Hankook gets contract to supply BMW 3-Series

April 16, 2012

Hankook Tire Co. Ltd. will supply tires to BMW AG for the new BMW 3-Series. The vehicle will come factory equipped with Hankook Ventus S1 evo² tires.

Initially, size 205/60WR16 will be as standard on the various BMW 3 series versions. The 3-Series is the third model by BMW Group to be fitted with Hankook tires.

“Supplying original equipment for one of the best-selling, key models in the BMW range is proof of trust and motivation,” says Hyun Shick Cho, president and chief marketing officer.

"With our new high-end product Ventus S1 evo², we have developed a tire that convinced the critical BMW engineers with regard to driving dynamics and comfort as well as wet grip and rolling resistance during the intensive selection process.”

Hankook previewed the Ventus S1 evo² at the 64th International Motor Show in Frankfort, Germany, last September. It became available to dealers in the United States market this spring.

“The new BMW 3-Series is one of the few vehicles to master the balancing act between sporty driving dynamics and relaxed long-distance driving comfort, and at the same time it is a pioneer in terms of energy efficiency,” says Stefan Fischer, head of Hankook's European Technology Centre and the person responsible for tire development for the BMW Group.

“With the new Ventus S1 evo², we consistently applied Kontrol Technology to develop a modern high-performance tire which plays in the top league in terms of driving dynamics, safety and environmental considerations.”

All tires for the BMW Group are manufactured at Hankook's main plant in Geumsan, South Korea. The high-tech tire plant specializes in the production of ultra-high performance tires. The plant also manufactures OE tires for the Mini Cooper.