Tyres

Hankook's enfren low rolling-resistance tires deliver 5 percent fuel saving

By Karen Sprey

01:52 June 9, 2009 PDT

Hankook says its new range of low rolling-resistance tires could delivering significant fuel savings and environmental benefits without consumers having to upgrade their car. The silica compound enfren tire achieved a 5.1% saving over conventional steel belt radials in a recent Fuel Economy Challenge using two identical Hyundai i30 SLX CRDi hatches. Read More

New technology could lead to 50% increase in tire recycling

By Karen Sprey

17:15 May 10, 2009 PDT

A new method of recycling old tires to produce high-quality rubber powders for making new rubber products is being developed in Australia. Its developers say it is energy-efficient, economically viable and environmentally responsible, and they hope it will result in 50 per cent more tires being recycled. Read More

Wet weather braking tests show budget tires don’t pay

By Mike Hanlon

20:26 January 27, 2009 PST

Tires are a distress purchase for many car owners, so when the time comes to replace them it’s no surprise that many motorists shop on price. British magazine Autocar has performed some interesting comparison tests revealing that fitting budget tyres can seriously affect your health. wet weather. With on average 200 days of rain each year in the UK, the magazine tested a range of budget Chinese imports against a premium brand in wet conditions and found an alarming discrepancy in stopping distances. Read More

Honda's all-new 2009 CRF450R Motocrosser gets fuel injection

By Loz Blain

17:29 September 8, 2008 PDT

Honda's CRF450R motocross bike has been hugely successful since its launch in 2002 - and although the bike is already recognized as the class leader, it's receiving a kitchen-sink included upgrade for 2009. Lighter, quicker, more powerful and with even tighter mass centralization for quick handling, the 2009 CRF450R also sports a Honda first - battery-free, programmable fuel injection that raises output power and control while dramatically reducing fuel consumption. Out of the box, Honda says it's two seconds faster around a supercross track than this year's bike. Read More

The self-inflating tire

By Noel McKeegan

23:16 March 24, 2008 PDT

March 25, 2008 How often do you check your tire pressure? For most of us the answer is "not often enough". Gradual tire deflation over time is a key factor in relation to on-road safety and reduced fuel economy, not to mention the expensive exercise of replacing tires that wear out before the end of their expected life-span. The solution from Czech Republic based CODA DEVELOPMENT s.r.o. is to take the human out of the equation entirely with an integrated system that inflates itself using atmospheric air as you drive. Read More

New Passat features Continental self-sealing tyres

By Noel McKeegan

21:34 February 12, 2008 PST

February 13, 2008 Self-sealing tyres from German manufacturer Continental will be rolled-out on the new Volkswagen Passat CC four-door. The tyres feature ContiSeal technology - a protective layer on the inside of the tread that immediately seals holes caused by a screw or nail puncture. Read More

BERU develops automated tyre pressure monitoring system for extreme-weather buses

By Loz Blain

22:41 November 27, 2007 PST

November 28, 2007 When tyre pressures drop below the optimal number, vehicles begin to suffer increased fuel consumption, increased tyre wear, increased risk of blowouts, and a reduction in braking and handling performance – which explains the rapid rise in the popularity of automated tyre pressure monitor systems. Fitting such a system to a bus that needs to operate in extreme weather conditions has its own set of design challenges, as BERU engineers discovered in the development of a system for Canada's Nova bus system. Read More

WRC's ban on run-flat tyre foam forces a search for new solutions

By Loz Blain

June 3, 2007 The success of tyre mousse, a special compound that expands to replace the air in a punctured tyre, has meant that over the last 20 years flat tyres have ceased to be a factor in World Rally Championship races. The high-tech foam inserts have been so effective that many drivers don't even notice they're running on punctured tyres, and it's not uncommon for race wins and best times to be set after the system is deployed. With new cost-saving FIM regulations being introduced to ban tyre mousse from the 2008 WRC season onwards, teams are searching for ways to minimize the risk and repercussions of the dreaded tyre puncture, which not only knocks cars out of race contention, but can cost upwards of $10,000 in recovery and associated damage costs. One such mitigation strategy is to closely monitor tyre pressure and temperature through a race by using sophisticated sensor systems to detect small leaks and enable the drivers to compensate for them. Read More

New tire with retractable studs

By Mike Hanlon

We’re not sure whether the Qtire is named after Q the gadget guy of James Bond movie fame, but it would be entirely apt – the new qtire uses a patented all-weather tire technology for autos and trucks that enables studs to be extended from the surface of the tire in snow and ice, yet lie below the tread when not required. The retractable-stud tires incorporate an air bladder that pushes the studs out from inside the tire when needed, and deflates so the studs retract into the tire when not needed. The tires are not entirely maintenance free - the bladder needs to be refilled with air after the studs have been deployed around 50 times – not much effort for a significant improvement in safety. Read More

New 370 km/h ultra-high performance Pirelli PZero

By Mike Hanlon

February 28, 2007 Founded in 1872, Pirelli is known variously around the world for its Pirelli International Award (involving the communication of Science & Technology), its sponsorship of Italian Soccer Club Internazionale and the Brazilian soccer club Palmeiras, the Pirelli Tower in Milan, its highly-sought-after calendars and more recently its short films starring Uma Thurman, but mainly because of its tyres. To celebrate 100 years of motorsport, the Italian icon has launched its most technologically advanced ultra-high performance tyre ever - the P Zero. The tyre features a new tread pattern, innovative compounds and structure, and is protected by five patents. It is already being fitted to the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, the Lamborghini Murciélago and Gallardo, the Audi R8 and S8, the Aston Martin DB9, the Maserati Quattroporte, the Jaguar XK, the Mercedes AMG, and will shortly appear on the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and the hottest Porsche and BMW models. Read More

Pirelli purchases Fioravanti patent to enable tyre of the future

By Mike Hanlon

December 2, 2006 Tyre-giant Pirelli has purchased the patent for an innovative new tyre monitoring system from design and styling company Fioravanti. The acquisition of the rights to the Fioravanti patent for monitoring the tyre footprints of a motor vehicle and automatically optimizing the behaviour of the motor vehicle will fast-track Pirelli’s ability to deliver its much-anticipated CyberTyre product to market. CyberTyre is one of a number of new technological systems (including X-Pressure, Safety Wheel System, and CyberWheel) being created by Pirelli with the aim of making tyres ever-more intelligent and interactive. The CyberTyre system instantaneously measures and wirelessly transmits information about the forces regulating vehicle dynamics by way of miniaturised electronic sensors. The small Turin-based Fioravanti company is developing quite a reputation for innovation, having previously developed an ingenious rotating roof design for its 2001 Alfa Romeo LF concept car which was subsequently used by Ferrari in the 575 SuperAmerica. Read More

The Tire Ball prevents flat tyres

By Mike Hanlon

June 15, 2006 The pneumatic tire has been one of the stand-out commercially-successful inventions of history, with around 1.2 billion car and truck tires sold each year, and an indeterminate number of bicycle, motorcycle and RV tyres on top of that. Whatsmore, the better it works, the quicker it wears out, ensuring that there’ll be a market next year because 75% of the tires sold will be replacements. Quite remarkably, despite such ubiquitous usage, the pneumatic tire has a massive Achilles heel – lose the air and it stops the vehicle. The most-read story in the history of this fine publication is about Michelin’s Tweel, the first viable alternative to the pneumatic tire in more than a century with its greatest asset being that it doesn’t go flat. Now there’s another flat-proof inflation system based on individual balls or air cells that has evolved from motorcycle off-road racing, where to win, you need to be able to finish the race. Tire Ball not only offers virtual flat-proof characteristics but simultaneously improves traction and improves suspension performance. Right now it’s a technology that’s only commercially viable for off-road RV and motorcycle racing but materials technology promises to ultimately lead to highway applications for the product. In addition to racing, the Tire Ball is also a natural for agricultural, commercial and military applications where a flat might cost you a whole lot more than time. Read More

The TWEEL - radical new wheel technology (UPDATED)

By Mike Hanlon

Updated April 29, 2005 Michelin has showcased a potentially disruptive technology with significant ramifications for the future for mobility: an airless, integrated tyre and wheel combination dubbed the TWEEL (i.e. Tyre/WhEEL) . The Tweel promises performance levels beyond those possible with conventional pneumatic technology. The first commercial applications of the Tweel will be in lower-speed, lower-weight vehicles such as the iBOT mobility device and Segway's Concept Centaur. Designed by Segway-inventor Dean Kamen, the iBOT mobility device has the ability to climb stairs and navigate uneven terrain, offering mobility freedom impossible with traditional wheelchairs.

Additionally, Segway's Concept Centaur, a prototype that applies self-balancing technology to a four-wheel device, has also been equipped with Tweel to increase its performance potential. Read More

Naomi Campbell Launches Pirelli Ultra-High Performance Tyres

By Mike Hanlon

Despite wearing a black swimsuit complete with tyre tread across her body, Naomi Campbell was not so much road-kill as she was dressed to kill when recently launching the latest line of Pirelli's Ultra-High Performance tyres the Planet Zero (P Zero) in Rome.

The new and complete range of tyres address the increasing amount of high performance vehicles being sold in today's market. Many car manufacturers today offer vehicles that deliver more than 200 HP and it is estimated that the segment represents almost 25 percent of all cars sold. Read More