Toyo Tyres Malaysia has introduced its latest variant to an already impressive line up of variants. Called the Proxes Sport 2 and OPA/T 3, these cutting-edge tyres were created using the most recent tyre technology to cater to a variety of driving enthusiasts while providing great performance, safety, and longevity.
Proxes Sport 2’s precision handling and superb wet grip distinguish it from its predecessor. The tyre manufacturer says drivers can easily traverse turns thanks to the tyre’s precision handling, and its remarkable wet grip offers superior traction on wet roads, offering optimal safety and stability even in inclement weather. This is achieved with a new asymmetrical design pattern that gives it good dry and wet grip.
Ever since the pneumatic tyre was invented by J.B. Dunlop in 1887 (although Robert Thomson had actually patented the concept in 1845), punctures leading to air leaking out have been the one thing that motorists have had to live with. While there are solid tyres as well, these are hard and uncomfortable and don’t grip well.
Thus the pneumatic tyre filled with air has been used for decades and various approaches have been taken to overcome the problem of punctures. Run-flat tyres are one of them, allowing the car to continue being driven for some distance instead of changing the wheel with the spare. In some cars, the spare tyre is not provided to save weight and space, and a repair kit is provided instead.
Researchers at tyre companies have also been working on ‘airless’ tyres – not solid tyres but having a radical new construction that can offer the comfort and grip of pneumatic tyres but has no air to leak when punctured. Over the past 15 years, a few tyremakers have been developing such tyres, with Michelin and Toyo Tires having reached a stage where commercialisation is possible very soon.
Toyo Tires has been working on airless tires since 2006 and in September 2017, the company was the first in the industry to present a non-pneumatic tyre that could be used on passenger cars and driven at high speeds. The tyre was known, quite appropriately, as ‘no air’.
Tyres for EVs and autonomous vehicles
Toyo Tires’ development of noair is to prepare for the coming era of electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous motoring. When EVs become widespread, many owners will not visit petrol stations as frequently as they do now to buy fuel. Therefore, the long practice of checking and inflating tyres correctly may no longer apply. Thus a tyre which does not need such checks would be useful.
Using proprietary technology, the noair tyre is said to have lower rolling resistance compared to conventional tyres. Adoption of tread rubber developed through Nano Balance Technology also promotes fuel efficiency while improving braking performance on wet roads.
X-shaped spoke configuration
In order to have a tyre that can support itself without air, Toyo Tires engineers developed an X-shaped spoke configuration. These spokes, made of a special resin, are alternately crossed over the width of the tyre from inside to the outside and vice-versa to create the X-shaped configuration. An additional benefit of this configuration is durability.
Additionally, the number of spokes has been increased to 100 pitches which reduces the load on each spoke and achieves a quieter ride. The external diameter resin ring is reinforced with carbonfibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) which serves to reduce the load imposed on the spokes.
Now in 6th generation of development
The noair tyre has now reached its sixth generation of development where the spokes are now 10 times more durable than at the beginning. Durability has also increased by 40% and Toyo Tires states that the performance is now as good as conventional tyres. However, like other new technologies, the cost to make a noair tyre is still high and the company is working on bringing this cost down.
Meanwhile Michelin says that it will be able to offer its airless tyre called UPTIS (for Unique Puncture-proof Tyre System) by 2024. It is likely that the first car to run on airless tyres will be GM, which the tyremaker is now running a real-world testing program with. The data collected by engineers during testing will enable them to perfect the prototype in preparation for its market launch.
Toyo Tyre Malaysia has added a new tyre to its Proxes range with the launch of the Toyo Proxes CR1 tyre in Malaysia tonight via an online event. The new tyre is for passenger cars and SUVs, especially those between the A-segments to D-segments.
36 sizes are available for the Malaysian market, ranging from 14-inch to 18-inch diameters (9 sizes for the Proxes CR1 SUV tyres from 17-inch to 19-inch diameters). The recommended retail prices for the passenger car version range from RM160 to RM440, while the SUV version ranges from RM380 to RM580, depending on the tyre size.
Main features
The Proxes CR1 tyres have four strong points – Quietness, Safety, High Grade and Comfort. The secret of the Proxes CR1 achieving these attributes is the use of Toyo Tires’ proprietary T-Mode and Nano Balance Technology.
To run quietly, noise reducing materials have been incorporated in the tyre. The silent wall and out-in different pitch arrangement collaborate to disperse pitch noise, and a noise protection sheet is inserted within the construction of the tyre to reduce casing noise.
The Proxes CR1 offers superior performance in both wet and dry road conditions. Its highly developed water drainage system is made of wide circumferential grooves that quickly expel water from under the tyre.
As important as wet road grip is dry road grip, which is probably the condition for more of the driving time. The triple taper and rib design improves the performance by securing rib rigidity and suppresses circumferential fluctuation resulting in less uneven wear. In addition, the multi-wave sipes help in the prevention of irregular wear by ensuring block stiffness and a joint-less cap ply improves high speed performance.
The high grade of the tyre is saod tp be in its overall performance. Toyo Tires claims the Proxes CR1 produces 11% less road noise and has 2% reduction in aquaplaning on wet roads compared to its predecessor, the Nano Energy 3. It also has lower rolling resistance for better fuel consumption.
Tengku Djan’s comments
“Overall, the low rolling resistance and low noise levels of the Proxes CR1 are the aspect that really shine,” said Tengku Djan Ley, Malaysia’s professional drift driver, who has tested the new tyres on his Mercedes-Benz C230. “I must say the rolling comfort with these tyres is exceptional.”
“If you are using it for daily driving, the Proxes CR1 is 100% comfortable,” he added. “It’s actually the perfect tyre for street use.”
He praised the tyre’s grip at high speeds and was impressed with the braking in both wet and dry conditions. “What I found is that there is good support in the sidewalls, with good resistance to stress during hard cornering. Under pressure, this tyre performs extremely well,” he noted. “This tyre is up there with the best where safety is concerned.”
In conjunction with the launch of the Proxes CR1, customers who purchase a set of four Proxes CR1 tyres will receive a free limited edition Proxes CR1 umbrella (while stocks last).
The second day of the Vios Challenge, part of the Toyota GAZOO Racing (TGR) Festival Season 3 held in Kuala Terengganu on Friday and Saturday, produced a series of many firsts. For starters, 15-year-old Hayden Haikal stormed to his second race victory and his first ever win on a street circuit in the Sporting Class, while singers Wany Hasrita and Nabila Razali climbed the winners’ podium for their first time in the Promotional Class for celebrity drivers.
SPORTING CLASS
“I’m extremely happy with the race win because Kuala Terengganu is a very challenging track. Frankly, I don’t really enjoy this track because there’s hardly any opportunity to overtake here but thankfully everything fell into place today,” said Hayden who finished the race ahead of Hiewa Racing Team’s Wong Chin Eeg and Panglima City Racing’s Kenneth Koh who crossed the finish line in third position.
Coincidentally, Kuala Terengganu was also the venue where Hayden made his debut in the Vios Challenge in the last season. A rookie then, he started his first ever saloon car race in ninth position and also finished ninth.
The start of the 22-lap race started rather dramatically with pole position man Shanmuganathan Arumugan being squeezed out of contention going into the first corner. Wong had an exceptionally good start from second on the grid to punch a hole in the traffic to slip into the lead, leaving enough space for Hayden and Kulim Topwheels driver Dato’ Kenneth Foo to move into second and third positions respectively. Koh however, overtook Foo for third position by the end of the first lap.
Wong held on to his lead for seven laps until making a slight mistake which allowed Hayden to inherit the lead. “Hayden was a lot quicker on the track and as soon as I made a mistake, I saw him beside me. I then made the decision to back off and let him through. It would not have benefitted any of us had the two cars came together,” said Wong.
“After overtaking, I tried to build a gap to Wong, pace myself and focus to not make any mistakes especially in the corners,” Hayden said of the duel.
Koh meanwhile, was a man on a mission to score as many championship points possible as he claimed his second visit to the winners’ podium in two consecutive races over the weekend. His third place finish was a fitting end to the weekend which also included winning Race 1.
“I felt a slight impact at the rear going into the first corner and from then on, I became rather paranoid of having incurred any damage. I tried to close the gap to the car ahead but in the end, the most sensible thing to do was to pace myself to the end because there was also a big gap between me and the car behind,” said Koh.
PROMOTIONAL CLASS
Rain again came in the late afternoon (like last year) and as the drivers were more cautious, this popular race was uneventful. In fact, the start had to be delayed for 30 minutes before resuming behind the Safety Car.
Rain delayed the start of the Promotional Race and the Safety Car (the latest Toyota Camry) had to control the convoy for a while.
The wet conditions however, turned out to be in favour of singer Wany Hasrita who stormed into her first ever race win. In second place was fellow singer Nabila Razali, also making her first appearance on the winners’ podium, followed by actor Shukri Yahaya in third position.
“The wet track conditions made the race twice as difficult but I did my best to keep my cool and to avoid making any mistakes. The track was slippery and that meant having to pick an earlier braking point into the corners,” said Wany who started from pole position on the grid.
Victory was also extremely sweet for Nabila who demonstrated a more calm and composed drive to finish in second place and claim her first visit to the winners’ podium.
“Season 2 was really difficult for me and I struggled to finish the race but thankfully, the long hours of practice and with guidance from the instructors, my driving and confidence level on the track has improved so much. I’m hoping to do much better this season,” said Nabila.
SUPER SPORTING CLASS
With the exception of Brendon Lim who dropped from fourth position on the grid to eighth place and Brendan Paul Anthony who lost one place, all the drivers in the Super Sporting class maintained their track positions from start to finish in the 22-lap race.
Toyotsu Racing’s William Ho led from start to finish, with Telagamas Toyota’s Freddie Ang taking second place some 1.93 seconds behind, and Kenny Lee of Kegani Racing completing the top three a further two seconds adrift.
In the class of the elite professional racers, the race unfolded with all drivers posting super competitive times and remaining within the 1 minute 15 second to 1 minute 16 second bracket around the tight and narrow 1.65-km street circuit. While it is always difficult for any competitor to overtake on a narrow street track, Ho found that leading the race also placed a degree of pressure.
“Freddie was very close to me and I tried my best to pull away but that proved to be very difficult and I tried my best to keep composed and to not hit the concrete barrier. It was a question of maintaining my pace, not pushing too hard and finishing the race to score valuable championship points,” recalled Ho after the race.
As in previous seasons, fans got to meet the celebrities and chat with them.
Fun for all the family all day long
Some lucky visitors got to take home caps autographed by the two highly-skilled Japanese drifters.
Round 2 of the Vios Challenge and TGR Festival will be held in the Central Region but the venue has not been confirmed yet. It would likely be at the MAEPS site outside Kuala Lumpur which has a lot of space for setting up the track, as well as plenty of parking areas. To get updates on the event, visit toyota.com.my/tgrmalaysia/tgr-racing-festival/season-3.
Toyo Tires Malaysia has officially launched their latest Toyo Proxes TR1 tyre here at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) earlier today. Those who are looking for the perfect rubber to rip around the circuit while providing excellent dry and wet grip on the open road will indeed appreciate what the new TR1 has to offer. (more…)
