Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) will supply Potenza tires to Mazda Motor Corp. (TYO:7261) as original equipment tires for the Roadster RF, for which Mazda started taking orders in November. The Potenza S001 – the model being supplied as original equipment tires to the Roadster RF – is instrumental in the vehicle realizing its features of superior handling, stability and maneuverability. Many...
Tires
Yokohama Rubber to Stay Sole Tire Supplier for All-Japan F3 Championship Until 2019
Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) has extended its agreement to supply Advan racing tires as the sole control tire for the All-Japan Formula 3 Championship Series through 2019. The company will then be the sole tire supplier to the championship series for nine straight years, starting from 2011. The control tires will again be the Advan A005 for use on...
Sumitomo Rubber to Launch New Tire Featuring Highest Labelling Rating
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) will from Nov. 1 commence sales of its flagship fuel-efficient Enasave NextII tire. The tire has achieved the highest rating of “AAA-a” under Japan’s tire labelling system and features substantially improved wear resistance. It will be the first to deploy the company’s new materials development technology “Advanced 4D Nano Design.” Advanced 4D Nano Design allows for...
Bridgestone to Implement Cutting-edge Tire Assembly System in Overseas Plant for First Time
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) will be implementing its cutting-edge tire assembly system, “Examation,” at the company’s passenger car tire plant in Tatabanya, Hungary. Tatabanya Plant is scheduled to introduce the system before year’s end, making it Bridgestone’s second to do so, following the company’s flagship Hikone Plant. The state-of-the-art Examation system combines Bridgestone’s proprietary information and communication technologies (ICT) with artificial...
Bridgestone to Increase Production Capacity of Aircraft Radial Tires
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) will be increasing manufacturing capacity of aircraft radial tires at the company’s Kurume Plant, Fukuoka Prefecture. The move comes in response to the strong medium-to-long-term demand projected for these tires. The production capacity increase will bring aircraft radial tire production up 1.5 times of that currently at Kurume Plant. With a total investment of 2.1 billion yen...
Bridgestone Boosts Retread Tire Sales With Total Package Plan
In a recent interview, Japan Rubber Weekly sat down with Bridgestone Tire Japan Co. Ltd.’s Katsunori Nakamura, production-goods marketing director, and Shinichi Ito, sales planning director, to talk about the current situation regarding retread tire sales for trucks. Outlook for retread tire business Since Bridgestone Tire Japan’s acquisition of Bandag Inc., the leading retread tire manufacturer in the U.S., in...