June 1 price rise for Toyo’s US market consumer tyres
Dealer base prices for Toyo passenger car and light truck tyres will increase by an average of eight per cent in the US on June 1. Announcing the price revision, Toyo Tire USA senior director of sales John Hagan stated “Toyo Tires is committed to providing excellent product quality while keeping prices to a minimum; however the continued increases in raw material costs make it necessary for us to raise our prices at this time.”
Continue Reading“Kumho has arrived” following tyre test, says Australian MD
Kumho Tyre Australia reports critics had a surprise in store for them when the results of the annual Wheels Magazine Tyre Test were announced. The publication, which has provided Australian motorists with authoritative information for 58 years, gave the Kumho KU39 a ‘podium placing’ by ranking it a close third behind two much more expensive European tyres. Furthermore, Kumho notes, the KU39 “finished ahead of well established and respected Japanese brands in the gruelling and uncompromising Wheels test, making it arguably the best value performance tyre on the Australian market.”
Continue ReadingChina appeals WTO tyre tariff ruling
China has appealed the World Trade Organization’s December 2010 ruling that upheld the three-year tiered added tariff placed on consumer tyres exported from China to the US. China insists the US violated international trade rules when it imposed the tariffs, a WTO spokesman said.
Continue ReadingMichelin Xeobib removes need for pressure adjustments at Bowden Farms
Terry Bowden, a partner in Tedburn St Mary-based Bowden Farms, says adjusting tyre pressures between jobs has become a thing of the past since specifying Michelin’s very high flexion tyres as original equipment on his latest New Holland T7050. He says he selected Michelin XeoBibs for their significantly larger footprint and after a string of tyre failures on a previous machine. The T7050 is used primarily for top work and operates with a 4m power harrow/drill combination with front mounted hopper across the 1,200-acre farm.
Continue ReadingEvent Tyres given Honest John Outstanding Achievement Award
Event Tyres has expressed is honour at winning the Honest John Outstanding Achievement Award for the UK motor trade’s most consistently endorsed company by their readers. Honest John writes a weekly motoring advice column in the Daily Telegraph and since 1995, combined with his website, has answered a staggering 500,000 letters and emails from motorists with all kinds of motoring problems and conundrums.
Continue ReadingTotal Motion fleet introduces Michelin tyre policy
One of the UK’s fastest-growing fleet companies has signed up to a Michelin tyre policy across its fleet. Leicester-based Total Motion, which was set up in 1998 and typically manages fleets of more than 30 vehicles, has historically used a variety of premium brand tyres. However, the company says new internal cost and performance analysis demonstrated that using Michelin tyres and fast-fit specialists ATS Euromaster would provide significant benefits to the company and its customers.
Continue ReadingPirelli takes softest tyres, debuts Red supersoft at Monaco
Pirelli heads immediately from one of the quicker tracks seen on the calendar to the slowest: Monaco. The tight and twisty confines of the principality are ideal territory for Pirelli’s PZero Red supersoft tyre, which makes its debut in Monaco. For the first time, by extension, it is also twinned with the PZero Yellow soft tyre – which becomes the prime nomination after five Grands Prix as the option.
Continue ReadingMichelin continues to invest in UK manufacturing operations
Speaking during Challenge Bibendum last week, managing general partner, Michel Rollier confirmed that Michelin continues to invest in its Dundee and Ballymena plants in the UK, where the firm is said to have made “tremendous efforts” to improve the efficiency and productivity of its plants.
Continue ReadingBridgestone OE for Aston Vantage S
Aston Martin refers to its V8 Vantage S as a “driver-focused” vehicle: “The Vantage S epitomises every attribute of the V8 Vantage and pushes the driver experience beyond what we have offered before,” exclaims Dr. Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin, “It combines dynamic exhilaration with all the charming finesse, beauty and practicality already associated with the Vantage range.” Bridgestone is thus pleased its Potenza RE050A has been selected as original equipment on the freshly released coupé and roadster. The Bridgestone tyre is fitted to the 430hp Aston Martin in size 245/40 on the front wheels and 285/35 on the rear.
Continue ReadingMichelin targets fast-growing markets with Energy XM2
The world is becoming increasingly mobile and vehicle parcs in emerging markets are swelling through first-time car purchases. In many countries motorists travel on a road infrastructure not designed with such volumes of traffic or modern vehicle technology in mind, and for this reason products designed for Western Europe may not present the best solution there; affordable technical solutions that accommodate differing conditions are required. This certainly applies to tyres. Concurrent to the Michelin Challenge Bibendum 2011, an event described as the global summit for sustainable mobility, Michelin released a new product aimed primarily at emerging markets, the Energy XM2.
Continue ReadingItalian authorities seize 50,000 counterfeit wheels
Authorities in the Northern Italian province of La Spezia have seized 50,000 counterfeit wheels, reportedly worth over 20 million euros. The local Guardia di Finanza seized the products deemed to be hazardous to the safety of motorists, having intercepted them on the way into the market from China. In addition to the wheels, police also seized 100,000 accessories featuring logos of car manufacturers and 400 moulds allegedly intended for the production of knock-off wheels in Italy. A number of firms based in north-central Italy implicated in importing the products from China have been reported.
Continue ReadingJochen Etzel appointed Conti Tire Americas CEO
The top job at Continental Tire the Americas, vacant since Matthias Schönberg’s July 1 transfer to the company’s ContiTech division was confirmed, has been filled by Jochen Etzel. In a statement, Etzel declared his appointment as CEO of Continental Tire the Americas “an excellent opportunity,” and added: “I am excited to take this next step with the CTA team. Matthias Schoenberg guided CTA to a strong and successful business model in manufacturing, product and sales. I look forward to the challenge of continuing to lead CTA to further volume growth, as well as significant new product launches."
Continue ReadingPZero Silver increases hard tyre range at Spanish GP
Sebastian Vettel held off a spirited performance from Lewis Hamilton to win the Spanish Grand Prix by 0.6 seconds, both drivers running the new harder compound PZero Silver tyre during the closing stages. The new Silver, which had its first outing in Spain, proved to be a central talking point, once again putting tyres firmly in the conscience of the sport’s followers. Though Lewis Hamilton had been vocal throughout the weekend in his reservations about the tyre, he found enough speed to challenge Vettel all the way to the line, also recording the Grand Prix’s fastest time on the Silver.
Continue ReadingHalfords Autocentres: Up to 600 possible expansion sites
Halfords, which bought Nationwide Autocentres almost 18 months ago, has suggested that there could be scope to increase its expansion plans beyond the ambitious target to double its presence to around 400 sites announced during the purchase. During a recent conference with financial analysts the company spoke of the “analysis of potential catchments – 400 possibly up to 600 sites.”
Continue ReadingExpanded US Conti test site provides increased tyre testing options
Continental Tire The Americas has inaugurated a new wet and dry test surface at its providing ground in Uvalde, Texas. Work on the US$3.5 million Vehicle Dynamics Area began last September and construction work involved transporting more than 88,000 tonnes of material and over 700 truckloads of rock to the site; the end result is a 640,000 square foot (60,000 square metre) area that provides several test options to simulate real-world driving sceneries, safely allowing for tyre and vehicle stability tests at the “limit.” The track surface is intended to reflect the average asphalt surfaces motorists encounter while simultaneously allowing a high degree of differentiation between different tyres. The irrigation system installed for wet testing uniformly distributes water across the surface’s entire width and is adjustable from 1.3 to 2.8mm.
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