection by a factor of four. This reduction is made possible by the introduction of a deflector into the tyre's design, which comprises a small horizontal rib on the shoulder of the tyre. This is sufficient to deflect the splash back down towards the road surface rather than up onto the windscreens of passing vehicles.

The Radiance's drive axle is equipped with Michelin X One Energy tyres. By replacing the traditional twin configuration, the new tyres have an increased load capacity of 130 kg and improve fuel economy by approximately 2 per cent.

Maintenance-Free Airless Tyre Announced

Michelin's latest innovation - a maintenance free airless tyre - was displayed for the first time at this years Paris Motor Show. Key to the Airless tyre is its advanced radial structure manufactured from high -performance composite materials, on to which a rubber tread is bonded. Once the tread wears down it can be removed and a new tread bonded to the core structure. The central structure is designed to last the life of the vehicle (typically 150,000 miles) and using advanced adhesives it is envisaged that motorists simply have a new tread each time the current set wears out.

According to Michelin, a huge boon to motorists will be that the new tyre will be specifically "tuned" to their vehicle. It will never leak air, will never puncture, cannot be dangerously over-inflated, and ends the need to regularly check tyre pressures all round the car.

High Performance Winter Design from Vredestein

Dutch tyre manufacturer Vredestein has announced the launch of their new winter tyre, the Wintrac Xtreme. Vredestein has a long-standing reputation as a winter tyre specialist with tyres such as the Snowtrac 2, the Wintrac and the Icetrac. The new Wintrac Xtreme, however, has been designed in co-operation with car design experts Giugaro Design, who have succeeded in combining the specific demands that wintry conditions place on tyres with an innovative design vision. As a result, grip and safety have been blended with visual appeal, with aggressive, firm lines giving the W-shaped tread a powerful appearance.

Sipe technology was a priority for Vredestein in the design of the Wintrac Xtreme. Thanks to variations in the depth, width, shape and placement of the sipes, two distinct features are combined in the tyre. The straight sipes in the centre of the tyre are angled at 90 degrees to the driving direction, ensuring a maximum grip on snow. The special thinner, zigzagging sipes in the tread shoulders allow for an excellent handling performance.

Optimum Silica Processing (OSP) technology has been used in the creation of the tread compound. This process involves the optimal fusion of silica and rubber by means of Disulphide Silan, a binding catalyst that makes the links between silica and rubber even stronger and more numerous than those obtained with the previously used Tetrasulphide Silan. With OSP, the tread compound contributes to an improved grip on wet surfaces and provides for optimal winter performance.

Water dispersal is one of the key reasons for the central groove on the Wintrac Xtreme. The directional tread also guarantees excellent aquaplaning stability. At the same time, the well-defined pattern of the W-tread, reinforced by perpendicular lateral grooves on the tread shoulders, ensures that the tyre has a good grip on snow and ice.

In order to reduce noise levels, Vredestein's engineers have paid particular attention to the lateral sides of the tread blocks, which are not placed in a single straight line, with respect to the circumferential grooves, but rather follow a ripple pattern. This causes the width of the circumferential grooves to vary and prevents peaks in the noise spectrum. Most importantly, the even distribution of pressure across the footprint increases resistance to wear, which keeps the noise levels low throughout the life span of the tyre.

The Wintrac Xtreme is available in V and W speed ratings and as such is a true high-performance winter tyre. There are 13 initial sizes ranging from 205/55 R 16 94V to 265/35 R 18 97W.