Tyre News

New Hankook Global Branding Campaign
Size Of UK Tyre Market Revealed For First Time
More High-Performance OE Fitments for Yokohama
Hi-Q in High Spirits at First -Ever Motorsport Forum
Golden Milestone for First Stop Dealer
Uniroyal Rallye Named Which Best Buy
Hi-Q Announces Franchise Expansion Plan
Yokohama Rubber Aligns With Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures In Placement & Promotional Agreement for "Speed Racer"
Farmer Autocare Celebrate Kirkcaldy Centre Launch
Avon Tyres British GTs Start off with a Bang
Commercial Tyres Competition Winner
Bridgestone Opens Hungary Plant

New Hankook Global Branding Campaign

The hero, driving a silver sports coupé is involved in a spectacular and furious car chase in the urban streets of a virtual future city. The black limousines are superior in number, but our hero is perfectly equipped for the challenge: The ultra high-performance wide base tyre Hankook Ventus V12 Evo tames the streets - and the hero has the last laugh and escapes.

The Hankook TV commercial is part of a new global TV marketing campaign by Hankook Tire, which is currently being rolled out simultaneously across Europe, China and the U.S. The 20-second clip stands out with its revolutionary 3D animation, offering TV audiences an exceptional and "never-seen-before" action-packed perspective in a tyre commercial. The brand-new Hankook Ventus V12 Evo takes centre stage in the story.

"The dynamic clip illustrates our philosophy, combining quality, performance and lifestyle, in short - driving emotion, in a spectacular and concise manner," said Seung-Do Jin, Executive Vice-President of Hankook Tire and COO for the European market. "This self-confident and innovative commercial strengthens the perception of Hankook Tire as one of the leading global tyre brands. I am convinced that the animated commercial will be equally appealing to tuning and auto racing fans as well as automobile enthusiasts and aficionados of expensive animation productions."

The new TV commercial is currently being aired in Europe, presently Germany, Spain, France and Hungary. The latest animated commercial is the sequel of the successful global campaign "Tame the Road". The new clip is set to run during high-class sport events and in TV sport programmes.

The commercial was produced by US-based animation studio Shilo TV. Shilo TV is a creative collective of designers, animators and directors who share a common passion in forging new perspectives in dynamic storytelling, innovative animation using the most modern visual effects. Shilo TV has won the American Emmy® award in 2005.

Size Of UK Tyre Market Revealed For First Time

Considering it is a multi-million Pound business, the UK tyre industry has always suffered from a lack of availability of reliable statistics and market data. But this is no longer the case, as global market research giant GfK has produced the first in a series of regular reports, designed to provide definitive information on retail sales of new tyres for the first time.

The report, compiled in co-operation with the National Tyre Distributors Association, divides the market into three, distinct channels. These are National Multiples (retailers with over 100 branches), Regional Multiples (10 - 99 branches) and Independents (1 - 9 branches). GfK gathers and analyses sales data from thousands of participating depots every month. The analysis has been on-going for six months and GfK estimates the total new tyre replacement market figure at 28.4 million units.

NTDA Director Richard Edy commented: "The amount of detail available in the reports is astonishing. From basic information, such as market share by channel, GfK can drill down to provide such information as market share by brand, by tyre or rim size, by aspect ratio etc. "The report is continually evolving and expanding - plans are in place to provide breakdowns by region - and, because it is produced monthly, subscribing companies can identify trends and use the knowledge to increase profitability."

More High-Performance OE Fitments for Yokohama

The UK distributor for Yokohama tyres, Yokohama HPT Ltd, has announced two more high-profile, high-performance Original Equipment (OE) fitments for the Japanese manufacturer's tyres. Two new models from Porsche and renowned Mercedes tuner AMG sport Yokohama's flagship ADVAN brand, with both using the top-of-the-range ADVAN Sport tyres.

The new, face-lifted Porsche 911 Carrera4 (997) follows on from the previous model, using ADVAN Sport V103S N1 tyres, sized 235/40x18 front and 295/35x18 rear. The preceding version of Porsche's four wheel-drive supercar was fitted with ADVAN Sports and the tradition of using Yokohama products for the optimum combination of performance, comfort, safety and longevity continues with the latest evolution of the world's most iconic supercar.

Another iconic marque to select ADVAN Sport as original equipment is AMG, the official tuning arm of Mercedes. The all-new C63 AMG model, developed from the latest C-Class, features a hand-built 6.3-litre V8 engine, developing 457bhp and powering the C63 AMG from rest to 100kph in 4.5 seconds. The car also features a seven-speed gearbox controlled via paddles on the steering wheel and helps the car to easily reach its electronically-limited top speed of 250kph (150mph).

AMG chose Yokohama ADVAN Sport V103S MO (Mercedes Only) tyres for the C63, sized 235/35x19 for the front and 255/30x19 rear to optimise not only the car's phenomenal acceleration but also, its legendary handling and stopping ability.

Hi-Q in High Spirits at First -Ever Motorsport Forum

Leading fast fit retailer HiQ celebrated its sponsorship of the British Touring Car Championships in style with an evening of high octane entertainment. HiQ hosted its first ever motorsport forum at its Grays store on Thursday March 27, where Vauxhall speedster Tom Onslow-Cole showed off his four wheels before answering questions about the championships. The aim of the forum was to bring the excitement of the BTCC into the community, allowing people to learn more about the sport and title sponsors HiQ.

The action packed evening featured a question and answer forum with Tom and the Vauxhall team, an autograph signing session, competitions to win free tickets and computer simulations. It is now hoped that similar events will be staged at HiQ stores near to race tracks around the country as the championships progress.

Golden Milestone for First Stop Dealer

First Stop business development manager Dean Dyoss was on hand to ensure that Ken Riley of First Stop dealership, TyreCraft, marked his fiftieth anniversary in the tyre industry.

Starting out as a casing inspector at the age of 19, Ken has enjoyed a varied career in the tyre industry. He quickly moved into a sales role working for Borough Tyre Company and ATS and cites setting up his own business as his biggest career challenge, but has never looked back.

Dean Dyoss commented: "Ken is testament to the success that can be achieved in tyre retailing. With a strong focus on service and standards, he naturally has a loyal customer base. We warmly congratulate Ken on fifty years in the industry and are pleased to work with the team at Tyre Craft as it continues to thrive."

Uniroyal Rallye Named Which Best Buy

The Uniroyal Rallye 550 tyre has been named Which? Best Buy. To make the Which? Best Buys list, tyres have to be tested against a host of criteria and offer class-leading capabilities like dry and wet grip, quietness and wear rate.

The Uniroyal Rallye 550 (205/55R16V) performed well for the second year in a row. The rain tyre is a popular choice for medium to upper range cars featuring leading-class capabilities at affordable prices. Its double V tread pattern provides optimum water dispersion giving it high level resistance to aquaplaning. An advanced silica compound and a large number of intricate tread pattern grooves mean the tyre provides a firm grip in the dry and wet.

Uniroyal brand manager, Tracey Hyem, said: "It is excellent that the Rallye 550 has been commended again so highly by Which?. The Rallye 550 Uniroyal tyre is an excellent choice for middle to upper range vehicles offering comfort and premium safety, especially in the wet."

Hi-Q Announces Franchise Expansion Plan

Potential franchisees are being encouraged to buy into one of Britain's biggest fast fit retailers, after it announced a franchise expansion plan. HiQ recently announced that its 109 company-owned outlets would be split into 15 regional zones, with each zone available for a franchise partnership, adding to the existing successful HiQ franchise network. The company has already announced a 'high level of quality interest' in its franchising programme, but is expecting more enquiries ahead of a May 16 deadline.

Corporate communications manager James Bailey said: "The interest levels are high, but it is not simply a case of choosing the highest bidder for each zone. "We are looking for franchise partners that can share the HiQ vision and work with us to meet our objectives of creating a viable car care alternative for motorists across the UK that puts customers first, offering a premium experience with the focus on building repeat business."

HiQ has divided its existing store network and its potential open points into 15 regional zones across England and Wales. The Northern Ireland and Scottish zones are already franchised to McConechy's and Modern Tyres.

Yokohama Rubber Aligns With Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures In Placement & Promotional Agreement for "Speed Racer"

Yokohama is teaming up with Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures on a product placement and promotional agreement surrounding the upcoming action adventure, "Speed Racer".

The film is being written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, marking the brothers' first writing/directing collaboration since their groundbreaking "Matrix" movies, and is being produced by Joel Silver under his Silver Pictures banner. "Speed Racer" is slated for release in the U.S. on May 9, 2008.

Based on the classic series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida, the live-action big-screen "Speed Racer" will follow the adventures of the young race car driver Speed in his quest for glory in his thundering Mach 5 race car. The cast is truly global, featuring Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, Matthew Fox, Susan Sarandon, John Goodman, Asian music star Ji Hoon Jung (popularly known as Rain) and Hiroyuki Sanada from Japan.

All of Speed's cars, including the Mach 5, will drive on Yokohama Advan brand tires in multiple high speed races throughout the film.

Farmer Autocare Celebrate Kirkcaldy Centre Launch

Farmer Autocare partnered up with Bridgestone to celebrate the launch of its latest Centre on Forth Avenue, Kirkcaldy on Saturday, 5 April. Shoppers at Sainsbury's Kirkcaldy were treated to a Ferrari Formula One Show as well as being offered free tyre safety checks at Fife Central Retail Park. The offer of free tyre safety checks will, of course, extend to anyone wishing to call in at any Farmer Autocare Centre.

Farmer Autocare used the day to highlight road safety, and the importance of checking your tyres, in conjunction with the Bridgestone worldwide 'Think Before You Drive' campaign, after recent research showed that up to 90 percent of drivers do not know their correct tyre pressures!

The stunning Ferrari F1 car took centre stage at the launch, courtesy of the official Formula One tyre supplier Bridgestone. Also on hand was a Formula One simulator, so shoppers could test their driving skills, in return for a small charity donation.

Funds raised, which totalled £323.50 are being split between Sports Relief and the appeal for Ivan Cheetham (www.ivansdolphindream.co.uk). Ivan, aged eight, the son of Farmer Autocare's Dunfermline manager Alan Cheetham, suffers from a rare brain disorder and will benefit from further visits to the Dolphin Therapy Centre in Florida.

Avon Tyres British GTs Start off with a Bang

The Avon Tyres British GT Championship kicked off its 2008 season in spectacular style at Oulton Park on Easter weekend with two shunts taking place within 20 minutes of the first race start and involving £200,000 worth of machinery. Photos of the accident appeared in several national newspapers, gaining high-profile coverage for the series sponsored by Avon Tyres, who have been the title sponsor and sole tyre supplier of the British GT Championship since 2006.

The first took place just after the first corner, when Piers Johnson received a nudge from another competitor, which spun his Lamborghini Gallardo on the approach to Cascades corner, his car digging into the soft Cheshire ground and flipping over.

Just a few laps later at the same section of track, the Aston Martin Vantage of Peter Snowden clashed with the Ginetta G50 of Hunter Abbott, sending the Ginetta heading into the barriers, before it flipped end over end and bursting into flames. Thankfully the safety cell of the Ginetta, a car new to the championship this year, stood up to the crash and Abbott was able to extricate himself from the car before marshals extinguished the flames licking around his legs.

Commercial Tyres Competition Winner

Kent based tyre dealer, Commercial Tyres is pleased to announce the winner of their recent competition as local Fleet Manager Stuart Joyce based in Snodland, Kent. The prize draw, run in association with Continental Tyres, to win a brand new LG 32" LCD television was won by Mr Joyce of Alan Firmin Ltd simply by completing a questionnaire and submitting it to his local Commercial Tyres depot.

Paul Kuske of Commercial Tyres commented: "We have been an official representative of the Continental Tyres dealer network - ContiNetwork - for six years now and were very pleased to be chosen as a partner for this competition. We hope Mr Joyce gets a lot of enjoyment out of his prize and look forward to establishing a good relationship with him in the future".

Bridgestone Opens Hungary Plant

On April 3rd 2008 Bridgestone officially opened its new fully-automated production facility at Tatabánya, Hungary. The € 190 million complex is the first in Europe to feature Bridgestone's fully-automated tyre manufacturing process. Production of high-performance and large-rim sized radial tyres for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles is scheduled to reach 8,000 units a day in 2009.

More than 150 guests attended the opening ceremony including senior Hungarian figures from local, regional and national authorities, amongst them Mr Ábel Garamhegyi, State Secretary, Ministry of Economy and Transport, Mr János Bencsik, Mayor of Tatabánya and Mr László Beke, Mayor of Környe.