Tyre News

The latest issue of Auto Bild warns drivers not to buy a pig in a poke. Test results rather than blind luck should guide tyre purchases. To help in this area the motoring publication has now shared the outcome of its 2020 winter tyre test. This evaluation of size 245/45 R18 tyres for executive cars (Auto Bild used a BMW 5 Series for testing) compares the 20 best performers from an initial field of 51 tyre brands subjected to wet and snow braking tests. Six of the brands received Auto Bild’s top ‘exemplary’ rating.

Now that lockdown has been eased over most of the country, people are getting ready to stretch their metaphorical legs and enjoy what’s left of the summer. If you’re preparing to pack up the car and head out on your final road trip of the summer this Bank Holiday weekend, you aren’t the only one. Over 32,690 Google searches on UK road trips and driving holidays were made by Brits in June and July alone, suggesting we’re all looking for some staycation inspiration.

There’s little that Brits like more than talking (moaning?) about the weather and, from scorching heatwaves to thunderstorms, we’ve had some pretty unpredictable weather in the UK this month, which can have a huge impact when we’re driving on the roads. With more dramatic weather set to hit Britain in the coming weeks, a recent study by The Mirror, reveals that a third of drivers don’t know what their car insurance covers or what to do if they had an accident. We’ve taken a close look at how varying conditions can affect your premiums, and how you could be caught out by your provider if you aren’t aware of the terms. 

A new survey of 1,460 UK car-owners has revealed how much they spend on their vehicle each year, and the implications this is having on people’s finances: Male car owners in the UK pay almost £2,000 more than women each year to run and maintain their vehicle, according to new research from KnowYourMoney.co.uk. The comparison website conducted a survey of 1,460 UK car owners. It revealed that the average cost of running and maintaining a car is £284 – equating to £3,408 per year.  However, male motorists pay an average of £4,344 each year, while women pay substantially less at £2,418 each year.  

There are plenty of reasons to feel for young drivers hoping to pass the driving test in 2020. Test centres and the DVSA website itself are struggling with the bottleneck in demand, following lifted pandemic restrictions. More than 200,000 people queued to book their test online this morning, crashing the site. In response, the DVSA has begun tweeting test availability (see below). And it’s not just getting a date that is proving difficult. The driving test pass rate is at its lowest point in 10 years, at just 45.8 per cent.

Pirelli is investigating the reasons for the tyre failures at this weekend’s British Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton limped his Mercedes to the chequered flag at Silverstone on 2 August race after his front-left P Zero White deflated on the last lap. His team-mate Valtteri Bottas and McLaren’s Carlos Sainz both had tyres fail in the final stages too. Mario Isola, who is Pirelli’s head of F1 tyres, explained that the likely causes of their failure were that they wer “extremely well-used”, while Hamilton also spoke of the presence of debris on the track from two accidents early in the race.

Four-time BTCC champion Colin Turkington put the latest Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport tyres through their paces ahead of next week’s Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) opener at Donington.

Put electric-powered 4x4s in some of the toughest off-road racing environments in the world and what do you get? Extreme E. German tyremaker Continental is a founding partner of the series. From 2021 Conti will premium sponsor. And this means Conti will fit all the competing ODYSSEY 21vehicles with tyres. Indeed, according to the tyre manufacturer, Extreme E is the biggest challenge tyres have faced in motorsport. With this in mind, Nico Meier, product designer at Continental, talks about the challenges tyres face in Extreme E and the importance of the 4x4 tyre sidewalls in general.

Bridgestone has launched its Mobox all-inclusive monthly tyre subscription service in the UK. The Mobox subscription offers new tyres, full warranty and other premium vehicle-related services from £7 per month. It is initially available in five ETB Autocentres prior to rolling out across all 31 ETB centres.