Tyre News

If the tabloids have got it right, the Beast from the East will soon return to give us a chill, the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades. Best pay attention then to this season’s winter tyre tests. Auto Bild has got in early and published the results of its winter 2019 elimination round.

Shakespeare’s plays were first brought to life by male actors, including the non-blokeish role of Juliet Capulet. Chaps need not apply for star billing in next year’s Pirelli Calendar though. Although the theme for 2020 is ‘Looking for Juliet’, photographer Paolo Roversi’s shortlist of candidates pays no homage to the ‘boy player’ of old.

Pirelli has launched its Track Adrenaline UHP virtual tyre technician technology. Track Adrenaline pairs a mobile phone app with sensors inside P Zero Trofeo R tyres and a control box to put supercars through their paces on the track. The Track Adrenaline box is also equipped with a GPS unit to give precise geolocation and definition of racing line information.

The Mazda MX-5 arrived in the UK nigh on three decades ago, and the love these cars enjoy can be seen in registration figures. More than a quarter of the 25,022 first-gen cars sold here are still on the road. Pirelli loves the MX-5 too, and has been involved in bringing the roaster world record glory on the 30th anniversary of its launch.

As we shared in July, progress is being made towards a wet grip test for worn tyres. Michelin actively supports this. Through its Long Lasting Performance (LLP) strategy, it claims that driving on tyres to the legal tread depth of 1.6mm can be safe. But as a new tyre test shows, the subject is one where opinions vary.

Tyre brand Firestone is giving unsigned music acts a chance to shine in front of huge new audiences – including a top UK festival slot – with its Road to the Main Stage competition. More than 2,500 entries have been recorded since 2015 and voters have cast more than 10,000 votes in the last two years. TV and radio presenter Abbie McCarthy returns for a third year as the Firestone Road to the Main Stage’s ambassador.