Nexen to show full line-up
Nexen Tire will display its complete line-up at the company’s two-storey, 520 square metre Reifen 2014 stand. Tyres making an appearance include Nexen’s current summer, SUV and winter tyres plus concept and project tyres.
Nexen Tire will display its complete line-up at the company’s two-storey, 520 square metre Reifen 2014 stand. Tyres making an appearance include Nexen’s current summer, SUV and winter tyres plus concept and project tyres.
Continental tyres will be fitted as original equipment on the new Porsche Macan SUV. According to the company, Continental has won both summer and winter tyre approvals.
Germany’s Reiff Group, whose business portfolio includes tyre and wheel wholesale and retail activities, has reported that “two negative influences” affected its business in 2013: A one-off effect of €4.9 million and a drop in margins in its tyre business. Group turnover fell 3.6 per cent year-on-year to €509 million, with €358 million coming from its tyre and auto business. The company reported a net loss of €8.7 million; in 2012, it achieved a net profit of €0.6 million.
It comes too late for those who have already experienced tyre and wheel damage on poor road surfaces over the winter months, however the decision to direct an extra £140 million to councils in England to repair roads damaged by winter weather is nevertheless good news for motorists. The Local Government Association has welcomed Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin’s announcement, even though it believes the extra funds probably won’t cover the full repair bill following the winter floods.
Japanese tyre manufacturer Yokohama reports that it has seen demand for its range of SUV and 4×4 tyres in the UK increase in recent years. According to the company, this is due in part to increased numbers for so-called soft-roaders but also the increased awareness of the Yokohama range of SUV and 4×4 tyres.
Turkish tyre manufacturer Petlas expanded its winter offering with the introduction of an SUV-orientated range in December. Petlas’s newest addition to the winter line up is the Explero W671, designed to fit a wide selection of 4x4s and SUVs.
On 17 February, Yokohama’s European subsidiary officially opened a dedicated winter tyre development and testing centre in Nattberg, Sweden, roughly 80 kilometres from the Arctic Circle. The latest news represents the most recent development in the expanding cooperation between Yokohama and Nordic tyre specialists Arctic Falls, which began roughly a decade ago. In practice this means Yokohama has signed a long-term contract with Arctic Falls for exclusive use of the facility during the long winter season and that it is branded as Yokohama Test Center of Sweden.
A study by Halfords Autocentres suggests that motoring goodwill has been in short supply this Christmas. The research found that drivers are concerned about the levels of impatient, aggressive and inconsiderate driving – which they say increases at this time of year.
Almost a quarter of motorists (23 per cent) who took part in the research said they felt that unfriendly, bad tempered behaviour – such as failing to allow drivers out at junctions, lane hogging and not indicating – is a major issue during the winter months.
Contract tyre manufacturer, Enjoy Tyre is promoting its Rotalla range and a trio of winter tyre patterns in particular. The S100 M+S, S110 and S210 have all been produced as so-called “skid proof winter tyres”. All three patterns reportedly offer a thin multi-curve tread incorporating significantly deeper grooves in order to maximise performance in both standard and difficult winter road conditions.
Subaru UK is offering customers buying a new Subaru BRZ sports car some early festive cheer with a free set of alloy wheels and cold weather tyres, worth a combined £1095 including fitting.
For the last year Goodyear has teamed up with Lancashire County Council’s highways maintenance department to test a range of winter tyres in some of the coldest and slipperiest conditions found on UK roads. Goodyear’s UltraGrip winter tyres were fitted to the council’s winter gritting vehicles in late 2012 to see if they could improve safety and stability during the vital task of applying salt to the 1,550 miles/2,500 kilometres of roads in Lancashire that are treated within four hours of a freeze being forecast. As a result of the successful trial, Lancashire County Council is extending its relationship with Goodyear. It is now looking to introduce a winter tyre policy for its gritting vehicles to ensure continued service in all conditions.
If better braking and handling on snow and ice covered roads weren’t reason enough to buy winter tyres, Japanese tyre dealer Autoway Tires presents a nightmarish situation that can be best escaped with the appropriate seasonal rubber. In an ad that is definitely not for the fainthearted – it is preceded by a health warning stating this – Autoway Tires demonstrates the ability of winter tyres to get you out of even the most terrifying scrape.
Former F1 driver Stefano Modena has released a set of winter driving tips in his capacity as Bridgestone test driver, and the tyre maker has also released videos of its winter tyre tests on the company’s YouTube channel. Commenting on the tips, Modena – who is test driver at Bridgestone’s European proving ground – said “it is not only about having the right tyres; the driver’s behaviour is also essential in these conditions as he needs to understand and adapt to different winter hazards. It is therefore essential to not only prepare our vehicle, but also ourselves when the weather gets cold.”
Louise Thompson, protagonist in the scripted reality show ‘Made in Chelsea’, was recently recruited by Volvo for an event even more gripping than the E4 series. Volvo Car UK invited her to Tamworth Snowdome to demonstrate the effectiveness of winter tyres for driving in snow. There Thompson was confronted by a pair of Volvo V40 D2 hatchbacks, identical save for the fitment of winter tyres on one and standard summer tyres on the other. Thompson’s challenge was to drive each car up the Tamworth Snowdome’s ski slope to the summit. The results were as expected.
Platinum Batteries (Europe) Ltd, the UK’s largest independent battery distributor has acknowledged the contribution PACT – the joint connectivity initiative between TecCom and eParts – makes to its business, particularly during the busy winter period.
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