Yokohama to Debut ADVAN Brand at Paris Motor Show
Paris Motor Show 2004 will provide the venue for the European debut of Yokohama’s ADVAN brand, the company has said.
Paris Motor Show 2004 will provide the venue for the European debut of Yokohama’s ADVAN brand, the company has said.
All exhibition space at the 37th Essen Motor Show is booked out, say the organisers. From 26 November to 5 December, 2004, 570 companies from 19 different countries will present their latest innovations. In keeping with the exhibition’s motto “Formel Fun,“ the organisers want to bring visitors’ fascination with cars to life. One of the biggest and most influential passenger car exhibitions this year, the show is expected to attract more than 400,000 visitors. Several new models are expected to make their debut. In addition, the tuning sector of the industry will display many new products on its exhibition stands.
Organisers of the 2004 Mondial de l’automobile, or Paris Motor Show, are expecting this year’s exhibition to be the biggest yet.
As expected, Bridgestone is among the tyre manufacturers exhibiting at this year’s 60th International Commercial Vehicles Motor Show (IAA) in Hanover. The Japanese tyre manufacturer is going to present an exhaustive array of its innovative range of products to visitors to Hanover from 23 September to 30 September. The new super-single tyre “Greatec” with its unique Aircept technology will be part be among the products on display.
New EU directives on vehicles are likely to add 5,000 Euros (3,340 GBP) to the price of an average car. Speaking at the Birmingham Motor Show, Roger Puttnam chairman of Ford in Britain, warned that manufacturing margins were already thin and that mounting regulatory costs would have to be passed on to the consumers. Puttnam singled out new rules on vehicle recycling, the control of chemicals and safety, all of which are to be implemented by 2008.
Rather than just admire new car models on exhibitors’ stands, visitors to the Sunday Times Motor Show Live (May 27 to June 6 2004 in Birmingham) will be able to put them to the test on a specially-designed outdoor circuit. The course simulates city driving, with tight turns and junctions, and drivers will be accompanied by a co-driver to answer questions and give advice. To take part in the free Taster Test Drive, visitors need to show a current driving licence when booking their slot. Latest vehicles from the following seven manufacturers will be available to drive: Daihatsu, Honda, Hyundai, MG Rover, Nissan, Subaru and Vauxhall.
The Volvo V50 making its world debut at the Bologna Motor Show is the most recent testimonial to the fourth generation of the high performance Pirelli P7 range. This latest version of the tyre is designed to provide luxury saloons and station wagons with a perfect blend of performance and driving comfort.
On show at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September was what was described as “the second generation of tyre pressure control systems”, developed by Siemens VDO Automotive, in conjunction with Goodyear.
This unit is more than just a pressure sensor, as it can record mileage and tyre wear, moving one step further towards the “intelligent tyre”. The new sensors operate with an indirect power supply and allow electronic identification of the tyres, as they are embedded into the tyre carcass, rather than part of an external sensor fitted to the wheel.
As well as the sensor, the system incorporates an antenna in the tyre and a transmitter/receiver in the cabin. It is this latter unit that supplies the tyre with energy. Should there be a drop in pressure, the sophisticated software recognises this and sends a warning to the driver. Additionally, a chip in the tyre records the mileage and the distance that can be travelled without sufficient pressure.
The electronics are only a few square millimetres in size and they measure the tyre temperature and, with the aid of a micromechanical sensor, the air pressure in the tyre. The system evaluates additional information such as wheel speed, then the software calculates the nominal air pressure, notifying the driver if this falls below pre-determined levels. The driver can also request the current pressure or mileage of each tyre at any time.
Because the sensors are a permanent component of the tyre, data such as tyre type can be sent directly to the vehicle electronics, which is also helpful for the ABS and other chassis control systems. Another advantage is that the new system does not require a separate sensor to be fitted to the wheel and, if the tyre is changed from one wheel to another, there is no transfer of sensor needed.
Finally, the light weight of the sensor means that it has no adverse effect on tyre performance or vehicle handling.
The Maserati Quattroporte made its world debut at the Frankfurt International Motor Show, fitted with Pirelli P Zero Rosso tyres as OE. The Quattroporte is described as “the fastest sedan in the world”, with a top speed of 172 mph, and the tyre sizes are 245/45 ZR18 (front) and 285/40 ZR18 (rear).
Yokohama has cancelled the European launch of the Advan range of tyres, scheduled for the Frankfurt International Motor Show. The high performance brand may be introduced at a later date, but no details of if and when have been released.
Yokohama Rubber is to introduce its Advan tyre brand into Europe for the first time at the forthcoming Frankfurt International Motor Show. The tyres on show will be run-flats and it is believed that Yokohama will market Advan as a high quality, high performance tyre for luxury cars, building up brand awareness by participation in motorsports events. Advan is an established brand in Japan and its only European exposure so far has been through OE fitment on imported vehicles.
An international jury of experts has named the Bertone-SKF Novanta as the winner of the 2002 Challenge Bibendum Award. Designed and built by Stile Bertone in Caprie, the Novanta is a working concept car, first shown at the Geneva Motor Show. Drive-by-wire technologies from aeronautics were developed in collaboration with SKF and conventional hydraulic and mechanical devices were replaced by intelligent electromagnetic systems, allowing extensive interior redesigning. The award was presented by Edouard Michelin.
Michelin has presented its OCP (Optimised Contact Patch) technology at the Paris Motor Show. With OCP technology wheels can lean, similar to a motor-cycle, thus optimising the contact patch area. The system is being tested by different car companies for use on cars at the upper end of the market. Later on Michelin will bring to market the pressure detection system EnTire which will be developed together with TRW in 2003.Development is also planned of an active air-management-system together with Wabco and the help of TRW and SKF, planned to be on the market in the year 2005. There is news too about ViaMichelin, in co-operation with Tele Atlas, for a on-board CD-ROM for navigation. Finally, Michelin Editions des Voyages has published a series of new travel-guides, including local street-maps, containing information for tourists.
At the beginning of November 2002 the Michelin Pax System will be offered as an option on the new Audi A8. This underlines the great potential of Pax technology in the areas of security and mobility. Two concept-cars at the Paris Motor Show also featured the Pax System: the Renault Ellipse and the Citroen C Airdream.
Michelin’s Edouard Michelin and Continental’s CEO Manfred Wennemer have both spoken to analysts at the Paris Motor Show regarding the prospects for their companies. Michelin says that raw material increases (15 per cent in the first months of the year) will have an adverse effect on 2nd half business. Michelin’s strategy is “to get more value out of the tyre”, which Edouard Michelin says should not be regarded as a commodity. The company will also add production in low labour-cost countries.Continental’s European restructuring is bearing fruit with good economies of scale from concentrating truck tyre production at Puchov. However, the US market “remains difficult”. The current brand mix in the US aftermarket is 80 per cent General Tire, 20 per cent Conti. The aim is to make this nearer 50/50. Wennemer said that the forthcoming “tread act” in the US has great potential for the company in the field of tyre deflation sensors.
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