Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season Takes Flight
Using the Charlotte Motor Speedway as a testbed, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. recently launched its Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season ultra-high-performance tire to key customers.
Jim Reese, director, category strategy and planning, Goodyear, told dealers the tire was developed for two types of consumers: the spirited driver and the luxury performance driver.
"These customers are willing to pay for performance. They want a tire that’s going to accent their vehicle, as well - and not just the style, but the brand name. The brand name is very important to these consumers. They’re willing to pay for a tier-one branded product that has a reputation in the marketplace for delivering performance."
Goodyear is targeting American muscle cars, import sports cars and luxury sedans and CUVs with the Eagle F1 All Season tire. Reese added that mid-level vehicles with sports trims also are a prime target.
The tire “is brand new from the ground up” and will be replacing Goodyear's Eagle Exhilarate line, as well as the Eagle Sport All Season, though the company will be keeping a few original equipment fitments. Compared to the Exhilarate, the Eagle F1 All Season has 20% greater treadwear, 18% better snow braking and 12% better snow handling, according to Reese.
The Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season also features a sporty, cutting-edge asymmetrical tread pattern to provide reliable grip in dry, wet and even light snow, as well as an innovative compound to enhance treadwear and durability. It has a built-in wear gauge in its tread and will have a 45,000-mile tread life limited warranty.
The tire will come in 92 sizes, ranging from 17-inch to 23-inch fitments, with 87 of the sizes being 18-inches and above. All sizes are Y-speed rated. Reese said that 36 of the sizes are new to Goodyear’s product screen. Currently, the company has 63 sizes available, with plans to have all sizes by February of next year.
During the presentation, Reese said that its Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season can fit 117 different vehicles that feature staggered tire fitments.
The tire is being built at the company’s Lawton, Okla., plant and its San Luis Pitosi, Mexico plant.
Reese said the company views the Michelin Pilor Sport AS 4, the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus and the Bridgestone Potenza Sport AS as the tire's main competitors in the market.