MILAN, Italy (Oct. 26, 2001)—Pirelli S.p.A. is launching a run-flat tire line, called [email protected], which is the company's first original equipment tire produced using its automated MIRS tire manufacturing platform.
The new tire line will be OE on the new BMW Mini-Cooper. The car and special tire fitment were to be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show, Oct. 27-Nov. 7.
The 17-inch [email protected] tires for the new Mini were made at Pirelli's Breuberg, Germany, plant which eventually will produce 2 million MIRS tires a year, the company said.
Pirelli introduced the tire with its usual flair, at the Teatro Armani, home of fashion firm Giorgio Armani, whose clothes designs are to feature in Pirelli's calendar for 2002.
[email protected] is a name chosen by Pirelli Web site visitors earlier this year in a contest that attracted 21,000 entries.
Goodyear announced at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show that it had been chosen to supply an Eagle NCT 5 EMT run-flat tire for the same car.
The BMW Mini is a modern version of the original British Leyland Mini, one of the first mass produced front-wheel-drive cars launched in the early 1960s.
The standard fitment for the entry-level Mini is a 175/65R15, while the more performance-oriented Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S versions have optional fitments of 16- and 17-inch sizes, according to BMW.