Falken Motorsports added two new drives to its 2021 line-up. 

The company said the new joiners, Lance David Arnold and Alessio Picariello, will bring a strong mix of Nordschleife and Porsche experience for the current year.

Arnold is a 34-year-old German TV show presenter and a Nordschleife specialist with experience driving the Porsche 911 GT3 R at the Green Hell. He will join Falken’s long-standing driver Martin Ragginger and his fellow compatriot Klaus Bachler. Ragginger and Bachler led Falken to its first overall victory at the Nurburgring in 2018.

On the other hand, Picariello is a Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific driver and the winner of the LMGTE Drivers’ Championship in the 2020 European Le Mans Series. He will join Former DTM driver and Bathurst 12h winner Dirk Werner and 2018 Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland champion Thomas Preining in the second car. Werner and Preining are returning to the team for 2021 after finishing service with the works team.

The team is also welcoming Sven Muller’s return, who is an experienced Porsche driver with the works team. Muller will support the team with international GT race outings along with the Nürburgring event.

The team will race two Porsche 911 GT3 R cars and take part in seven rounds of the Nurburgring Endurance Series (NLS) and the legendary ADAC 24h Race at the Nurburgring. The season opener is scheduled for the ADAC Westfalenfahrt on March 27th.

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.