Goodyear Malaysia has strengthened its range of Ultra-High Performance (UHP) tyres with the addition of the Eagle F1 Sport. The new tyre is described as ‘a fun sports tyre option with good handling and braking performance for the aspiring racing enthusiast’.
“The Eagle F1 range is the embodiment of Goodyear’s long history of involvement in the racing arena. With the introduction of the Eagle F1 Sport, we aim to continuously uphold Goodyear’s manufacturing quality and technological capabilities of our research and development team, by providing more high performance tyre options for the day-to-day road user, at competitive prices for Malaysians,” said Alex Ng, MD of Goodyear Malaysia.
The Eagle F1 Sport tyre is said to provide improved handling and braking performance, and would be an option for upsizing. Its strong points are increased steering response, improved dry handling and enhanced cornering abilities. Compared to the Eagle F1 Directional 5, the Eagle F1 Sport has 20% less rolling resistance, with tyre weight reduced by up to 14%.
Precise and responsive handling
The signature Eagle Claw tread design has stronger shoulder blocks and with ActiveControl Technology, the shoulder contact patch of the tyre is maximised. Increased stiffness improves the cornering stability and steering precision when negotiating bends and corners.
The Eagle F1 Sport is also a quiet tyre, thanks to noise barrier strips which are made of rubber. They are positioned between the ply and liner to reduce noise generation. Narrower lateral grooves on the tyre also help to reduce vibrations and road noise for improved comfort.
Superior braking performance
Complementing the handling qualities is good stopping power with Goodyear’s DynamicBraking Technology. The combination of the Eagle Claw tread and high silica loaded tread compound with upgraded polymer matrix enhances braking capabilities on both wet and dry surfaces. Furthermore, an improved cavity shape provides a wider footprint for better contact and pressure distribution.
Wide rim flange protectors on all sizes provide protection to the tyre and rim from accidental curb damages while manoeuvring and parking.
22 sizes, priced from RM294
Retail prices for the Eagle F1 Sport range from RM294 to RM678 per tyre and they are available in 22 sizes ranging from 16 inches to 18 inches. Sizes start from 195/50R16 and go as wide as 255/35R18.
Over the past decade, the car market has become more fragmented with new segments appearing and then sub-segments within those segments. The premium luxury sector has started to sell SUVs while lower segments are trying to become more premium. And then there’s the gradual entry of electric vehicles that will accelerate during the next decade.
For tyremakers, this diverse landscape presents many new challenges in developing tyres. SUVs, for example, are not like what they were 30 years ago when they required tyres that were more for off-road use; today’s SUVs like the latest Aston Martin DBX are as quick as sportscars and driven on highways more than jungle tracks. The same can be said of tyres for pick-up trucks – many owners buy such vehicles for daily commutes rather than as workhorses, so comfort is more important than durability.
High performance is still expected of tyres even as demands in other aspects increase.
But one thing which has not gone out of fashion is high-performance tyres and while there are specific expectations of comfort, quality, safety and longevity, many motorists still want their tyres to deliver high performance in terms of grip and handling.
For Goodyear, with a long history of leadership in the industry, high-performance tyres are something that it knows all about. After all, Goodyear tyres were used in Formula 1 for over 30 years and the 361 wins – plus 25 drivers’ titles and 26 manufacturers’ titles – won by cars running on Goodyear tyres is something which can’t be beaten.
Goodyear was involved in F1 as a tyre supplier up till 1997.
Although the company stopped being a tyre-supplier for Formula 1 after 1998, it has been active in motorsports, especially in North America. More recently, it announced a return to international motorsport by becoming involved in endurance racing.
In Malaysia, Goodyear has also been associated with motorsports and Goodyear Malaysia was among the local companies that gave strong support to the Batu Tiga Racing Circuit to help promote motorsports in the country. In more recent times, the company has helped promote drift events and also interacted with owners’ clubs as a way of engaging consumers and understanding their needs.
Goodyear Malaysia has also supported Malaysian motorsports and even sponsored a drift event in the middle of Kuala Lumpur.
“Racing is in our DNA. Throughout the years, Goodyear has been involved in many races such as NASCAR, Le Mans and the British Touring Car Championship. Therefore, it is inevitable that we will once again align ourselves with high-speed motorsports. We continue to innovate to bring cutting-edge technology and differentiated features to our tyres. The most important aspect is that motorsports allows us to test our capabilities and push our limits so that we can eventually achieve excellent technology transfer and utilise development experience from the tracks to the road,“ said Alex Ng, MD of Goodyear Malaysia.
Expansion of the Eagle F1 family
To cater to those who want ultra high-performance (UHP) tyres, the company has been offering the Eagle F1 family which has found a strong following among enthusiasts. The family of tyres consists of the SuperSport RS, SuperSport R, SuperSport and is now joined by the new Asymmetric 5 and the Asymmetric 3 SUV. Besides the addition of the two new tyres, the company will also add one more new tyre during the second quarter of 2020.
The Eagle F1 SuperSport was developed for better grip and handling on the road. Within the innovative U-shaped compound, there are specialised ‘power zones‘ which create pockets of control for superior wet and dry handling.
The tyre also has a tread deformation protector which helps in maintaining its shape, allowing better footprint preservation for high-speed stability, especially during hard cornering. To increase grip during cornering, there is a closed outside pattern while a stiffer sidewall design improves handling and stability.
Wet grip vital
Malaysian motorists obviously have high expectations when it comes to wet grip since our roads are often drenched with water from heavy rainfall. With the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5, much attention has been given to giving the best braking performance on wet roads.
The specialised tread design and Impulse Control Compound Technology (which uses a highly refined silica compound), allow the tyre to endure the force of high-speed braking, shortening the braking distance. This compound also allows a patch extension through Goodyear’s ActiveBraking Technology, which allows the tyre to slightly expand when braking to create more grip using its walls.
But even in dry conditions, the tyre is said to excel in performance. Its Power Cushion Technology (stiff coupling of carcass and pattern) generates full transmission of power to the road. This is particularly important as many of today’s high-performance cars generate great amounts of torque from low speeds, putting a lot of demand on grip right from the moment the car takes off.
Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 SUV
High performance for SUV tyres too
For SUVs, the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 SUV is designed to offer the important requirements for highway driving with the addition of extra strength for those occasions when driving off-road. In the past, SUV tyres were heavy and didn’t do fuel consumption any good but the Asymmetric 3 SUV has lower rolling resistance to reduce consumption. Its specialised Grip Booster compound increases the tyre’s stickiness with the road surface, allowing it to be comfortable while maintaining handling when travelling at higher speeds.
