"Test tires?"
When I got the call from Pirelli, I was a little irritated at first. How did I qualify for it please? Does not matter. 😉 Range and credibility “matters” and so there was no question for me, of course I would fly to “test tires”. So please. When can you fly around corners without considering the black circle?
As part of the Formula 1 GP in Valencia, I got the opportunity to test the new Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue. And because Pirelli is not a boring little company and with the F1 commitment and the 25th anniversary of the P-Zero sports tire you get additional benefits program points had to offer - the entire tire event was a terrific event. And in the end I flew home and was much smarter in two points: On the one hand: There is an EU tire label and, on the other hand, Pirelli is the first manufacturer to offer a tire that achieved the top rating with “Double A”.
Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue
The Cinturato was presented both in the dry, on a 200km long test track on Spanish roads that included motorways, country roads and small serpentine routes. On the other hand, we were able to experience the wet properties on a racetrack near Valencia (Ricardo Tormo). For this purpose, Pirelli artificially irrigated part of the racetrack.
The new Pirelli Cinturato P7 blue - tire with double A label
Now I'm not a tire tester - Nonetheless, I've already spent one or two euros on tires in my life and my focus has always been on premium tires from Michelin, Continental, Dunlop and Pirelli. For some time I only had the Toyo Proxess (1998) on my slalom golf. I therefore imagine that I can definitely experience the difference between a good and a bad tire and also feel the influence on the driving dynamics and comfort.
Of course, what I cannot do is assess the quality of a tire - solo - without the possibility of comparing it with other tires. For this purpose, Pirelli had also invited additional experts who were probably able to draw much clearer conclusions from the test drives.
In the wet, I was able to experience the tire on both an Alfa Romeo Giulia with front-wheel drive and an SLK200 with automatic and rear-wheel drive. Since I couldn't do 1: 1 tests with other vehicles, I only venture a cautious assessment. On the Giulia, I liked the tire with a clearly defined grip limit and unproblematic behavior in the border area. When turning in, I liked the clear feedback about the applied grip - if you overdriven the steering or accelerated too hard, you could feel the loss of grip very clearly - but the tire came back immediately when the gas was withdrawn. Here, the Alfa Romeo Giulia only had a bend, covered with heavy rubber wear, to swivel out pleasure with its dashing butt.
A less differentiated picture on the rear-wheel drive SLK.
In order to find out the limit of detention and the vehicle's own reaction, I of course first switched the ESP to “standby” once. On the front axle, the Cinturato P7 was able to shine with a clear adhesion limit and defined steering behavior on the wet test track. The rear axle could be pulled out of grip at any time with the accelerator, but the SLK surprised me several times with bitchy reactions. To what extent this is due to the tire or the SLK - I can't say. The only interesting thing in this context is that the current test car in front of the house is a SLK250cdi and it doesn't have the same grip on the rear axle.
[EDIT: I just noticed that the SLK in the picture had silver rims - so Pirelli P Zero were mounted on the SLK. Embarrassing mistake on my part. Of course, that also explains the bitchy driving behavior in the wet and the narrow limit range. *Head/edge of table* Oh man – I was probably still so flashed by driving the Aventador that I didn't notice! fuck!]
I was able to do the 200km test drive on dry asphalt with an Audi A5 3.0TDI quattro Sportback. On this test track, Pirelli primarily wanted to point out the increased comfort features of the new tire. 😉 I would have had to choose a different car. An A5 3.0 TDI with standard-size tires can certainly not be criticized for a lack of comfort. And because the Spanish speed limits were of course adhered to on the track - I also don't know the limits of the tire. 😉 But I can say: It was an excellent trip, with a great route, a terrific touring vehicle and probably the tire was simply terrific - only I with gross motor skills didn't really notice it.
But since I usually stumble over every defect - I assume that the tire has actually kept what was promised.
The EU tire label.
The special thing about the new Cinturato P7 Blue is actually something that is difficult to experience directly. Because the new premium tire from Pirelli is the first tire that has received two “A” ratings in the new EU label. What, why and why - first a few words about this "tire label":
In 2008 the EU Commission drew up a proposal that dealt with the subject of energy efficiency in products, buildings and services. The result was an EU tire label for car tires that will now be mandatory for all new tires from November 1st, 2012. The basic idea for this label and the help that is given to us consumers with this label is initially good.
In this way, the quality of the tire can be seen at a glance in terms of: rolling resistance, wet grip and noise emissions. Actually totally ingenious - this way you can quickly see and easily compare which tire has which qualities. Unfortunately, tires have even more - or in other words, they should have even more talents. For example, the aquaplanining speed, driving stability, service life and of course steering precision would be important.
But it is a beginning and Pirelli has succeeded with the coup of the new Cinturato P7 Blue to be able to offer the first A / A tire on the market. Chapeau! Because: An A in the wet braking classification means, for example: a braking distance up to 2.6 meters shorter than a tire with a B on the label. And the better the rolling resistance, the lower the fuel consumption.