Mar 26, 2009

New Tire Offers "Stealth Technology"

One area of automotive design where it is very obvious that “racing improves the breed” is tires. The extreme conditions of the racetrack have provided tire engineers with an excellent test bed for their ideas, and the latest result of that process is the performance-oriented Bridgestone Potenza RE-11. One of its key features is Bridgestone’s proprietary “Stealth Technology.” Developed for Formula One rain tires, it increases grip in challenging weather conditions.

“The RE-11 offers consumers a product that will perform well both on the street and on the track,” said Phil Pacsi, vice president, consumer marketing, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO). “We took the best and made it better. In our testing, the new RE-11 offered faster lap times, less understeer and better grip than our RE-01R, which has been dominating the field in Sports Club Car of America (SCCA) Autocross events over the last two years.”

The Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 combines many of Bridgestone’s technologies. The tire’s unique new sidewall shape and radical new “stealth block,” which was derived from Bridgestone’s Formula One race tires, promotes higher tread stiffness while enhancing water evacuation. An asymmetric cavity shape offers improved handling and ride characteristics, and large outer tread blocks improve cornering performance. In addition, grooves around the tire’s circumference help channel water from the tire’s footprint to decrease hydroplaning.

Available in V- and W-speed-rated sizes, the Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 will be offered in 31 different sizes ranging from 15-19 inches. The tire is specifically targeting the sports car market segment (i.e., Honda S2000, Nissan 350Z, Mini Cooper S and the BMW 3 Series). Next Driving Today News>>