The Pit

Goodyear’s Tyre Technologies Pay Off.

BY Joel Tam

In two recent news, Goodyear Tyres have bagged accolades for their breakthrough in tyre technology.

Goodyear’s Air Maintenance Technology (AMT) has been selected by Car & Driver magazine as one of the “ten most promising future technologies“. In essence, Goodyear tyres have produced a new way to maintain tyre pressure that has the potential to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emission.

Publicly demonstrated for the first time at the 2012 Geneva International Motor Show, AMT has been under development in laboratories over the past two years. While the technology is complex, the idea behind the AMT system is relatively simple and powered by the tire itself as it rolls down the road,” said Jean-Claude Kihn, Goodyear’s chief technical officer.

“A tyre that can maintain its own inflation is something drivers have wanted for many years. Goodyear has taken on this challenge and the progress we have made is very encouraging,” said Kihn.  “This will become the kind of technological breakthrough that people will wonder how they ever lived without.” 

On matters closer to our heart, Porsche has chosen the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 tyre for the popular 19” wheel fitment on its Porsche 911 Carrera 2. As one of the world’s leading sports car, the 911 Carrera 2 has a rear engine configuration which offers more than adequate traction, but requires the ability of the rear tyres transfer the 350 bhp to the tarmac to ensure the full performance of the car.

Additionally, the Carrera 2 outputs lower CO2 emission, and now thanks to the synergy with the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 tyres, the CO2 ratings get even lower. This is due to the technology driven by reduced tyre weight and a new ‘high surface’ silica grade that contributes to reduced heat generation (lowering the rolling resistance).

The Goodyear Ultra-High Performance (UHP) tyre also features the latest ActiveBraking Technology. Using innovative 3 dimensional block design within the tyre tread, the tyre’s contact with the road increases when braking on wets or dry roads. At the same time, the FuelSaving technology offers reduce overall fuel consumption. The 911 will be fitted with the 235/40 ZR 19 (front) and 285/35 ZR 19 (rear).