Bridgestone has announced the launch of its new flagship ultra-high performance tyre – the Bridgestone Potenza Sport.
All set to be available in Europe beginning January 2021, the Potenza Sport has been tested by TÜV SÜD, one of Europe’s top independent automotive testing institutes, and the results have been nothing short of impressive.
Believe it or not, the tyre is so good that custom-developed Potenza Sport tyres have already been selected as original equipment by some of the most prestigious car brands in the world, including Maserati for its MC20 supercar, Lamborghini for the Huracán STO, BMW for the 8 series and many more to come.
Bridgestone claims that the Potenza Sport achieves the best performance in both dry braking (shortest braking distance on a dry surface) and cornering and straight line stability (maintaining vehicle stability when travelling both in a straight line and through a curve) versus competitors in the premium segment.
According to Bridgestone, the tyre’s capabilities in both the dry and wet come with higher levels of mileage from its predecessor Potenza S001.
Developed and manufactured in Europe, Potenza Sport will be available across the European continent and beyond from January 2021.
The tyre will be available in 96 sizes from 17’’ to 22” to cover a wide range of passenger cars and on-road SUVs in the market, ranging from premium sedans and SUVs to luxury and prestige cars. With the launch of Potenza Sport, Bridgestone’s coverage in summer segment has been significantly increased in both the HRD and ultra HRD portfolio.
“The Potenza Sport is the latest chapter in Bridgestone’s long legacy in high performance,” said Emilio Tiberio, Chief Technical Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Bridgestone EMIA. “It is the result of our history and innovation in motorsports, combined with our commitment to always going the extra mile to meet drivers’ needs, and an investment in research and development that is unmatched in the tyre industry.
To achieve the Potenza Sport’s performance, Bridgestone applied various new, innovative technologies in tread pattern, compound and construction. The tyre’s tread design applies several new cutting-edge technologies, including innovative 3D sipes to increase shear stiffness, with benefits in braking and abrasion resistance; the compound, thanks to an optimized formula combined with innovative mixing technology, improves wet and dry performances.
Bridgestone also used a new hybrid crown reinforcement to maximise the tyre’s stability performance at high speed. A sporty carcass package is also applied to increase stability performance and steering response, while optimising rolling resistance.
