TOKYO — Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (YRC) is planning to roll out new versions of its Advan Sport ultra-high-performance (UHP) and Advan Neova street sports tire lines in 2022, with sales beginning in Japan ahead of launches in other markets, including North America.
The Advan Sport V107 will succeed the Advan Sport V105 as Yokohama's flagship UHP tire, designed for use on premium high-performance cars and SUVs and premium electric vehicles (EVs), the Tokyo-based tire maker said.
The new iteration of the Advan Neova, the AD09, is considered the successor to the Neova AD08R, which has been on the market since 2013. The new version is designed to maintain the performance characteristics that make the Neova series tires the "fastest and most enjoyable" street sports tires, Yokohama said.
These launches are tied to YRC's three-year medium-term management plan, Yokohama Transformation 2023 (YX2023), which calls for the consumer tire business to maximize the sales ratios of its higher-value-added tire lines, including the Advan UHP line, Geolandar line for SUVs and pickup trucks and various winter tires.
The Advan Sport V107 is based on OE versions of the tire already developed in partnership with German car makers BMW A.G. and Mercedes-Benz A.G. and fitted on select BMW-M and Mercedes-AMG premium performance vehicles, Yokohama said.
While following the Advan Sport V105 concept of providing a perfect balance of driving performance combined with superior comfort and safety characteristics,
The V107 offers improved dry/wet performance and steering stability over the V105, due in part to an asymmetric tread pattern and tread rubber compounds that incorporate developments cultivated during the development of the OE versions, Yokohama said.
The Sport V107 retains the matrix body-ply structure used in its predecessor while also incorporating the company's proprietary "power crown" belt cover structure that uses an aramid-fiber belt in conjunction with an improved mold profile designed to strengthen the tire's gripping power.
The tire's sidewall features a new stylish dark design that provides the logo visibility and upscale image appropriate for a global flagship tire.
The company plans to introduce 30 replacement tire sizes in spring 2022, ranging from 305/35R23 111Y XL to 225/40ZR18 92Y XL. These will complement 13 OE sizes already available. The size lineup will be expanded gradually thereafter to 80 sizes, including OE tires, by year-end 2022.
The Neova AD09, which YRC said has its roots in motorsports and circuit racing, is designed to be the strongest Advan street tire, drawing on the company's latest racing technologies.
YRC claims the AD09 features enhanced dry grip performance, control performance, and wear resistance appropriate for its strongest street sports tire.
The AO09 features a new structure that YRC claims achieves the highest level of casing rigidity in company history along with a "finely optimized" asymmetric tread pattern and a newly developed compound that achieves an "ideally balanced viscoelasticity."
These features yield a tire that YRC said provides the type of controllability that enables amateur drivers to drive fast while also realizing a wear resistance that enables long-lasting performance on circuit-racing conditions.
The tire also features sidewall aesthetics that incorporate a high-contrast brand logo that gives the AD09 a modern look suitable for use on custom-tuned cars.
The tire will launch in Japan in February and gradually be rolled out in Asia and North America. The tire will be available initially in 20 sizes, ranging from 275/30R20 97W XL to 165/55R15 75V. Another 60 sizes, including 21-inch tires, will be added to the size lineup by year-end 2022.
