Pirelli At The Geneva Motorshow

World Preview of the 20 Inch Scorpion Zero - New Scorpion Mud for " Extreme" Off-road

Geneva, 9 March, 1999 - Pirelli presents two important new additions to its four-wheel drive tyre range at the 69th International Motor Show at Geneva: Scorpion Zero in 20 inch diameter - the future of the sporting SUVs - and Scorpion Mud, for extreme off-road driving.
The new tyres will be presented - with the complete " Scorpion by Pirelli" range - at Adventure Drive, the indoor offroad track at Geneva Motorshow that represents this year the renewed Pirelli commitment in 4x4 tyres.

Pirelli Scorpion Zero 20 inch for the Mercedes M Class Lorinser

The launch of the Scorpion Zero for 20 inch diameter rims represents a real glimpse of the future as far as Sport Utility Vehicles are concerned. One name above all others: the Mercedes-Benz M Class which, in the hands of the most sophisticated tuners, is becoming a cult vehicle on both sides of the Atlantic.
With power output reaching 350 hp to produce speeds now comparable to those of sports roadsters, the Mercedes SUV has been tested by a growing number of tuners on tyre/wheel assemblies which have become increasingly daring, from 17 to 18 up to 19 inch diameters.
Now, Pirelli presents another courageous step forward: a super-low profile Scorpion Zero for 20 inch diameter rims. The tyre will make its world debut on 9 March at the Geneva Show in the Adventure Drive area of Hall 7 on the Lorinser tuned Mercedes M Class.

When Pirelli launched the Scorpion Zero line in 1997, it predicted there would be a full-blown new vehicle segment for Sport Utility Vehicles: a segment with its own completely new performance and stylistic needs, compared to traditional 4x4s. On the sidewall of the Scorpion Zero is moulded a small yellow scorpion, a similar distinguishing mark to the yellow logo on the sidewall of the PZero: like the PZero for sports supercars, Scorpion Zero was conceived as a reference tyre for the high performance road-going super SUVs.

The " Zero" signifies that this Scorpion is the sprinter of the four-wheel drives, giving quick steering response, extremely high performance in the wet, comfort and silence even at high speed: as pleasant on long motorway journeys as it is in mixed fast handling conditions. Born from a technological effort without precedent in the field of off-road tyres, Scorpion Zero is part of the Pirelli's great tradition in the Ultra High Performance field: wider tread, low sidewalls, speeds of over 200 kilometres an hour. The tread pattern is completely original and exclusive comprising, as it does, a combination of curved, symmetrical grooves and large longitudinal channels which form a continuous line of inclined " Z" at the centre.


Pirelli Scorpion Mud: the " Extreme" Off-roader

At Geneva, Pirelli will also launch its new Scorpion Mud to complete the extreme off-road Scorpion line. It is a tyre of excellent off-road performance, above all particularly reliable on mud and unstable surfaces.The superspecialised tread pattern, with powerful self-cleaning capability, guarantees high resistance to knocks, blows and stress.
The robust, blocked shoulders improves traction in the typical condition of running on the mud track.

Scorpion Mud is available in the three most popular sizes of the segment:
LT235/85 R 16 TL 108/104Q
30x9.50 R 15 TL 105Q
31x10.50 R 15 TL 109Q

These are for fitment - without change of the rim - to vehicles with a clear off-road vocation, like the Land Rover Defender.

The first test in mud of this new Pirelli Scorpion will take place in the Adventure Drive area of Hall 7 at the Palexpo in Geneva on 9 March.


The Pirelli Scorpion Range

Scorpion Zero and Scorpion Mud represent the two extremes of this Pirelli tyre range for four-wheel drive vehicles. A very broad offer, particularly because of the many different uses made of this type of vehicle which, today, it is rather demeaning to call simply " off-road" .

Scorpion S/T occupies the central position in the range. It is a multi-role tyre suitable for use primarily on asphalt but with a good off-road capability. Developed together with the principal four-wheel drive vehicle manufacturers in Europe, Scorpion S/T is a product of wide application and versatility which delivers good motorway performance, snow traction, comfort and quiet running, plus agile off-road performance on grass, slippery surfaces and in mud.

Scorpion S/T fits in original equipment the most important 4x4 like Nissan Terrano, Land rover Discovery and Freelander, Range Rover, Mercedes G Class (also with Scorpion Zero).

Scorpion A/T is destined primarily for off-road use, as much for work reasons as for the simple pleasure of off-roading. This kind of use requires a highly specialised tyre able to deliver outstanding performance on any kind of terrain, practicality of use, reliability while maintaining a good road performance. To excellent off-road performance on surfaces from sand to mud, rock and gravel, Scorpion A/T adds good road going characteristics.

Scorpion Dakar represents a long Pirelli tradition in rally/raid competition. Rock, sand, high speed over rough and abrasive terrain, knocks, traversing obstacles with agility, maximum traction on the most demanding surfaces: these are typical on-the-limit off-road competition conditions and terrain where the Pirelli Scorpion Dakar reigns supreme.
A powerfully evocative name, the Scorpion Dakar is a direct descendent of the " Dakar" tyre which made its debut in the mid-Eighties in the world's most famous raid: but the new tyre now has a completely new construction, which is at its best fitted to vehicles competing in that mythical African race.
At Geneva Motorshow, the testimonial of Scoprion Dakar will be the Nissan Terrano II Tecnosport, a protagonist with Maurizio Traglio at the 1999 Granada-Dakar with the colours " Scorpion by Pirelli" .