Tyre News

Recently, racer Leh Keen’s Porsche Taycan Turbo S was clocked by independent adjudicators at 102.6 mph inside the New Orleans Convention Center – a new indoor land speed record. Keen’s all-electric Taycan Turbo S has a maximum of 750 hp, with four-wheel drive to maximize grip, powerful carbon ceramic brakes and the ability to accelerate to 60 mph from a standstill in just 2.6 seconds. And what’s more the record was set on the Taycan’s standard fitment original equipment (OE) tyres. But which tyres were used?

Pirelli launched its new Cinturato All-Season Snow Flake 2 during a virtual event broadcast from Milan on 2 February 2021. As far as performance improvements are concerned, the new Pirelli Cinturato All-Season Snow Flake 2 (or Cinturato AS SF2 for short) boasts a whopping 50 per cent increase in mileage performance compared with its predecessor.

Finnish manufacturer Nokian Tyres intends to develop and present a concept tyre entirely produced from renewable and recycled tyres by 2025. It hasn’t yet shared specific project details, but it appears this 100 per cent eco-friendly concept may well be a winter tyre. At least this is the impression that Nokian’s announcement creates.

The new Vredestein Ultrac summer car tyre has been launched today. The new varient improves wet and dry performance by 15 per cent, representing a big leap forward for the brand. The Ultrac will be available in range of sizes between 15 and 18 inches for compact-medium sized cars. It has also been developed with sustainability in mind. Rolling resistance has been reduced by 5 per cent in a boost for fuel efficiency. Vredestein has developed the tyre with a 50 per cent increase in traction-enhancing silica and resin compounds, which have helped to reduce braking distances by 10 per cent. It also uses materials more efficiently, making the tyre lighter. As a result, Vredestein calls the tyre’s performance “best-in-class”. 

According to JATO Dynamics, SUVs now account for approximately 40 per cent of Europe’s car market, up from around 25 per cent five years ago. Goodyear has a new tyre for this growing market, a successor to its EfficientGrip SUV. Starting this month, Goodyear is introducing the EfficientGrip 2 SUV and over the coming year will release a range of 52 dimensions for 16- to 22-inch rim diameters.

Large, powerful cars and SUVs with electric or hybrid drives are substantially heavier than conventional ICE-powered vehicles and thus need tyres that can handle greater loads. The solution is to fit tyres with a higher load index. The gold standard here is HL, or High Load. Continental has introduced the first passenger tyre with the new HL load index code, HL 245/40 R19 101Y XL. It is currently evaluating demand for further HL sizes.