Winter Tyres

Those who travel to Europe in Winter for skiing and winter snow trips will already know the advantages of winter tyres and the rules in many European countries where they are a legal requirement. 

 

Erratic weather means that preparing your vehicle for winter is more important than ever, whether it is checking that your lights, battery and wipers are working correctly or topping up anti-freeze and screen wash - winter tyres are part of the armoury for a safe drive.

 

What is Different About Winter Tyres?

 

There are two essential differences with winter tyres over summer:

 

The materials they are made of – winter tyres contain larger quantities of silica and a softer rubber, which helps to make them more flexible in the cold. A summer tyre will become harder in temperatures below 7C this makes them less effective. Because of the high level of silica in Winter tyre they will be more flexible in cold weather. The softer rubber compound will also make the car more responsive in icy conditions and on icy roads.

 

Winter tyres also have more pattern on them allowing them to grip the road – if you have ever rolled a snow ball you will know that snow sticks to snow and the additional grooves in a tyre allow the snow to get embedded and then stick to the road better.

 

Summer tyres are designed to provide greater grip on the road and to move water – this is done by increasing the amount of tread that touches the road surface at any one time.

 

 

All of the recognised tyre manufacturers, Michelin, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Goodyear, Continental and Dunlop produce winter tyres. Most have individual brand names – we have put together a brief list of key information to help

 

 

When buying Pirelli Winter tyres you should look for either the Sottozero or Scorpion tread patterns. These have been designed  to equip drivers with a balance of ride comfort and performance and avoiding the risks associated with winter roads. Pirelli Winter tyres are the ideal choice for premium cars, Sports cars and SUV’s.

 

 

The Blizzak range brings together new innovations in tread and materials technology to deliver the safety and performance you need in today’s increasingly diverse and unpredictable conditions. So you can hit the road with total confidence in all winter conditions: from sunny to snowy and everything in between. Engineered with your safety in mind

 

Weather Control A001 All-weather, silica-reinforced tyre offering superb durability, confident handling and braking response on dry, wet and even frozen roads. For confident, all-year-round performance.

 

 

The WinterSport 4D provides excellent grip, handling and braking in  winter driving conditions .The Low Weight Construction ensures low Rolling Resistance performance improving  fuel consumption. Superb winter handling and grip for high performance cars.

 

The advanced 4D Sipe system means that the WinterSport 4D gives better cornering in both wet and dry conditions, superior grip in the snow and acts well at higher speeds. The tyre also offers very good resistance to tyre wear.

 

Two key technological advances include the V shaped grooves and deeper snow notches which improve performance in snowy conditions. The tyre also includes functionalised polymers which provide excellent performance in wet or icy conditions.

 

 

The  UltraGrip is designed for 4x4 drivers – who are looking for all round winter driving performance. It can also be used for off-road driving due to the block construction of the tyre shoulder.

 

Using Goodyear's 3D-BIS technology, the UltraGrip  uses interlocking blades to create gripping edges that give strong traction in all winter weather conditions.

 

The Ultra Grip 9 also includes a tread wear indicator and hydrodynamic grooves to actively resist aquaplanning

 

Off-road driving is also possible with the UltraGrip + SUV tyre thanks to a sturdy shoulder block construction which can quickly disperse mud and snow from the tyre.