Tyres.. Take 2
In the December 2023 magazine we wrote about tyres and the part they can play in upgrading the performance of your car or as part of an upgrade package. Tyre technology is such a large subject that I said back in December it would be something we would return to in the future. That time has arrived, and in the six months that have passed we have been able to work with our tyre partners at Yokohama a bit more closely to understand what makes their tyres so effective.
So, tyres are made of rubber which comes from trees, right? Well, that might have been the case many years ago, but things have changed, a lot. With the increase in the performance of modern cars and the drive for road safety tyre technology has had to move with the times. Tyres that were great thirty years ago are simply not suitable for modern cars. These days tyres often contain less than 20% natural rubber or latex. Synthetic polymers such as butadiene rubber and styrene butadiene rubber normally account for a higher percentage than natural rubber. Steel, and structural textiles such rayon and nylon are normally used to give strength to the carcass. Fillers and polymers such as silica and carbon are added to the compound to reduce rolling resistance and to improve wet grip. All these elements come together to form modern car tyres along with a mind-boggling variation of tread patterns, side wall depths and compound mixes. Then there is also a choice of winter, summer, all season and performance tyres all designed to give better grip in different conditions.
Where then do you start, when choosing the right tyres for you and your car. Well, the starting point as we said in the December article is normally the homologated tyre. That’s the tyre the manufacturer tested on the car and built the suspension set up around. But what if the goal posts have moved? The homologated tyre may no longer be available in its original form if its an older vehicle or your suspension set up may have changed if you have replaced the dampers and springs. You may want something that gives you different handling capabilities or you may have increased the performance of the car and need more grip.
We got involved with Yokohama UK through our experience in racing and with them providing an intermediate style motorsport tyre, which Yokohama describe as a semi-slick with racing performance, this is their Advan A052. This tyre is suitable for racing in dry and damp conditions, it is also road legal which makes it an ideal tyre for use on track days and as an extreme performance road tyre. This is now our second season racing with these tyres and we have seen a marked improvement in lap times. We have noticed that they have a reasonably wide operating temperature window and work even when reasonably cold and the performance drop off during short races is marginal when compared to other tyres of this type. We would definitely advocate the A052 if you are doing track days reasonably regularly.
When it comes to a tyre that if you like is a bit less extreme than the A052 for the road but is a performance road tyre then the Yokohama Advan Sport V107 is great option, we have now fitted these to a lot of performance Jaguars including our own cars and have had really great feedback. Described by Yokohama as “extremely sporty performance with premium comfort and design”. The Advan Sport V107 is suitable for most modern Jaguars, saloons, coupes, SUV’s and even EV’s, we have several XK’s, F Types, XFR’s and S Type R’s fitted with these now. The V107 offers a matrix body ply structure using a high rigidity rayon carcass material and a special new compound incorporating ultra micro silica and silica dispersed material. The benefits of the V107 tyre are high level reactivity, providing precise steering stability when cornering, even at high speed. They also offer a quieter ride as thin slits positioned on the inside of the ribs supress external tyre noise offering between 68-73 dB. We think it’s an excellent option for a performance tyre.
Let’s just talk for a moment also about Summer, Winter and All-Season tyres. We have relatively mild winters in the UK and seemingly increasingly so. The default option then that most people take is to use ‘summer’ tyres all year round. Generally speaking, most summer tyres are firm and have enough grip for all year-round use. If we consider however the prospect of colder winters with below freezing temperatures or countries outside of the UK that have more extreme winter conditions, then winter tyres are worth considering. Winter tyres have larger shoulder blocks and wider circumferential grooves that reduce the risk of aquaplaning and clear slush and ice. They are also made from a rubber compound that if less likely to freeze even in icy conditions. Winter tyres however are not suited to all year round use as they wear quickly during warmer conditions and don’t offer the firmness and structural rigidity of summer tyres.
You can also consider an all-season tyre, these offer better winter grip than summer tyres, however they don’t have the performance of a quality summer tyre for the majority of the months of the year in the UK, but again a consideration if you live in a different climate.
In summary, you need to consider the style and type of driving you are during and have appropriate tyres fitted, don’t skimp on quality. It’s worth finding a good independent tyre specialist in your local area and seek their advice. Here at Swallows, we are agents for both Pirelli and Yokohama but can offer and fit a huge selection of tyres from all major manufacturers so can cover the full range Jaguar homologated tyres as well.
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