Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. reports it is expanding the Dunlop Direzza DZ101 line to 34 sizes and is launching two new Direzza GRP race tires.
The Direzza line replaces the company's FM901 tire line for sport-compact tuners.
For the street, Direzza Z101's 22 new sizes, in addition to 12 existing ones, offer the sport compact car enthusiasts "a wide selection of performance rubber for their tuned cars," said Andy Traicoff, director of Dunlop marketing in North America.
For the racetrack, the Direzza GRP is a street-legal drag race tire for entry- and mid-level racers and the Direzza drag slick is for pro drag races where straight-line traction is required. Dunlop officials said the tires are for racetrack-use only.
From 1997 through 2002, retail dollars spent on performance products used to modify sport compact cars skyrocketed 894%, the company noted. According to Dunlop research, auto enthusiasts buy up to 10% of U.S. replacement tires -- 22.5 million tires -- to upgrade sport compacts.
