Not all motorhomes are ponderous wheeled boxes that slow traffic. Van-based campers, such as VW’s freshly-facelifted Transporter 6.1, deliver driving dynamics approaching those of saloons and SUVs – and require tyres that are up to the job. German specialist publication Promobil put the new VW T6.1 through its paces fitted with eight brands of size 235/55 R17 tyre – all reinforced ‘C’ (for commercial) models – and found a clear winner.
The chief executive officer of Michelin’s Europe North Region has spoken out against “cheap products from Asia and their dumping prices.” In an interview with German newspaper Bild, Anish K. Taneja, who also serves as the president of the German Rubber Manufacturers Association (wdk), emphasised that tyres such as these are not environmentally sustainable, nor are they sustainable for consumers or for local jobs.
More than a year after its counterpart for conventional saloons came to market, Goodyear is introducing the UltraGrip Performance+ SUV. This new tyre range covers the growing SUV and crossover market by offering consumers a “technology-packed winter tyre that increases the versatility and contributes to the safety of their vehicles.”
Two motorcycle tyre tests from PS. The German sports bike magazine took a look at slick pairs for professional riders in its 6/2021 issue, and followed this up by looking at four brands of track day tyres in its 7/2021 edition. The PS testers declared Dunlop and Continental the respective winners.
Continental has notched up another tyre test win, this time on two wheels. The latest issue (07/2021) of German sports motorcycle magazine PS compares four brands of racetrack slicks suited to ambitious hobby racers. Thanks to its first-place ranking in five out of the eight test disciplines and a total of 183 points from a possible 230, the PS testers declared the Continental Track test winner.
A new test by German motorcycle magazine PS has declared Dunlop the top slick track tyre following an extensive test. The magazine chose the Dunlop KR106 (front) and KR108 (rear) pairing as the overall winner in its comparison of seven different track tyres. The PS test crew used a Honda Fireblade SP at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, home of MotoGP’s Catalan Grand Prix. The results were published in PS (6/2021) as part of its Pro-Slick Test feature.
While anyone prioritising ride comfort above every other factor should steer clear of low profile, higher rim diameter tyres, motorists who want a more dynamic driving experience certainly benefit from a couple of extra inches and a flatter sidewall. Auto Bild has tested 15 size 235/35 R19 tyres suitable for sporty compact cars such as the VW Golf GTI, Audi S3 and Seat Leon Cupra.
Three of the top ten best-selling cars in Europe are SUVs. The growth of this market is such that the meaning of the terms has come to encompass a broad range of vehicle applications. Broadly though, a motorist can expect an elevated driving position, hatchback practicality mixed with some degree of all-terrain ability, and rugged looks. Handling a wide range of conditions and environments is a big part of their appeal, meaning tyre technology in the SUV segment needs to support these applications, as as Thomas Gesenhoff, technical project manager at Goodyear, explains.
The Maxxis Premitra HP5 has capped a run of impressive tyre test results by winning Swedish magazine Vi Bilägare’s 225/45 R17 contest. The flagship global brand of Taiwanese manufacturer Cheng Shin beat premium tyres from Goodyear (EfficientGrip Performance 2 in second), Continental (PremiumContact 6 in third, alongside Nokian’s Hakka Blue 2), Michelin (Primacy 4 in fifth), and Pirelli (Cinturato P7 C2 in sixth) in the test, conducted in Mireval, France. The test ranked tyres based on wet handling, braking and cornering grip, curved and straight aquaplaning, dry handling and braking, fuel consumption, noise, comfort and rolling resistance.
The market for classic car tyres is a small but profitable one, with some vehicle owners prepared to pay three or four times the price of a regular tyre for a fitment that looks the part. Several major tyre brands now offer classic lines; these are either past products brought up to date with modern compounds and/or construction or newly-developed tyres featuring period treads. But how do these tyres compare with modern standard tyres? To find out, Auto Bild Klassik has tested three classic tyres – the Michelin XAS, Vredestein Sprint Classic and Dunlop Sport Classic – against four modern counterparts.
Not all sports car drivers want to compete in track day events, with fast but comfortable a greater priority for many. With this in mind, German car magazine sport auto utilised two vehicles for its 2021 summer tyre test. The chosen duo were the Toyota Supra and BMW Z4, cars that share a platform and come equipped with the same-sized tyres, but developed to satisfy differing customer tastes.
Superminis are well-represented in UK registration figures, occupying the two top spots in 2020. But auto motor und sport (ams) observes that comparative tests tend to overlook the tyres that these cars wear due to their unsporty nature. The German publication now rectifies this paucity of test data by examining 11 tyre brands in size 195/55 R16H.
With starting fields of more than 50 tyres and two rounds of product evaluation, Auto Bild’s tyre tests count amongst the most thorough and authoritative in the business. Kumho is therefore justifiably proud that its Ecsta HS51 achieved outright victory in the Auto Bild 2021 summer tyre test.
Bridgestone is tickled pink that its new flagship performance tyre, Potenza Sport, has been named winner of Auto Bild sportscars’ 2021 summer tyre test. Scoring ahead of eight other brands of tyre, the Bridgestone Potenza Sport, tested on a Ford Mustang 5.0 in the size 265/35 ZR 20, gained the overall best score in the wet and top ratings on dry roads and was classed as ‘exemplary’ by the German magazine.
A set of UHP tyres can cost more than £1,000 or less than half that, but you get what you pay for. This is what Auto Bild Sportscars found in its 2021 summer tyre test – the pricier tyres finished towards the top of the results table, while the two cheapest tyre brands were also the worst performers.
Goodyear
ViBilägare