On track for a bright future

From tread patterns to rubber compounds, developments in racing tyres don't just impact racecar drivers and the speed-crazed petrolheads - all road users benefit from improved handling and fuel economy. And some of the novelties that go with it are pretty neat, too.

You're gunning it down the straight, with your 350 horses thrashing out 180km/h. The bend is fast approaching; you step on the brakes, drop two gears and throw your grasshopper-green Nissan S13 Silvia — with blue and silver detailing — into the corner. Rubber burning, your bum swings out and you gracefully drift around the bend while the spectators go wild.

The only thing that could up the ante at this point would be a cloud of lavender-scented purple smoke coming from the back of your car, right? Well, maybe having bright plumes of pretty-smelling smoke isn't the coolest feature for everyone. And for those who don't even know what drifting is, herbal-infused tyres that produce aromatic coloured smoke probably sound very far out. But they're real — they're from Kumho's Ecsta MX-C range.

Pronounced x'ta, this family of tyres is designed to enhance handling capabilities. Sure, the coloured smoke and aromatherapy might please the senses while having nothing to do with improved handling, but the Ecsta MX family member was developed for extreme performance and delivers the best dry-road capabilities while maintaining good wet traction.

How does a tyre do this? The answer lies in its appearance. The tread pattern on a tyre may make it look more interesting to the anti-motoring patrol, but it has everything to do with keeping your car moving swiftly on the road. In the case of the Ecsta MX, its handling capabilities are down to its silica tread rubber compound, which is moulded in a directional tread pattern featuring large blocks that help increase steering response and traction while cornering. The lateral grooves help with wet traction and reduce hydroplaning. Kumho, the Korean tyre manufacturer, has a wide range of tyres for passenger cars, SUVs, trucks and buses, and performance.

Winning combination

The combination of rubber used in a tyre and its tread pattern also affect how long the tyre lasts, the car's fuel economy and safety. Considerable research is constantly conducted in order to find the rubber compound and pattern that works the best.

"Improved rubber compound and new tyre patterns are introduced by tyre manufacturers after extensive testing on how they increase tyre life, improve fuel economy, reduce noise levels and increase drive comfort," says Raghavendra Sanga, Business and Technical Insights Manager at Zafco, a leading distributor of tyres, batteries and lubricants.

"A shorter braking distance is key for safety and for this reason tyre manufacturers are concentrating on making wider base, low profile tyres," he adds.

Extensive research in tyres is done primarily for motor racing, where the limits in performance and speed are constantly being pushed. But breakthroughs in race tyres help develop better road tyres. "Advancements in race tyres for better cornering, manoeuvring ability and performance in straight line motion are now being used in the every-day application for regular tyres," says Sanga.

Bridgestone attributes its road tyres' durability and safety to the milestones it's achieved in Formula 1. "Durability and optimum control of the vehicle are the significant challenges faced in developing race tyres. Bridgestone was able to conquer these challenges in F1 leading to it becoming the sole tyre supplier for the last three years," says Takumi Kakara, Marketing Director, Bridgestone Middle East and Africa. "However, a much greater challenge is faced with tyres for public roads. We have built on our F1 successes and enhanced them with safety and environmental features, while offering optimum performance for different types of cars and drivers," explains Kakara.

Longer life span

An intelligently designed tread pattern and advanced rubber compound are not the only factors determining safety, as heat plays a major role in aging your tyres. "Heat is the biggest enemy of a tyre," says Rajesh Puthonveedu, Product Manager at the Tyres and Batteries Department at Juma Al Majid Group, the sole distributor of Yokohama tyres in the UAE. "More heat means faster tread wear, which directly results in a shorter life span."

When designing a safe and durable tyre, manufacturers have to tackle two heat sources: the heat that is generated from driving the car, called heat build-up, and the climate, which in the UAE poses a serious challenge. But drivers not taking proper care of their tyres' air pressure and car load also contribute to the premature ageing of their tyres. These bad practices can counter the efforts that manufacturers have made to develop safe and durable tyres, says Puthonveedu.

"Although manufacturers develop adaptive tread compound that will offer optimum performance in these climatic conditions, heat build-up in the tyre is increased by virtue of sub-standard usage like low inflation and over load," says Puthonveedu. "Heat build-up triggers the tyre's components, especially the layers of plies, to lose adhesiveness and this results in separation of tyre parts and tyre bursts."

In other words, no matter how much companies spend on R&D, before you channel your inner Schumacher on the roads, you'd best schedule regular check-ups.

Environment

Green signal for Middle East launch

Innovations in eco-friendly tyre technology make their way to the region next month, when Bridgestone launches its new green tyre in the Middle East.

"The performance of our fuel-efficient and eco-friendly tyre — Ecopia— is due to the state-of-the-art technology applied to its materials and production. The tyre's rubber compound reduces rolling resistance, which leads to less fuel consumption and less CO2 emissions," says Takumi Kakara, Marketing Director, Bridgestone Middle East and Africa.

Japanese tyre-maker Yokohama has previously trodden the green route in the manufacturing of its tyres. The launch of its dB Super E-spec saw the world's first orange oil tyre. Mixing natural rubber with sustainable orange oil extracted from the fruit's peel meant the use of petroleum in the rubber compound could be drastically cut. The eco-friendly tyre also helps your car's fuel economy because of its 20 per cent reduction in rolling resistance.

And efforts to develop rubber compound and tread patterns make F1 teams happier but they also contribute towards green affairs. "The ways in which tyre manufacturers are generally contributing to the trend of environment friendliness include making tyres that are more fuel efficient and longer lasting," says Raghavendra Sanga, Business and Technical Insights Manager at Zafco. "Tyres of commercial vehicles can also be re-grooved and re-treaded which can extend tyre life. Longer tyre life means conservation of the Earth's resources. In some places, used tyres are being recycled for applications like construction of roads," adds Sanga.