By Denna Bowman

Continental tyres are ‘incredibly pleased’ to have been named the best tyre brand following a survey by Which? magazine.

The leading consumer publication picked out Continental’s excellent dry grip and very good wet grip as major plus points of the tyres it produces.

The magazine tested a total of 18 tyre brands on the UK market considering factors key to road users – grip and handling on dry roads and in the most extreme of wet conditions.

Which? said: “The Continental tyres we’ve tested cover eight sizes commonly used on popular superminis, medium cars, large cars and MPVs. All the Continental tyres we’ve tested offer balanced performance, have no major weaknesses and all make the Best Buy grade. In the dry, Continental tyres perform very well, and wet grip is balanced and safe in a straight line or in a bend.”

Tracey Hyem, brand manager for Continental, said: “To come out as the top tyre brand tested really shows the all round ability and quality of our products and we are incredibly pleased with the result.

“Which? magazine considers its ‘Best Buys’ very carefully putting the tyres through stringent tests so this really is an excellent result for Continental.”

Which? magazine tested the biggest selling car tyre products in the Continental range and all made the Best Buy grade.

By Denna Bowman

The Bridgestone tyres group has announced that it is donating a total of around £40,000 (5.1 million yen) to help the victims of the Pakistan flood.

Bridgestone Corporation confirmed that it will donate around £15,000 (2 million yen) through the Japanese Red Cross Society to assist with relief efforts following the July flood in Pakistan.

Additionally, Bridgestone Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., a subsidiary of the Bridgestone Corporation, will donate a further £24,000 (50, 000 Singapore dollars, equivalent to 3.1 million yen), through the Singapore Red Cross Society.

In a statement the Japanese tyres manufacturer said: “On behalf of the global Bridgestone Group, we would like to express our sincere condolences to those who have lost loved ones as a result of this tragedy, and offer our wishes for a rapid recovery in the areas devastated by this disaster.”

In the past two years Bridgestone have also offered donations to the Chinese and Haiti earthquake relief funds.

Pirelli have got testing underway as the official new tyres supplier to Formula One, meanwhile Michelin has revealed it is considering returning as a tyres supplier to the World Rally Championship next year.

The French tyres manufacturer has confirmed to AUTOSPORT that it is looking to get back into the sport after a six-season absence.

The news follows the FIA’s decision to allow open tyre competition in the series again giving Michelin the opportunity to jump back in.

Nick Shorrock, Michelin’s competition director, told AUTOSPORT he could understand why some teams might have concerns about the potential for rising costs if a tyre war erupts in the WRC.

He said: “We hope to encourage people more in the direction of open competition. We can maintain managed costs and that comes through the way the rules are set up and the way the rules are allowed to develop.

“The competition side is very important for Michelin to demonstrate its technical prowess. The tyre competition is a strong point of the IRC and we haven’t seen a cost explosion in that series; the [car] manufacturers and we like open competition in rally. As a company we are always looking for ways to develop our competence in competition.”

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team

It looks like Formula One is about to confirm an extra group test in Bahrain ahead of the season-opener next March.

This gives the teams the chance to get to grips with the new tyres supplier by Pirelli and would be the sixth in the winter if teams’ group FOTA can push it through.

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team boss and FOTA chairman, confirmed the planned expansion, but admitted that in-season testing was unlikely to return just yet.

He told Reuters news agency: “We’ve agreed there will be six tests during the winter and, probably, the last one will be in Bahrain, but it hasn’t been quite agreed yet.

“I personally would like to see more testing, but I am respectful of the fact that there are teams still hurting. We want to make sure that it’s cost effective for the small teams.

“We’ve now got at least six tests in the winter, so that’s a step further forward. What we haven’t got at the moment is agreement to test during the season. I’d like to see a couple of tests, but we’ve made some progress. To have six tests in the winter is more than we’ve had in recent years.”

The Bahrain test would be the sixth of the winter if teams’ group FOTA gets its way, and would follow the two sessions planned for Abu Dhabi immediately after this year’s finale and the usual trips to Spain to run in Barcelona and Valencia.

The Abu Dhabi tests, which will take place immediately after the second grand prix at the Yas Marina circuit, are likely to be set aside for teams to run with the new Pirelli tyres and feature young drivers not yet in F1.

Testing is currently banned once the season has started, with limited track time during the European winter as part of cost-saving measures.

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team

By Oliver Hall

Continental is the latest manufacturer to set its sights on entering the lucrative Indian tyres market.

The German tyres company has watched its competitors, including Bridgestone and Michelin, venture into the area and now it is keen to follow the same path and capitalise on the fast growing market.

Helmut Matschi, a member of Conti’s executive board, said: “India is one of the key markets for our future growth and Continental AG is interested in the passenger car tyre market as well as looking for opportunities to enter the market.”

However, the company said it has no immediate plans or a timetable for when it will enter the competitive Indian tyre market.

Claude d’Gama Rose, managing director of Continental India, added: “It is too early to say how it rolls out and when we will enter the market.”

Conti already has a foot in the door under its joint venture with Modi Tyres which produces and sells truck tyres in India under the German brand name.

But with India’s passenger tyre market growing rapidly – 35% to 40% per year, according to reports – and the commercial segment continuing its 50% annual growth rate, Conti sees opportunities to expand beyond a joint venture.

By Denna Bowman

Bridgestone Europe is set to increase the price of its consumer, commercial and specialty tyres, starting from October 2010.

Prices will rise by three to six per cent depending on the market and product category, according to the Japanese tyres manufacturer.

Makio Ohashi, CEO and President of Bridgestone Europe, said: “The increase in the cost in raw materials has continued and reached a historically high level. We have to recover some of those costs by this price increase and most probably further increases will be necessary in the coming year.”

He continued: “Having encouraging signs of demand recovery trend in many tyre segments, we have already been operating all of our European tyre plants at full production and the production expansion of new East European plants is in progress as planned.

“In order to continue fulfilling our commitment to European market, we have to make this sensible decision to increase prices and maintain a sound and solid business foundation.”

RoadSafe is the latest organisation to back a major tyres groups calls on the government not to reduce the frequency of the MOT in the UK.

The Tyre Industry Federation says 12% of tyres are illegal on replacement and this number is increasing as the economic downturn continue.

In the UK, vehicles must have their first test within three years of registration, and annual tests thereafter. As a minimum, EU law requires vehicles to have their first test when they are four years old and subsequent tests every two years.

Most European countries follow the EU minimum requirement and there is pressure on the UK to do the same. RoadSafe is warning that this will lead to more crashes, caused by poorly maintained vehicles.

Testers in the UK identify 8.5 million cars with defects every year. In its own review of the MOT in 2008, the Department of Transport said reducing the test’s frequency would significantly increase the number of unroadworthy cars and casualties.

Now RoadSafe has added its voice to the TIF campaign.

Adrian Walsh, director of RoadSafe, said: “Many owners just don’t realise that tyres are a vital part of the braking system. They are one of several essential safety features that drivers seldom check.

“An annual MOT is vital for picking up these problems. RoadSafe joins the Tyre Industry Federation, and other campaigners, with a warning to government, that extending the period between MOT tests will put lives at risk.”

When it comes to ordering new tyres many of our customers tell us they chose etyres not just because our prices were so low, but because they were drawn to our convenient free mobile tyres fitting service.

But out tyres fitting service goes beyond low prices and hassle-free fitting at your home or work - our fitters are happy to go the extra mile to give customer satisfaction, as Mr A Virk from Twickenham found out when he called on our Kingston branch for four new Firestone tyres.

This is what he had to say in an email: “Adam came earlier to fit my tyres. I’d just like to comment on how helpful and professional he was, going above and beyond his duties to fit my spare tyre under my car as well.

“This was my first time using etyres. I will definitely use you again when I next replace my tyres.
Many thanks.”

It is precisely because etyres operates a mobile fitting service that our prices are so low - we don’t have to over-inflate our prices to cover expensive overheads.

Robin, National Sales Team

By Alex Kapadia

Pirelli wants to contribute to the excitement of the Formula One “show” as the new tyres supplier, but admits it needs to be “more conservative” at some circuits.

The Italian tyres manufacturer warns F1 fans that it will be a learning year after it takes over from Bridgestone.

So far this year, the outgoing tyre supplier has spiced up the track action at several meetings with its tyre allocations.

And Pirelli has vowed to attempt to contribute to the “show” in the design and supply of its products.

Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s racing chief, said: “We will seek to do this, alongside the needs of the teams.

“To produce durable and high performance tyres is not a problem,” he added. “The challenge is to find the right compromise between lifespan and durability, with regards to the show.”

Pirelli has already begun its on-track 2011 tyre development programme, with a schedule through to November including Mugello, Paul Ricard, Jerez, Monza and Abu Dhabi.

However, Hembery said: “It could be that because we cannot test at all the (Grand Prix) circuits that we need to be more conservative at some places, so that the tyres can survive but the show doesn’t benefit as everyone would want.

“It must be understood that 2011 is our first year,” he added.

By Alex Kapadia

Bridgestone admitted its tyres faced one of the toughest challenges of the Formula One season during the Belgian Grand Prix yesterday.

Hirohide Hamashima, director of motorsport tyre development for the Japanese tyres manufacturer which is leaving the sport at the end of the season, said: “The Spa weather gave us a very difficult situation, even for our last visit here.

“This was a very tough day for those on track and those on the pit wall. Spa has such a long lap that you cannot be on the correct tyre for an entire lap as the conditions can vary from very wet to damp to dry over the undulating 7km of this fabulous track.

“Judging the level of grip, even when you are not on the correct tyre, is a very important aspect of the art of driving a racing car, so it was a pleasure to watch this art in practice. Even the very best drivers in the world can make mistakes in conditions like we had today, and those who were able to minimise their mistakes were able to achieve good results.”

He added: “Making a perfect tyre is a very difficult challenge, however the four tyres we had here today covered the range of conditions we experienced admirably and we thank our technicians in Tokyo for their fine efforts to develop such good tyres.”