By Alex Kapadia

Birmingham-based Dunlop tyres raced to success at the Le Mans 24 hours, with a clutch of podium finishes.

Despite missing out on the top spot, the tyres manufacturer had plenty to celebrate.

Just 27 of the 56 starters finished the gruelling race - and amongst them were an impressive 11 of the 19 Dunlop teams.

Dunlop tyres have been used by winners at the classic French endurance race a record 34 times, and went into the 2010 event hoping to add to its podium finishes.

The race was dominated by the diesel powered Peugeot and Audi contenders in the top three positions, but Dunlop matched their 2007 result of fourth place with the AIM Team Oreca entry.

The LMP1 class 5.5 litre V10 Oreca, driven by Soheil Ayari, Didier Andre and Andy Meyrick was the unequivocal winner of the unofficial ‘petrol powered’ race, a full four laps ahead of its nearest rival.

Jean-Felix Bazelin, the general manager at Dunlop Motorsport, said: “Dunlop’s target was to be the highest finisher behind the factory entered Audi and Peugeot cars, so to finish fourth – and be ‘best in class’ of the petrol powered entries is a fantastic result that rewards our intensive development of tyres for Le Mans Prototypes over recent years.

“Three thousand miles of intense racing and peak speeds of over 225 mph provide the ultimate test of a race tyre.

“I’m proud of Dunlop’s performance in supplying 19 cars and performing strongly in every class. It gives us a firm platform to build on our success in the remainder of the Le Mans Series and in future 24 hour events.”

Dunlop will be using new wet tyres designed to ‘improve grip and driver feedback’ at the Le Mans 24 hour race.

The latest Dunlop tyres, which will be used in the LMP1 Le Mans Prototype category, feature a new compound technology and a new tread pattern which it reports have been successfully tested in recent events.

According to the company, this new tread pattern (which will be used on all Dunlop Le Mans wet weather tyres) features design technology that has also inspired Dunlop’s latest high performance road tyres.

Tony Flynn, senior design engineer for Dunlop, said: “Our latest tread design is more rigid. This gives a more precise steering response and increases the high speed stability of the tyre. More importantly, it gives better driver feedback – giving racers the confidence to push to the limit in all conditions.

“Quite often at Le Mans, and particularly during darkness, the track takes time to dry out after rainfall.

“The new tyre performs well in the transition from wet to dry conditions, providing strong pace without teams having to risk an early change back to dry weather tyres. It also gives the teams more flexibility, allowing them to run longer stints between pit-stops – even in changeable weather.”

Nineteen of the cars on the entry list for the 12 – 13 June event are racing on Dunlop tyres, designed, developed and manufactured at the company’s Motorsport Technical Centre at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham, England.

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team

By Denna Bowman

Michelin have triumphed over their global rivals in a highly respected US customer satisfaction study into tyres fitted as original equipment to new cars.

The tyres manufacturer received the industry’s highest honors for customer satisfaction, ranking top in three segments of the 2010 JD Power and Associates Original Equipment Tyre Satisfaction Study.

Michelin surpassed the competition in the three largest market segments – Luxury, Passenger Car and Truck/Utility – and posted double-digit improvements over its 2009 scores.

The tyre manufacturer’s continued dominance in the tyre brand-focused study that covers owner satisfaction is unrivaled. It states: “This year’s trio brings the company’s U.S. award total to 62 - four-times the number of all the other tyre manufacturers combined”.

John Moloney, vice president of original equipment marketing for Michelin North and South America, said: “These latest victories represent outstanding votes of confidence for Michelin and our OE customers from the loyal consumers we share.

“Receiving such honors year over year is significant and is a demonstration of our continued focus on innovation, technical performance and the delivery of outstanding products with high levels of satisfaction.”

In the Passenger Car category featuring high volume fitments on cars like the Honda Accord, Michelin scored 66 points higher than the segment average and received 36 points more than its closest competitor.

Within the Luxury and Truck/Utility categories, Michelin continued to gain high customer satisfaction scores.

J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors across a variety of industries, including market research, automotive forecasting, performance improvement, web intelligence, and customer satisfaction.

Michelin have revealed that they will only return to Formula One next season if they have at least one other tyres supplier to compete against.

The French tyres manufacturer is seriously considering getting back into the sport after stepping away from the track at the end of 2006.

But now, with Bridgestone pulling out as the sole tyres supplier when their contract comes to an end later this year, Michelin has admitted it is tempted to get back in the driving seat - but it wants competition.

It has been rumoured that Michelin not only wants to be paid to supply 18-inch tyres in 2011, but that it would welcome a rival competitor.

At the opening round of the 2010 Le Mans series at Le Castellet, a senior Michelin spokesman said: “Certain things have to be done, we must have competition, we do not want to be the only supplier.”

And, according to Motorsport, reports suggest that if the F1 rim size is increased to Le Mans-type specification as per Michelin’s wishes, Yokohama and Dunlop may also be interested.

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team

The Sunday Times brilliant Car Clinic column, which appears in the ingear supplement, tackled a question about juddery Dunlop tyres this weekend.

After fitting replacement Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT tyres on his Audi, GW from Oldham noticed the judder when the car was on full lock.

He asked the panel: “I drive a 2006 Audi A4 S line Special Edition that I have owned since new. Last summer I replaced the front tyres with some Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT tyres. Since December, whenever the car is on full lock, I have noticed a judder coming from the front tyres. I thouht this might be due to the snow but the problem has continued since the thaw. My local Audi dealer said this is normal on an S line but I never had this with my previous tyres, which were similar Dunlops. I would value your opinion.”

Car Clinic Panelist Dave Pollard replied: “At low speeds it is possible to get a strange sensation - commonly known as crabbing - when the wheels are on full lock. This feels as if the tyres are digging into the road and almost tugging at the steering wheel.

“The fact that you didn’t notice this issue straight after the tyre change suggests that it’s probably not down to the tyres (assuming you have the pressure set correctly) but is more likely to be due to a steering alignment (tracking) problem.

“This may be confirmed by excessive or irregular wear on the inside edges of the front tyres and your dealer or local tyre specialist should be able to check and reset the tracking, if that’s required. They can also check the level of wear on the tyres more accuraely than you can, and it’s a good idea to ask them to do so, because if the tyres are too badly worn they may be illegal.

“If you are still in any doubt, call Dunlop’s technical help desk on 01902 453 097 for more advice.”

Oliver Hall, Operations Team

Dunlop tyres are the latest big name to jump onboard the apps bandwagon.

The tyres manufacturer has released an application for iPhone and Blackberry devices which allows users to search for the most appropriate tyre for their car simply by selecting their vehicle model.

And it even offers information on the features and benefits of the chosen tyre.

Dunlop says its app provides all the information available on its website, but with an easier and simplified viewing format specifically designed for the smaller mobile screen.

Kate Rock, PR support manager for Dunlop said: “Dunlop’s philosophy is to give consumers the drive of their life making sure that their experience behind the wheel becomes more tactile, thrilling and intense, providing vital information which makes all the difference to the journey.”

“By introducing the Dunlop App we are able to do this on a completely new level. By giving our consumers information literally at their finger tips, where ever they may be, enables us to ensure they are fitting the right Dunlop to their vehicle.”

“We hope to see further development of our application to enable us to have a constant communication with users. With more and more people opting for devices such as the iPhone or Blackberry this form of communication is becoming increasingly popular. For Dunlop it gives a new meaning to the term Touch Technology.”

Oliver Hall, Operations Team

By Oliver Hall

At least one of the tyres on a staggering 16 per cent of vehicles in New Zealand’s major towns and cities is unroadworthy, according to a recent survey.

The 1,600 vehicles surveyed in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch showed a 40 per cent increase over a similar survey conducted in 1999.

Goodyear Dunlop Tyres NZ marketing manager Jamie Stewart said the results are consistent with recent tyre sales and are possibly a reflection of people prioritising their spending over the past 12 months.

Mr Stewart said: “Our 2009 market research has shown that people are prepared to take the risk and put off replacing worn-out tyres.”

He added: “When you consider that one in seven cars you pass on the road has at least one bad tyre, it puts this result into perspective.

“Tyres are a bit of a grudge purchase for many consumers but they’re the only thing connecting you and your passengers to the road.”

By Alex Kapadia

Dunlop are introducing faster, more environmentally-friendly tyres for next years British Touring Car Championship.

The new tyres also comply with the latest European environmental regulations.

The Dunlop Sport Maxx BTCC tyres will first be used in the second round of next years BTCC at Rockingham from 24-25^th April in the UK’s premier motor racing series.

The tyre also proved itself faster over a race distance than its predecessor and more durable during tests at Snetterton in Norfolk.

The results followed 18 months of intensive design and materials and construction development at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham – home to the company’s European Motorsport Operations.

Lessons learned trying out new materials and design concepts for the racing world are incorporated into their tyres for road users.

In addition, along with all Dunlop tyres, the new tyres uses a new low polycyclic aromatic material in its construction, ensuring early compliance with EU 2010 regulations on the use of aromatic oils in tyre construction.

By Alex Kapadia

Dunlop will return as title sponsor of the MSA British Touring Car Championship from 2010 in a new four-year agreement with the UKs premier motor racing series.

The tyres company has been the exclusive tyres supplier to the BTCC since 2003.

Through this new long-term partnership, Dunlop will continue to provide the BTCC’s teams with tyres manufactured at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham - home to the company’s European Motorsport Operations.

The UK plant produces over 200,000 high technology racing tyres each year for the World Moto2 Motorcycle Championships, International GT and Endurance racing in addition to the BTCC.

The Dunlop name has become synonymous with racing and thrives on its motorsports heritage. The company endeavours to incorporate lessons learned on the tracks into tyres for everyday drivers.

The first round of the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will take place at the Thruxton circuit in Hampshire on Sunday 4 April. All rounds will be televised live on ITV4 with highlights on ITV1, ITV4 and Men & Motors.

By Alex Kapadia

Prices for Dunlop, Falken, Sumitomo and Ohtsu tyres are set to increase by between 5 and 15 per cent from next month.

SRI (Sumitomo Rubber Industries) has cited the rising cost of raw materials, including natural rubber and crude oil, as the reason for the tyres price rise.

Most of the price increases will range from 5% to 10% depending on tyre category, size and market, and the maximum increase will be approximately 15%.

The rise in costs will apply to passenger car, light commercial vehicle, truck and motorcycle tyres and will take place in Europe, Asia, near and Middle East, North America, Central and South America, Africa and the Pacific nations.

SRI confirmed: “The tyre prices will be increased because the prices of tire materials, including natural rubber and crude oil, are going up and apt to surge again, and the company cannot absorb such additional costs by their own internal efforts.”