Tyre News

An absence of alps, infrequent sub-zero temperatures and scant snowfalls make winter tyres a hard sell in the UK. And as we’re not legally required to fit our cars with them, we generally don’t. A minority of British motorists nevertheless fit winter tyres for a range of reasons, and when purchase time comes around it is important for them to make informed choices. European tyre tests are a useful source of knowledge here.

Pirelli is exclusively supplying tyres for the new McLaren 765LT, the British supercar company’s fastest-ever Super Series car to lap a circuit.

For better or worse, the Nürburgring 24 Hours has become one of the last bastions of open tyre competition in recent years. It represents a rare chance each year for tyre manufacturer rivals to go head-to-head on track on the world stage. Held at arguably the toughest race track in the world, the 25km Nürburgring Nordschleife, it is a race that features over 100 GT and touring cars, all being pushed to their limits, and has a sizeable global following. One tyre brand racing up front in the top category for GT3 cars (SP9), aiming to take its first overall win against teams racing with Michelin, Goodyear and Yokohama rubber, is Falken, which has been competing at the Nürburgring 24 Hours since 1999.

Three leading European motoring associations have published the results of their joint 2020 winter tyre test. The ADAC from Germany, Austria’s ÖAMTC and Swiss club TCS looked at 15 brands of tyre While they didn’t award any of the evaluated products their top ratings of ‘very good’ (ADAC) or ‘excellent’ (ÖAMTC, TCS), the clubs noted that overall test results were positive. In addition to five strong performers, seven further tyres were recommended and one conditionally recommended. Only two tyres failed to make the grade.

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.