February 19, 2010
The changing face of HP/UHP
Vehicle and tire trends, plus how to treat 'sticker shock' at first replacement
By: Mike Manges
Categorically speaking -- Passenger tire categories, according to Yokohama
How many passenger tire categories are there? Where do high performance and ultra-high performance tires fall? Yokohama Tire Corp. recognizes the following categories:
1. Max performance (includes W-rated tires used for track events but also good for street use, according to Yokohama officials.)
2. Ultra-performance (includes Z-, W- and Y-rated tires). “This is where Porsche and some BMWs fit,” says Dan King, Yokohama’s vice president of sales and marketing.
3. Ultra-performance all-season (still includes Z-, W- and Y-rated tires). “This has been a tough category for manufacturers. Lots of people have had a tough time designing an all-season tread for this category.”
4. Traditional high performance (includes H- and V-rated tires). “This category will probably splinter because vehicles have changed. We have much more sophisticated vehicles.”
5. Touring (includes T-rated tires).
6. Broad-line (includes S-rated tires, or “what we’ve always considered to be passenger tires,” says King).
Yokohama has created what it calls a brand new category, “Grand Performance,” with the launch of its new Avid ENVigor high performance tire, available March 1. The ENVigor “is beyond the traditional high performance tire,” says King, who adds that it delivers all-season performance, long tread life, fuel efficiency and comfort.
According to King, Grand Performance fits between the ultra-high performance and traditional high performance categories listed above. Yokohama will use ENVigor to promote Grand Performance.
What to stock? Different specs add to complexity
The proliferation of HP and UHP tires at OE “is all about performance,” says Travis Roffler, director of marketing, Continental Tire North America Inc.
However, when it comes to tire performance, vehicle manufacturers and replacement tire buyers often want different things, he explains. “Whereas the OEMs are looking for rolling resistance and other attributes, replacement customers may be looking for wet traction and tread life — those kinds of things that aren’t as high of a priority with the OEMs.”
As a result, the inventory complexity for tire dealers can be enormous. To wit: Continental, he says, “can have a particular size, P225/45R17, in five (different) tires because one is for BMW, one is for Mercedes, one is for Audi, etc. They all have a different make-up. It could be construction, tread design — they all have different needs.”
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