The Pirelli Winter Ice Zero Friction winter tire was recently announced by the Italian manufacturer. It is positioned as a universal model suitable for installation on any modern passenger car and providing a very high level of safety in the harsh winter conditions of Northern Europe and Russia. As a novelty, this tire contains in its design the many years of experience of the Italian company in this field.
Tread with an increased number of blocks
Unlike most previous non-studded models, this tire has a tread with a symmetrical design. Another feature of it is the increased number of individual blocks, the smallest of which are located in the central part. Thanks to this, the tire demonstrates excellent traction characteristics on snow.
Several thousand three-dimensional lamellae
During the development of the Pirelli Winter Ice Zero Friction tire, technical solutions that have proven themselves well on previous models of the Italian company were widely used. One of them is 3D lamellae, with several thousand of which its tread is literally pockmarked. It was possible to increase their number without compromising thanks to the three-dimensional structure of their walls, which limits the transverse and longitudinal mobility of the block when in contact with the road. This effect was further enhanced by the ability of the slotted lamellae to lock into each other. As a result, these miniature elements, due to the numerous facets formed by them, improve traction on ice, completely leveling out the absence of studs, and also improve handling and stability of traction properties.
Improved water and snow drainage from the contact patch
The use of a tread with an increased number of individual blocks made it possible for Italian tire makers to equip it with a more developed drainage system. In addition to the large number of grooves that make up it, it is distinguished by their location. A significant part of them has a significant incline, and also an increasing width towards the edges of the tread. The combination of such features in the design of the drainage system very noticeably increases its performance, and also gives it the ability to cope with the drainage from the contact patch not only of water but also of much heavier masses of thawed snow. The final result of this technical solution is very reliable and stable traction properties on wet and snowy roads.
Optimized tread profile shape
A significant part of the beneficial differences of this model is provided due to the imperceptible constructive features. One of them is the optimized shape of the tread profile. It not only maximally increases the size of the contact patch, giving it a practically square configuration at the same time, but also preserves its geometric parameters when maneuvering and passing turns. The most significant advantage of this solution is the stability of traction characteristics in any conditions. In addition, the square shape of the contact patch increases the service life of the tread due to the optimal distribution of the load, which minimizes the risk of premature wear.
Wide temperature range of the rubber compound
Most of the traction characteristics demonstrated by this tire are provided due to the physical and chemical properties of the rubber compound of its tread. Its composition was developed based on the experience gained by the Italian manufacturer during decades of participation in both auto and motorcycle sports. One of the results of its use was a very wide temperature range of the compound. It is able to maintain elasticity at an optimal level, regardless of weather conditions and road surface characteristics. This is mainly due to special polymer compounds that provide the strength of molecular bonds between all substances that make up the compound. This allows the tire to maintain a very high level of safety in any adverse conditions.
Main features of the Pirelli Winter Ice Zero Friction tire
- the tire was developed specifically for the countries of Northern Europe and Russia;
- good traction on snow is provided by the increased number of tread blocks;
- excellent directional stability, reduced rolling resistance and noise level, thanks to the rhomboid shape of the blocks in the central part of the tread;
- excellent stability in turns, high efficiency when braking is provided by the transverse arrangement and large width of the tread blocks in the shoulder areas;
- several thousand three-dimensional interlocking lamellae improve traction characteristics on rolled snow and ice, as well as handling on cleaned asphalt surfaces;
- numerous drainage grooves are located at an angle, against the direction of movement with an increasing width towards the edges of the tread, which improves their throughput even when draining heavy masses of thawed snow from the contact patch;
- a square shape and significant size of the contact patch, which remain unchanged during maneuvering thanks to the optimized shape of the tread profile.
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