Third of UK adults say we will never switch to driverless cars – IMechE survey
Nearly a third of UK adults think we will never switch to having only driverless cars on the roads while 60 per cent of people say they would always prefer to drive themselves rather than use a self-driving vehicle, according to a new opinion poll from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Dunlop launches Geomax MX53 at MXoN
At its Motocross of Nations (MXoN) press conference, Dunlop revealed the latest Geomax range addition, the MX53. This will be part of the brand’s portfolio for the 2020 MXGP and Supercross seasons. The tyre sits between the ‘super-hard’ terrain MX71 and the highly versatile MX33 in Dunlop’s wide Geomax portfolio.
New UK independent tyre dealer group established
For the last 11 years Tyres & Accessories’ annual UK retail ranking has consistently shown that the top 20 tyre retailers account for around 2000 branches between then. When you consider that there are something like 10,000 tyre points of sale in the UK, this means that these top firms occupy something like 20 per cent of the business between them. The remaining 80 per cent, however, is spread out amongst thousands of businesses with single-shop or small chain operations. It is not uncommon for individual smaller dealers from this overwhelming majority to feel underappreciated by their manufacturer and wholesaler suppliers who – they think – favour the larger chains. Tyres & Accessories recently met up with Stone Tyres founder John Stone and found out how he and around 100 other shops are working to redress the balance.
Nynas “honoured” by Pirelli Supplier Award
Nynas representatives has said the company is “honoured” to have been named as one of nine suppliers selected from a global list of more than 10,000 to receive a Pirelli Supplier Award.
5 out of 7 MX of Nations winners on Dunlop
The 73rd Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN) took place at Assen, which saw a home win for Team Netherlands. The MXoN rounded off the season by bringing together the top motocross riders from around the world to race for their country, rather than for rider and manufacturer honours. The event also features multiple tyre manufacturers, and Dunlop emerged from the weekend with five wins from seven races (including three qualifying races, a B-final and three heats of the final). Dunlop also unveiled its latest addition to the Geomax range during the event.
Lamborghini seals Blancpain GT honours on Pirelli tyres
The Orange1 FFF Racing #563 Lamborghini won the final Blancpain Endurance Cup race of the season in Barcelona, helping the team to seal the overall and Endurance Cup titles with 185 points. The crew of Andrea Caldarelli, Marco Mapelli and Albert Costa, who replaced the unwell Dennis Lind, started third on the grid following qualifying, but eventually moved up to first spot to take the chequered flag.
Harder tyre choice allowed drivers to push pace in Sochi – Pirelli
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton won the Russian Grand Prix from second on the grid with one pit stop, moving from the medium to the soft tyre under a virtual safety car. His team mate Valtteri Bottas, who finished second, adopted the same strategy. Behind them there was a wide variety of tactics seen throughout the 53-lap race, which featured two safety cars: one straight after the start, and one just over the halfway point.
Camfin gains right to buy up to 15% of Pirelli shares
Pirelli shareholder Camfin now has the right to buy up to 15 per cent of Pirelli shares. The news came when Camfin announced on 26 September that it had underwritten “an additional financial instrument, maturing in September 2022, denominated ‘Call Spread’ with 8.9 million Pirelli shares underlying”. Call Spread’s shareholding equates to 0.89% of Pirelli’s share capital.
Reynolds Logistics signs new Goodyear Total Mobility five-year contract
Goodyear Tyres has secured a new five-year partnership with Reynolds Logistics. The family-owned bulk logistics company specialises in the haulage of liquid products, distributing fuels and hazardous goods throughout the UK and Europe. Goodyear will supply the firm with its comprehensive Goodyear Total Mobility offering, including Kmax Gen-2 and Kmax T tyres for trucks, trailers and tankers in the Reynolds Logistics fleet.
Auto Bild: 10 finalists in 2019 all-season tyre test
The tyre testers at Auto Bild are certainly earning their keep. The release of the magazine’s 2019 winter comparison is being tailgated by its 2019 size 225/45 R17 all-season tyre test. Auto Bild has now published details of the preliminary round. Starting with 31 tyres, it has whittled the field of contenders down to just […]
Apollo Tyres’ Thelma truck to race at Le Mans ‘one more time’
The Apollo Tyres TOR Truck Racing team will bring its racing truck ‘Thelma’ to Le Mans on 28-29 September for its final 2019 appearance on track. The team has been making a few alterations to the racing truck following a successful weekend at the ‘Convoy in the Park’ event at Donington in August, in preparation for the penultimate rounds of the European Truck Racing Championship.
Bridgestone supplying ‘solar car tyres’ to BWSC
Bridgestone Corporation will supply solar car tyres to 32 teams participating in the 2019 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC), for which Bridgestone is the naming rights sponsor. The narrow, wide diameter tyres utilise Bridgestone’s ‘Ecopia with ologic’ fuel-efficient tyre technology.
