Pirelli & Cie SpA and its North American subsidiary are ready for winter. Next winter.
Pirelli recently launched its Winter Sottozero 3 winter tire in Austria with much fanfare: More than 400 dealers from all over Europe test drove the ultra-high performance winter tire designed for premium segment cars "with a medium to high engine capacity," according to the company.
The new Winter Sottozero 3 is the result of "continuous close development work together with the world’s most prestigious manufacturers." Testing took place not only in Austria, but also Sweden, Finland and New Zealand.
Features of the UHP winter tire include the following:
* 3D grooves designed to capture more snow and, therefore, improve snow-on-snow grip;
* an enlarged contact patch designed to increase grip in all types of winter conditions;
* an innovative compound that increases tire performance and road holding even on wet or icy surfaces ("specialized" polymers in the compound improve the mechanical, thermal and dynamic properties of the rubber);
* an optimized profile for long tread life;
* a more rounded shoulder to expel more water.
The Winter Sottozero 3 will be available globally for the 2013-14 winter season in 11 run-flat sizes ranging from 16 to 21 inches.
