Pirelli star of the Paris Motor Show
The Italian tyres fitted to the show's best-looking, top-performing models steal the limelight at the Mondial de l'Automobile .
Featuring innovation, quality, safety and environmental protection.
Milan, 28th September 2006. Pirelli tyres are the stars of the 2006 Paris Motor Show. Not only in the large stand that the company from Bicocca has set up this year in the main exhibition hall, but also in all the areas set aside for the sexiest, best-performing vehicles to be seen during the fortnight of the show. At the Paris Expo, from 30th September to 15th October, international car lovers are expecting plenty of surprises and many of these bear the Pirelli mark on their tyres, like for example the new Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione or the Volvo C30.
But the Pirelli stand goes beyond simple on-the-road car tyres and also extends its range to those tyre accessories that make driving even safer, such as K-Pressure Optic, the company's very own intelligent sensor that warns of tyre pressure problems. In addition, plenty of space is set aside for racing and motorcycle tyres, whilst there is also room for other members of the Group such as Pirelli Labs and Pirelli Ambiente.
All this in accordance with a policy that has been followed since the company was founded in 1872: innovation, quality, safety, sustainable development, the main theme of the 2006 Show.
MOTOR & TYRE ITALIAN STYLE
As usual, the most prestigious Pirelli products will have a starring role on the best looking vehicles on show in Paris, with the P Zero Collection, the Italian manufacturer's Ultra High Performance range, preferred by leading car manufacturers for its performance and reliability, always in pole position due to the ongoing commitment to R&D, in which the Group invests 4% of sales, the highest percentage in the world for the tyre sector. And once again, Pirelli joins forces with the most distinguished names from the Italian automobile industry. From Ferrari and Lamborghini to Maserati and Alfa Romeo. P Zero tyres are fitted to the new Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano that is currently crossing the Americas from Brazil to New York. P Zero are also the choice for the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 and Gallardo. The Pirelli UHP also enhances and completes the Maserati models at the Show, from the Quattroporte Sport GT and Executive GT to the Gransport and MC12. And Pirelli also teams up with the Alfa Romeo models, including the new eagerly-awaited 8C Competizione, an 8-cylinder sports coupe with striking features. The traditionally very close relationship between Pirelli and Alfa Romeo is likely to be even further consolidated during 2007 with a carefully-organised co-marketing campaign linked to the launch of the vehicle.
LATIN SPIRIT AND GERMAN RELIABILITY FOR AMERICANS' FAVOURITE TYRES
Pirelli, an international group since it was first founded, doesn't stop at "Made in Italy", but is also a partner of the world's top car manufacturers. The Milanese manufacturer's tyres are designed, developed and tested in the Bicocca research centres, but receive the quality mark from the seasonal tests of Germany's top specialist magazines in which the Italian tyres habitually come first in both the Summer and Winter segment.
Growing appreciation is also being recorded on the other side of the Pond, where Pirelli tyres for the Mass Market/Non Luxury segment were recently ranked highest by American motorists in a study based on the responses of 23,000 US customers carried out by the respected global marketing information services firm J.D. Power and Associates. In particular, Pirelli showed above-average ratings across all five performance factors considered, obtaining the top rankings for appearance and traction, thus confirming that Italian high-technology provides satisfaction in America as well. The study by J.D. Power and Associates monitors consumer perceptions regarding tyre quality, performance, brand image and service. The overall satisfaction index is based on five factors: wearability, traction, appearance, ride and handling.
You can witness this traditional, but increasing, international preference first hand at the Palais Expo. Many of the most eye-catching foreign vehicles will be coming to the Motor Show equipped with Pirelli tyres. These include the new Volvo C30, the Scandinavian manufacturer's Parisian surprise, also fitted with Pirelli P Zero and likewise the Bentley Continental Flying Spur, Arnage MY2007 and Continental GTC.
Amongst others, the Milanese manufacturer's tyres can also be seen on the Fiat, Jaguar, Saab, Audi, Mercedes and Peugeot stands.
In the SUV segment, the Scorpion range is one of the most popular at the Show, above all with the new Scorpion ATR, introduced last spring and fitted as original equipment to the Ford F150. Scorpion tyres also feature on the Land Rover stand, in particular on the Discovery.
THE VALVE THAT KEEPS WATCH OVER YOUR TYRES
Despite being created with the very latest leading-edge technology, the K-Pressure Optic is an affordable, user-friendly valve that allows tyre pressure to be monitored at all times. The pressure sensor (3 grams) can be fitted to any tyre without affecting balance or weight and will advise by means of a simple colour change should tyre pressures fall below the optimum level. Before getting into his or her vehicle, the motorist can simply look and see whether all tyre pressures are correct: white means OK, red that they require inflation. Multiple benefits: road safety, fuel savings, environmental protection.
P ZERO FIRST ALSO ON THE RACETRACK
The Pirelli stand will also be displaying some of the jewels of the Bicocca manufacturer's research and technology that at weekends race on tracks and roads all over the world, with pride of place going to P Zero Racing. Pirelli has always been involved in racing, focusing on those competitions that allow the experience gained on the racetrack to be transferred over to car tyres.
This year, the Pirelli colours are once again enjoying great success in the various classes in which Pirelli Competizioni is present: the World Rally Championship and numerous national championship, the American Le Mans Series, the Le Mans Series, FIA GT, Trofeo Maserati and Ferrari Challenge.
TWO-WHEELED HEAVEN
Besides cars, Pirelli also finds room for motorcycles on its stand at this year's Paris Motor Show. It is the Diablo line that steals the show with the introduction this year of two important innovations: the Diablo Corsa III, a road tyre offering track performance, used in the European Superstock 600 Championship, and the Diablo Superbike, a slick racing tyre developed in the SBK World Championship.
This year, Pirelli has once again enjoyed great success obtaining victory in the MX1 World Motocross Championship with Stephan Everts and third place in the MX2. Besides second and third place in the Endurance World Championship, it has also won many National championships, demolishing race after race the previous records in the SBK World Championship and the Supersport World Championship for which this season it has introduced a third tyre for the DIABLO line known as Diablo Supercorsa that is soon to be marketed.
The Metzeler brand continues the market success of the TEC range with the recent introduction of the new SPORTEC-M3 completing the renewal of the radial range.
Metzeler also boasts off-road products of the highest quality and continues its domination of the World Enduro Championship, claiming overall victory in all 3 classes for the second successive year after returning to racing in 2005.