Auto Bild Tests 225/40 R 18 Summer Tires
On the threshold of the new season the Auto Bild magazine conducted their regular summer tire performance tests. This time they compared 225/40 R 18 tires, the size being standard for numerous sports cars and tuned vehicles. The tires were mounted on Mazda MPS.
The Auto Bild tested as many as 10 tires during these tests, namely Hankook Ventus S1 evo K107, Pirelli PZero, Continental ContiSportContact 3, Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric, Uniroyal Rainsport 2, Bridgestone Potenza S001, Dunlop SP Sport Maxx T, Michelin Pilot Sport 3, Falken Ziex ZE 912 and LingLong L688.
The best wet performance is shown by Hankook Ventus S1 evo and Goodyear F1 Asymmetric as their steering response is perfectly precise while their braking distance is exceptionally short. At the same time, the cheap Chinese LingLong tire disappointed the testers by its poor handling and rather a long braking distance. The affordable Falken tires also proved the fact that it’s better to decide in favor of a higher price tag than to compromise on safety.
The best dry handling is to be found with Pirelli PZero and Continental ContiSportContact 3. Uniroyal Rainsport 2 is not very good in this respect, but it is made designed specially for wet roads. Pirelli and Bridgestone deliver the shortest braking distance in the dry.
Uniroyal and Bridgestone provide for the best hydroplaning resistance in this group while LingLong shows the poorest wet performance despite its V-shaped tread pattern. Pirelli and Hankook deliver the shortest braking distance in the wet. Hankook and Goodyear show the safest maneuvering in the wet while Michelin and Falken would be slower in this respect.
You shouldn’t wait extra smooth ride from you sport utility vehicle, yet Bridgestone and Uniroyal tires absorb road irregularities comparatively well. The stiffest tires are LingLong and Falken. As to noise build-up, all the tires don’t differ much unless you have a sensitive ear.
To colclude with, it should be said that it is Hankook S1 evo and Pirelli PZero that were called the best tires as a result of the Auto Bild summer tire tests.
Cooper Launches Diamond Tires for Formula3 60th Anniversary
American Cooper Tire Company congratulated Folmula 3 on its 60th anniversary with the new bolide tire inlayed with diamonds. The exclusive tire was launched exactly on the celebration day and equipped the Carlin bolide belonging to the F3 rising star Rupert Svendsen-Cook.
The British F3 was a training platform for a number of racers who became world-known afterwards. That’s why Cooper decided to celebrate the anniversary with the same glory, which led to the creation of diamond inlayed tires that were unveiled in Silverstone on 2011 Cooper Tire British F3 International Series. In this way Cooper also celebrates their 30th anniversary of their own participation in the competition.
Julian Baldwin, the marketing director of the Cooper European department says that the diamond anniversary is a great event for the Formula 3 and Cooper is proud to collaborate with one of the most significant bolide championships in the world.
The tire was designed with the help of London jeweler Freddie Keeble (FK Diamonds) who first carved the Cooper logo on a metal board, then incrusted it with diamonds and Swarovski stones and at last glued it to the tire sidewall. Mr Keeble said that it was the most unusual order connected with tires.
Is the tire likely to set the new trend in the world of cars and tires? Nobody knows, but what can be said for sure is that each tire costs as much as 105, 000 pounds.
Go Around the World with Michelin Agilis Tires
Brain Davidson, a delivery man from Great Britain, has made almost 355 thousand miles while being “on duty” with his van equipped with Michelin Agilis tires. The distance is exceptionally long and is 14 times longer than the equator.
He used two pair of tires in his rides. Back in 2004 he mounted a 215 / 75R16C tires on a rear axle of his Citroen Relay LWB Hi-Roof van and changed them only when his odometer showed 353, 000 miles. Front tires lived a shorter life and demanded a change after driving through 118, 000 miles.
Mr Davidson’s business is based in Cambria (Great Britain) and he manages goods delivery around the country as well as outside its borders, namely in some European areas. He has to transport goods weighing up to 1 ton.
Mr Davidson point out to the exceptional longevity of the tire, which is the result of its extra deep tread picture. The only reason he had to change the tires is that the left one ran flat, so he decided it would be safer to replace the whole pair at once. Quite naturally, the new tire was the same Michelin Agilis bought from Denton Tyres local distributer in Carlisle.
Michelin Agilis tire lineup includes a wide range of tires designed for modern vans as well as Agilis Alpin sub line-up for use in wintertime. In addition to their long mileage the tires are renowned for their eco-friendliness. Many a model is branded with a Green X marking on its sidewall, which indicates lower rolling resistance. Hence, Michelin Agilis tires provide for your vehicle’s lower fuel consumption, which saves your money as well as reduces the amount of harmful substances emitted into the atmosphere.
Michelin Pilot Super Sport Equips Gumperi, Ferrari and Koenigsegg High-Speed Cars
Although Michelin launched its Pilot Super Sport tire in the beginning of 2011, the tire has already been noticed and praised as one of the best high-speed tires in the world. Moreover, such car makers as Gumperi, Ferrari and Koenigsegg have expressed their wish to use the tire as Original Equipment for their new high-performance vehicles.
The tire is designed for all-wheel drive vehicles and delivers maximum safety in extreme situations. It benefits from three newest technologies, namely the Twaron, the Bi-Compound and the Variable Contact Patch 2.0.
The Twaron technology means the inclusion of highly durable fiber into cord structure to ensure safe high-speed driving, while the Bi-Compound means innovative technology of rubber compounding worked out by Michelin. The Variable Contact Patch 2.0 in its turn optimizes contact patch shape to maximize road-wheel contact.
Ferrari FF will be fitted with the Pilot Super Sport tires sized 245/35 ZR 20 (front axle) and 295/45 ZR 20 (rear axle). Michelin will also equip the new Koenigsegg Agera R powerful car with its new tire to improve the vehicles’ handling on dry and wet roads. Gumpert has also chosen this tire for its new super car called the Tornate that will feature the 265/35 ZR19 tire on a front axle and the 345/30 ZR20 on a rear axle.
Michelin Pilot Super Sport was tested in the company’s test center in France. It allows your car to develop speeds of up to 260 mph, which makes it the world’s highest-speed tire.
