Denman Adds Trailer Tyres
Denman Tire Corp. has introduced a new line of radial trailer tyres. The new tyres will be available in sizes ST175/80R-13 6 PR; ST205/75R-14 6 PR; ST215/75R-14 6 PR; ST205/75R-15 6 PR; ST205/75R-15 8 PR; ST225/75R-15 8 PR; ST225/75R-15 10 PR and ST235/80R-16 10 PR. (Tire Review/Akron)
Continue ReadingSerious Fraud Office Called Following MG Report
The Serious Fraud Office has been asked to consider whether there should be a criminal investigation into the collapse of MG Rover, after an inquiry into the demise of the MG Rover Group on in April 2005 owing creditors nearly £1.3 billion.
Continue ReadingNew US BMWs Get Bridgestone Duelers
Bridgestone Dueler HP Sport Run-Flat tyres have gained OE fitment on the new BMW X5 M and BMW X6 M. The Bridgestone Plant in Tosu, Japan will be supplying the tyres for the 2009 BMW X5 M and X6 M produced in BMW’s Spartanburg, South Carolina plant. Both vehicles will carry the tyres in sizes 275/40R20 106Y EL (front) and 315/35R20 110Y ERL (rear). (Tire Review/Akron)
Continue ReadingLow Demand For Cars In Thailand Boosts B-Quik
B-Quik Co, Thailands leading operator of car service centres, has increased its revenue target this year to 2 billion baht (42.1 million euros) from 1.8 billion (37.9 million euros) as sluggish demand for new cars has been a windfall to the maintenance market. Eight to 10 B-Quik service centres will be added this year to the existing network of 56 sites nationwide, said chief executive Henk Kiks. The market has been surprisingly good for us with revenue surging over 30 per cent in the first half, said Kiks. We earlier projected sales of 1.8 billion baht, growth of 21 per cent from last year, but now we are aiming for over a 33 per cent rise to 2 billion by the end of the year.
Continue ReadingHayes Lemmerz Files Reorganisation Plan and Disclosure Statement
Hayes Lemmerz International has a plan….a reorganisation plan, that is. The company announced on July 3 it has filed a proposed plan of reorganisation and disclosure statement with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. If confirmed by the court, the plan provides that the companys debtor-in-possession (DIP) lenders and prepetition secured lenders would own substantially all the reorganised company’s common stock and all of its global manufacturing locations upon its emergence from chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Continue ReadingDunlop Reports 20% Increase in Visits at Festival of Speed
Goodwood Festival of Speed saw 20 per cent more people view the Dunlop Motorsport presence than previously. Dunlop reportedly “pioneered” a new concept at this year’s event with a media stage. Dunlop’s communications manager James Bailey commented: “More than 13,000 people have been through the Dunlop Drivers Club Stable Yard today, watching and listening to their motor racing heroes and looking at some of their cars. This is an increase of around 20 per cent on last year. The public have the chance to get up-close and personal with the people and machines that have made history over the years and who are making history right now. This is the first time we have thrown our efforts fully behind a media stage, and judging by public reaction on day one, it’s a winner.”
Continue ReadingContinental: Women Show More Interest in Hybrid Technology
New research conducted by Continental AG suggests female drivers are more interested in Hybrid Technology than men. In 2007 less than a third (61.6%) of all female motorists surveyed knew anything about hybrid technologies. This percentage grew to around 75 per cent in 2008 and stood at 79 per cent this time.
Continue ReadingApollo Wins India Pajero Fitment
Apollo Tyres reports that its Hawkz 4x4 tyre has been selected as an original equipment feature on the Indian market Mitusbishi Pajero. The Japanese 4x4, said to be named after a certain South American wild cat – Leopardus pajeros (the vehicle is sold in the UK as the Shogun), is sold with the Apollo Hawkz in size 265/70 R15.
Continue ReadingCTNA Unveils Three New Truck Tyres
Continental Tire North America has released a trio of new truck tyres, the HSU2, HSR2 and HTL1. The HSU2 (Heavy Steer Urban) heavy truck steer tyre replaces the HSU, and Conti says the redesigned size 315/80R22.5 tyre offers increased tread life through its wider 26/32-inch deep rib design, now with 17 per cent more wear volume than the HSU. The HSU2’s tread is formulated with a cut and tear-resistant tread compound, intended to provide excellent wear in both high scrub and on/off road applications. These qualities, notes Conti, makes the tyre ideal for waste haulers, construction and other on/off highway service.
Continue ReadingRuia Group to Acquire TCI?
According to media reports, Dunlop India and Falcon Tyres owner the Ruia Group is in negotiations to acquire the government owned Tyre Corporation of India Limited (TCI). The West Bengal based TCI is said to currently possess only a limited tyre manufacturing capacity, and the government began the process of divesting the ailing manufacturer in 2007. The potential price tag of such an acquisition has not been disclosed.
Continue ReadingBridgestone to Supply Dueler to US BMW Models
Bridgestone tyres are now available on every BMW series sold in the US following the decision to offer the brand as an original fitment on the BMX X5 M and BMW X6 M. Both vehicles will receive the Dueler HP Sport run-flat, in size 275/40R20 106Y XL for the front axle and 315/35R20 110Y XL for the rear. “The ultimate in performance, premium technology and a passion for excellence make the Bridgestone brand and BMW a winning combination,” said Mike Martini, president, Original Equipment, US & Canada Consumer Tire Sales Division, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “The Dueler HP Sport plays to win. Selecting the Bridgestone Dueler HP Sport run-flat for this high profile vehicle is a clear victory for the brand and for the driving enthusiast. Now, with the new BMW M Automobile fitment, every class of vehicle manufactured by BMW is riding on a Bridgestone-brand tire and the majority of those are our run-flat tyres.”
Continue ReadingBrazil to Receive US$200 Million Pirelli Investments
This year Pirelli celebrates 80 years of doing business in Brazil. In the eight decades that followed the company’s first presence there in 1929, Pirelli has established five factories and a research centre in the South American nation and manufactures 90 per cent of its South American production there. This strong presence reflects Brazil’s growing importance as a strategic centre for vehicle production, and Pirelli’s interest in the region remains strong. At a July press conference, held at the company’s Santo André manufacturing site in Sao Paulo, Pirelli outlined plans to invest a further US$200 million in Brazil over the next three years.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Dunlop Associates Abseil for Teen Cancer Trust
UK Employees from Midlands tyre manufacturer Goodyear Dunlop have started work on raising £30,000 for the company’s chosen charity, the Teenage Cancer Trust, by abseiling down the 120ft side of Fort Dunlop in Birmingham. 12 associates from across the company took part to show their support of the company’s new corporate charity, including company directors Darren Hayes-Powell, Nigel Sowerby and group managing director Mark Brickhill. Brickhill commented: “Having raised in excess of £5,000 in sponsorship from the event, I would like to thank all of those involved for conquering their fears and kick starting this fierce fundraising campaign. Teenage Cancer Trust is a fantastic charity, and we are thrilled to be supporting the development of a unit at Birmingham Children’s Hospital that will be the first in the county for 13 to 16 year olds. “We have been so touched by the work that the charity does and I’m certain that all of our associates will get firmly behind the fundraising to help to make a difference to the lives of the young people who face this terrible illness.”
Continue ReadingNew Yokohama Tyre Low in Petroleum, Rich in Vitamin C
Yokohama Tire Corporation has effectively re-invented the tyre. This bold statement, made in a company press release, refers to the US market launch of Yokohama’s dB Super E-spec passenger car tyre, winner of a Popular Mechanics Editors Choice Award at the Last November’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The new tyre, which Yokohama refers to as the worlds first orange oil-infused passenger tyre,” is composed of 80 per cent non-petroleum based materials. These are, specifically, a mixture of sustainable orange oil and natural rubber.
Continue ReadingSecond Generation BFGoodrich Mud Terrain T/AKM2 Launched
With its thick lugs that continue around the sidewall, the BFGoodrich Mud Terrain T/AKM range clearly means business in an off-road capacity and now the tyre has been given a second generation for the European market. The new tyre is replacing the BFGoodrich Mud Terrain T/AKM, which is both the market leader in the off-road category and the spearhead of the brand in Europe. BFGoodrich says that the new Mud Terrain T/AKM2 provides off-road drivers with outstanding performance regardless of surface conditions, delivering enhanced strength, damage resistance and grip. It will be available in 16 sizes in 15, 16 and 17 inch diameters for tyre widths from 215 to 305 mm, in 85 to 70 series aspect ratios and with a Q speed symbol. The M+S marking on the sidewalls indicates that the tyre has been approved for use in mud and snow.
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