Falken has announced that its AZENIS FK510 received an “exemplary” rating from German sportscar magazine AUTOBILD in its summer tyre test, after placing third in the overall rankings. The company said its AZENIS FK510s were found to have performed particularly well in the most important area for high-performance tyres: safety, finishing high up the order in both the wet and dry braking tests. 

In the April issue, a total of eleven summer tyres, (the majority with a Y speed index) were examined by the testers. The 225/45R18 tyres were fitted to a BMW 3 series sports car and put to the test on a variety of surfaces, the release pointed out. 

On wet asphalt, the braking distance achieved was approximately 48 metres (47.9 m) in an emergency stop at 100 km/h, around two metres behind the best-placed car in the category. The tyres from Falken proved effective on the wet circular track too, the tyre finishing less than a second off the winner in the category. 

When it comes to safety, aquaplaning is always a key factor. This is an area in which the Falken tyres demonstrated their strengths: with a float speed of 98 km/h when measured on the rain-soaked surface, the FK510 was more than a match for several competitors, it said. The same goes for the aquaplaning around corners: with a lateral acceleration of 3.54 m/s2, the Falken AZENIS FK510 finished fourth. In addition to these results, the FK510 also made it into the first half of the table in the category for handling in dry conditions. 

Overall, the independent testers drew a positive balance and considered the Falken premium tyre to have “a good performance potential, very good safety reserves when aquaplaning, stable driving behaviour on wet roads, sporty and dynamic handling in dry conditions, short braking distances on wet and dry surfaces, and good driving comfort”. They awarded it third place overall with a rating of “exemplary”. 

Velizara Lilova, Team Leader Product Planning at Falken Tyre Europe GmbH, said, “We can be very proud of our third place. To do so well here, especially in such a hard-fought environment, proves that our premium tyres don’t shy away from the competition and that by focusing on driving enjoyment and safety, we are getting a lot of things right.” (TT)

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has launched the ADVAN WINTER V907, a new ultra-high-performance winter tyre, as an afterparts tyre for the Mercedes-AMG E-Class luxury sedan.

The newly developed ADVAN WINTER V907 is designed to provide not only excellent performance on snow but excellent comfort and stability even when driving on dry roads at the high speeds. The tyre features a specially designed tread pattern with V-shaped grooves and 3D sipes as well as a centre rib. These features work in tandem with a special tread compound that combines a cap compound for excellent snow performance and an undertread compound for handling stability on dry roads.

To be sold initially through Mercedes-AMG dealerships in Europe, the new tyre will be available in size 245/45R19 102V for front and size 275/40R19 105V for rear. Both the sizes were jointly developed with Mercedes-AMG and carries the ‘MO1A’ mark on the sides, indicating Mercedes-AMG’s approval. Based on the new afterparts tyre, the company also intends to develop an ADVAN WINTER V907 replacement tyre in a larger variety of sizes. Sales will begin in 2025, mostly in Europe, and will be introduced sequentially at tyre dealers.

BYD has selected Continental’s PremiumContact C tyres as original equipment for its Seal U electric SUV. The electric SUV will come factory-equipped with the premium tyres in size 235/50 R19 99V.

The PremiumContact C tyre provides a pleasant and quiet ride. The rubber compound's unique silica lowers rolling resistance and friction by reducing energy absorption through the tyre while the vehicle is moving. This results in a long tread life and good energy efficiency. Together, a noise-reducing design and noise breakers in the tread pattern greatly reduce the tyre's rolling noise. The PremiumContact C offers a low-impact ride even at high speeds because of its rounded contact patch, which uniformly distributes pressure throughout the tyre.

Continental has been refining tyres for over a decade in an effort to produce ever-lower rolling resistance, minimal rolling noise and high mileage. All of Continental's tyres are able to sustainably lower emissions from combustion cars while still meeting the specifications for electric vehicles. Five most successful EV manufacturers in the Asia-Pacific area use Continental tyres as original equipment, as per the company.

Toyo Tires has introduced the Proxes Sport 2, a high-performance summer tyre designed for sports cars, SUVs and CUVs.

The new tyre features a redesigned profile and advanced tread compounds to enhance performance in wet and dry conditions. Compared to its predecessor, the Proxes Sport 2 offers improved handling, shorter braking distances and a quieter ride.

“The Proxes Sport 2 boasts a 15 percent shorter stopping distance in wet conditions and 10 percent shorter on dry surfaces along with improved handling performance over its predecessor, the Proxes Sport,” said Kevin Arima, senior manager consumer products, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “These improvements enhance the driver’s experience rain or shine on twisty canyon roads or around town.”

The Proxes Sport 2 will be available in over 75 sizes, ranging from 17 to 22 inches, in February 2025.

Atturo Tire has announced the expansion of its AZ810 all-weather tyre line with the addition of 24 new sizes. This expansion brings the total number of AZ810 sizes to 58, catering to a wider range of vehicles, including sedans, sports cars, SUVs, CUVs, hybrids and electric vehicles.

Designed to outperform traditional summer UHP tyres, especially in colder temperatures, the AZ810 offers exceptional wet traction, consistent grip and a smooth ride. The tyre’s versatility and style make it popular for drivers seeking high-performance tyres that can handle various driving conditions.