Vredestein

Apollo Tyres has launched its new Vredestein Ultrac Pro ultra-ultra-high-performance (UUHP) tyre. Available in 18- to 24-inch rim diameters, Ultrac Pro caters to a wide range of high-performance vehicles. As evidence of the Ultrac Pro’s performance credentials, the tyre maker points to independent testing conducted by Applus+ IDIADA. Aesthetics come courtesy of Apollo Tyres’ collaboration with Italdesign, a partnership that celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

Just over half of UK motorists check their tyre pressures at least once per month, according to research commissioned by Apollo Tyres. Of the 1,000 motorists polled, 15 per cent say they check their tyre pressures weekly, 11 per cent say once a fortnight, and 29 per cent once per month.

The Vredestein Ultrac Pro ultra-high performance summer car tyre will arrive in spring 2024. It is the Apollo Tyres premium brand's first new summer UHP tyre since the launch of the Vredestein Ultrac Vorti in 2012. Vredestein says the new tyre will offer advanced handling capabilities and superior driving comfort at an accessible price. The Vredestein Ultrac Pro will be available in a wide range of 18-24” sizes. These sizes will be compatible with sportscars, supercars and high-performance saloons, hatchbacks and SUVs. 

Continental WinterContact TS 870’s strength in wet and dry conditions was enough to win its second Auto Express Winter Tyre Test in a row. Competing against six other global manufacturers’ products, the Conti tyre narrowly finished ahead of the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005 – WhatTyre’s Winter Tyre of the Year – by only 0.3 points overall. All seven tyres tested showed a good level of winter performance, with the last-placed Vredestein Wintrac Pro only 3.2 points out of 100 behind the Conti tyre. The performance differences between the top four winter tyres in the test especially were minimal, and the winner was selected as a particularly good tyre for UK winter driving conditions. The tyres were tested in size 225/45R17 in northern Sweden and in Germany.

Winter tyres are a very small part of the UK tyre market compared to their year-round alternative, all-season tyres. But if you want to guarantee traction in the most extreme cold weather, they remain the best tool for the job. WhatTyre’s Winter Tyre of the Year 2023 shortlist offers the ten best-performing options for an optimal cold weather driving experience. The ten tyres selected represent the best the winter tyre market has to offer, according to both the latest seasons of the best independent European tyre tests and our newest algorithm, Tyrescore 2.2 “Bugatti”.

Motorists’ relationship with their cars has become increasingly distant, with a new survey commissioned by Apollo Tyres showing the majority of European motorists would not attempt to deal with a tyre puncture at the roadside themselves. Just 46 per cent say they would use the car’s supplied spare tyre or inflation kit, compared to 32 per cent that say they would instead call on a vehicle breakdown service for assistance, and 16 per cent who would seek help from a family member, friend or colleague.

A recent survey has found that only six per cent of UK motorists can correctly identify a tyre’s load rating. Worse still, we’re only half as good at accomplishing this task as the Germans are. Thankfully, younger drivers offer hope that this may change in future.

Europe’s first dedicated all-season electric vehicle tyre has arrived. The Vredestein Quatrac Pro EV is now available, and manufacturer Apollo Tyres says it features a “range of advanced design features and materials.” Developed specifically for year-round use by battery electric vehicles and hybrids, Apollo created the tyre to deliver greater driving range while providing superior levels of grip and traction in all conditions – including ice and snow.

WhatTyre’s Winter Tyre of the Year shortlist gives you the top ten best options to get the optimum cold weather driving experience. The ten tyres selected represent the best the winter tyre market has to offer, according to our newest independent algorithm, Tyrescore 2.1 “Bentley”. The latest iteration of our dynamic tyre rating gives an indicative mark out of 10 to every tyre available in the UK market. Its special formula takes into account tyre labelling grades for safety, fuel economy and noise, and more than 7,000 independent tyre test results.