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2007 Bridgestone-Firestone Preview: Tire Talk
Talking about tires is something that we drivers do not do enough of. Despite all the technology packed into today’s cars, in reality the only thing between us and the road are four relatively small patches of rubber. Experts say that those small patches of rubber are equal in size to the sheet of paper in your printer right now. Think about how you drive or how aggressively someone you love drives and you then realize we all should be a lot more tire conscious.
Now before I make you panic, like our vehicles, tire technology is getting better everyday. Today’s tires consist of a mix of components - steel, polyester, nylon, kevlar and rayon all mixed with various rubber compounds to make the tires we push to the limit better. These components and compounds affect performance, noise, traction, tire wear and more.
 Of the many tire makers out there, Bridgestone/Firestone is a leading producer of premium tires. When it comes to a quality constructed tire with a good warranty and reputation to match, Bridgestone/Firestone has the credentials. The Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R and RE-960 AS, Turanza with “Serenity Technology,” and Firestone Firehawk are all with their own DNA and purpose for the road.
The Potenza RE-01R is a high-performance tire aimed at Audi S6 owners that drive aggressively and take corners at speeds that have your girlfriends gripping the door handles for their lives. Potenza RE-960 AS are tires for the Audi A4 as they handle the road well at decent speeds and road conditions though are not as performance oriented. The Turanza with Serenity Technology are touring tires for my Audi A8 road cruisers. They like the Turanza for its mix of quiet, comfortable, long wear driving tread that performs well on wet or dry roads. The Firestone Firehawk GT is an ultra-high performance all-season tire designed for the Audi R8 and drivers that literally want to tear a hole in the asphalt when taking off from a green light. I used Audi to illustrate the model differences and tire design to best capture the essence of the vehicle’s intentions. I could have easily thrown Bimmer, Benz, Lexus, or any other premium manufacturer in the mix as Bridgestone/Firestone is marketed as a premium tire brand.
 We test drove a Pontiac G6 sedan on a set of Potenza RE-01R, RE-960 AS and Turanza tires to illustrate the difference in ride characteristics of the three. We then drove a BMW 330 sedan on a set of Michelin and Goodyear competitive tires. All tires were tested in identical road conditions; the only X-factor was the drivers. Through the obstacle course, which included a slalom course, skid pad, hairpin turns and rumble strips, we were able to gauge the differences in the Potenza RE-01R, RE-960 AS, and Turanza. The course was then wet down and we drove the vehicles hard to really make the tires work for our respect. Each tire responded as it was supposed to with the RE-01R performing the best, the Turanza with Serenity Technology have the better road qualities and the RE-960 AS fell in the middle with a good blend of both performance and drive feel. Though the testing was not precise and extensive, the Bridgestone tires seemed to outperform their Michelin and Goodyear counterparts. The Bridgestone tires performed well in all aspects of the dry and wet driving conditions.
 The highlight of the test drive was being able to strap into the Formula 2000 open-wheel race cars outfitted with the new Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R tires. An experience of sliding into the cockpit of a racecar and getting strapped into a road rocket was a blast! The RE-01R’s gripped the road as they needed to when going over 100 mph down straightaways and around tight turns. Though made for the small in stature, driving a race car is something all driving enthusiasts should enjoy.
 Remember, tires are what our vehicles use to get us where we need to be. They allow us to roll through the park profiling on 22” Rennen wheels or pull off from the club and make it home safely. Tires are what allow us to stop immediately when that car in front of us stops for no apparent reason. Tires are important to research before you buy.
Be sure to check your tire pressure every month, rotate and balance your tires every 5,000 miles, and in general pay more attention to what actually keeps us rolling - tires!
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