Tyre News

Half a century after kitting out the original prototype, Pirelli is back as Lamborghini Countach tyre supplier. All 112 examples of the new 814hp, 220 mph Countach LPI 800-4 will wear Pirelli P Zero tyres in 255/30 R20 size at the front and 355/25 R 21 at the rear as standard. Pirelli says it has optimised the tyre’s structure and compound to “reach the best possible roadholding in all driving situations” and provide “high levels of traction and braking in the wet as well as the dry.”

The shortlist for this year’s Auto Bild winter tyre test provides no big surprises, with all 20 tyres chosen for the final round being flagship or second brands from well-known manufacturers. Bridgestone’s Blizzak LM005 tops the list after delivering the shortest combined stopping distance (from 80 km/h in wet conditions and 50 km/h on snow) during the preliminary test round. Following closely on the Bridgestone tyre’s heels were the Dunlop Winter Sport 5, Hankook Winter I*Cept RS² and Continental WinterContact TS 870.

Launched in June, the Halfords Garage of the Year competition has attracted hundreds of entries. A shortlist of 20 has now been selected. The winner will be announced in the coming weeks.

Demand for all-season tyres has shot up since Michelin launched its initial CrossClimate in 2015. 27 million all-season car and SUV tyres were sold in Europe in 2020, up from 11.2 million in 2015. As demand has grown, so the product has evolved. For example, the new CrossClimate 2 offers a 10 per cent reduction in rolling resistance when compared to its best-selling predecessor thanks to a Cool Running Sidewall designed to improve fuel efficiency or electric vehicle battery range...” amongst other enhancements.

Parky mornings and evenings are one sign that summer is on the wane. The appearance of all-season and winter tyre tests is another. The first out this year is from German motoring magazine Autozeitung, which looked at the commonly-fitted small car size 205/55 R16. Autozeitung evaluated nine brands of all-season tyre on a VW Golf Mk7 for their performance in wet, dry and snowy conditions, as well as comfort, noise and rolling resistance.

Yokohama-backed Chelsea FC secured more major silverware last week, with a victory at Belfast’s Windsor Park in the European Super Cup. In the first ever competitive fixture between the two teams, it sat all square at 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes and no further goals were added in extra time. The Blues went on to lift the trophy for only the second time in the club’s history with a nail biting 6-5 penalty shootout victory.