LAS VEGAS—Ford Motor Co. will equip its range of high-performance vehicles, including the Ford GT, Shelby Mustangs and F-150 Raptor, exclusively with performance tires from Michelin North America Inc. going forward.
The deal includes BFGood-rich-brand tires for light trucks.
Michelin did not disclose the value of the deal or the deal's duration.
Ford and Michelin disclosed during SEMA week they are forming an “official relationship” covering tire fitments for Ford Performance vehicle lineup: Ford GT, Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT350R Mustang, Fiesta ST, Focus ST and RS and F-150 Raptor.
“We have a long relationship with Michelin, and could not ask for a better teammate to help extract maximum capability from our vehicles,” said Dave Pericak, director, Ford Performance.
“That confidence extends from our upcoming racing effort at Le Mans in 2016 with the all-new Ford GT, to the Ford Performance vehicle lineup, including Shelby GT350 and F-150 Raptor.”
Engineers from both companies will collaborate from vehicle inception to develop customized tires that meet a range of performance targets, including lateral grip, noise, vibration and harshness and durability, Michelin said.
Each tire will be independently designed and developed in close collaboration on each program to maximize the vehicle's performance envelope, the tire maker added.
The tire fitments agreed to include:
Ford GT—Pilot Sport Cup 2; Shelby GT350—Pilot Super Sport; Shelby GT350R—Pilot Sport Cup 2, Focus RS—Pilot Super Sport; Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 on the optional forged 19-inch wheels; Focus ST—Pilot; Fiesta ST—Pilot; and the upcoming 2017 F-150 Raptor—BFG All-Terrain T/A KO2.
“Our tire development teams are excited to be working hand-in-hand with Ford on these amazing vehicles,” said Thom Roach, vice president, original equipment marketing for Michelin North America.
“The Michelin Pilot tires and BFGoodrich T/A KO2 tires on Ford Performance vehicles are all custom-tuned to help maximize vehicle performance on multiple fronts.”