The FIA has opted to extend Yokohama Rubber’s supply of Advan tyres to the World Touring Car Championship as control tyre for a further three years, through to 2015. In reporting the continuation of its tyre supply, Yokohama notes that by the time this current deal expires, the WTCC will have run on its tyres for a decade.
At the opening round of the GT Asia championship, held in Malaysia on 25 May, Yokohama Rubber began in its new role as control tyre supplier. The Japanese tyre maker supplied its Advan A005 for dry conditions and the Advan A006 for the wet.
Yokohama Rubber has signed up as control tyre supplier to European championship the ADAC GT Masters, which got underway for this season on Saturday. For dry conditions, Yokohama will supply its orange oil-containing Advan A005, and its Advan A006 for the wet.
Yokohama will be the new control tyre supplier for the Irish Touring Car Championship or ITCC starting in the 2012 season. Touring cars have become something of a speciality for Yokohama’s motorsport activity; its Advan range is currently used as the control tyre in the FIA World Touring Car Championship as well as the Russian, Chinese and Scandinavian national iterations.
The US market 2012 Audi A7, winner of the Motor Press Guild’s “Vehicle of the Year” award at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, will be fitted with Yokohama Advan Sport tyres as original equipment. Announcing the OEM supply deal, Yokohama Tire Corporation’s director of OE sales, Jeremy Kahrs, commented “the 310 horsepower Audi A7 is a sleek, stylish sporty five-door coupe. We couldn’t agree more with the award and are proud the A7 runs on our ultra high-performance Advan Sport tyres. They are a perfect fit.”
The second major FIA championship in as many weekends comes to Britain this weekend as the World Touring Car Championship switches from Brands Hatch to Donington. Yokohama has supplied its Advan branded tyres to the series since 2006, and the brand’s UK distributor, Yokohama HPT says it is “eagerly anticipating” this year’s event, believing the change of venue to the revised Donington Park circuit will bring extra interest. This will be the first FIA World Championship event to be held at the circuit since the 1993 European Grand Prix.
Yokohama Rubber has begun original equipment supply for Toyota’s new Prius ἀ, or alpha, in the Japanese market. The hybrid car, which went on sale May 13, is fitted with the Advan dB in size 205/60R16 92V.
At the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon 2011, which begins on January 14, Yokohama Rubber will display a new tyre brand alongside its global Advan range. Known as “BluEarth”, Yokohama says the new line-up is based on the concept of “easy on the environment, people and society.” The full BluEarth range will be displayed at the show, including the top of the line BluEarth-1, the premium BluEarth RV-01 for minivans and the standard BluEarth AE-01 tyre.
Audi’s new A7 Sportback, released in Europe in Autumn 2010 and now being introduced into global markets, is to be fitted with Yokohama Advan tyres as original equipment. Yokohama Rubber reports its Advan Sport in size 265/35R20 99Y XL has been selected for the four door coupe, the fourth Audi model to be shipped with Yokohama tyres as original equipment.
Six new sizes have been added to Yokohama Tire’s Advan high performance range in the US. The Neova AD08 line-up has received three fitments, sizes 245/40R19 94W, 265/35R19 94W and 275/35R19 96W, and the S.4 range has also received three new fitments, namely sizes 255/50R19 107W, 275/45R19 108W and 275/40R20 106W.
The latest generation Porsche Cayenne went on sale at the end of May, and Yokohama Rubber reports its Advan Sport has been approved by Dr. Ing. H.c.F. Porsche AG as an original equipment tyre on the luxury 4×4. The Advan Sport will be supplied in sizes 275/45R20 110Y XL and 295/35R21 107Y XL. Versions of the Advan Sport destined for the Cayenne were jointly developed by Porsche and Yokohama Rubber and bear "N-0" and "N-1" markings on the sidewalls indicating Porsche's approval. This latest homologation joins OE approvals for the Porsche 911 Carrera 4, Audi S8 and Bentley Continental as well as various models from Mercedes-AMG.
(Tire Review) Yokohama will be back at the American Le Mans Series next season on RocketSports Racing 's Jaguar XKR GT2 entry. According to Mark Chung, Yokohama director of corporate strategy and planning, the new entry debuted at the Petit Le Mans race this past weekend running on Yokohama Advan A005 tyres. The car will also run at Laguna Seca on 10 October, using the races to introduce the car and utilize the track time for testing and development.
Audi’s list of requirements for its Q7 4×4 include a tyre capable of handling the vehicle’s considerable performance output. The manufacturer has thus decided upon the Yokohama Advan as original equipment on its first full-size, luxury SUV, and is offering the Advan in two sizes – 275/45R20 110Y or 265/50R19 110Y – for both the front and rear wheels.
The tyre was selected, comments Yokohama, for its high level of overall performance – proven stability and comfort at high speeds (300 km/h and above), as well as excellent braking. The Q7 is the third Audi model to have Yokohama tyres fitted as original equipment, joining the S6 and S8 in Audi’s top-class S series.
Dealers across the USA will get a chance to test many of Yokohama’s tyres – including the all-new ADVAN Neova AD08 – in a series of 10 specialized training programmes beginning this month. Cities on the 10-city training tour include Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Texas, Orlando, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Kansas City, Memphis and Albuquerque.
The ADVAN Neova AD08, an updated version of Yokohama’s ADVAN Neova AD07, will be available in the US in May in 32 sizes ranging from 15 to 19 inches. (Tire Review/Akron)
Three first-places finishes reflected a successful start for Yokohama Tire Corporation’s sponsorship of the 2009 Redline Time Attack series during the March 28-29 season-opener at Buttonwillow Raceway in the US state of California. The series, which features purpose-built 600-horsepower race cars and highly tuned street-legal vehicles, awards points and names winners based on which driver achieves the fastest lap time during competition. Winners in Yokohama Tire-shod cars included:
Billy Johnson, Unlimited RWD Class, FX Motorsports Acura NSX (on Yokohama Advan A005 slicks), 1:45.516, a new RWD and Unlimited RWD record and besting defending champion and this year’s runner up by more than 2 seconds (1:47.992).
