Dunlop has become a partner of the Gran Turismo World Series

On September 20, Polyphony Digital Inc. announced that the Dunlop brand has become an official partner of the Gran Turismo World Series and Gran Turismo 7 cyber sports tournament and the Gran Turismo 7 game.

The history of the Dunlop brand began in the late 19th century, when a company named after veterinarian John Boyd Dunlop, the inventor of the pneumatic tire, was founded in Britain, and now products under the famous brand are produced, among others, by the Japanese Sumitomo Rubber Industries, which will be the partner of Polyphony Digital Inc.

"We are pleased to welcome Dunlop to the Gran Turismo family," said Kazunori Yamauchi, the series' producer. "As a company with a rich heritage in the automotive and motorsport industries, Dunlop continues to maintain its commitment to innovation and high competitiveness in its industry. We look forward to a fruitful collaboration that will help a new generation of gamers get acquainted with racing and Dunlop tires within the framework of the Gran Turismo World Tour and the entire franchise."

The history of the Dunlop brand has many achievements, and in 1920, the world's first specialized research center for improving rubber characteristics was opened, and seven years later, Dunlop tires were on a car that set a world record and accelerated to 200 miles per hour (320 km/h). In 1960, Dunlop engineers discovered the phenomenon of aquaplaning, which forever changed the approach to tire development.

The Dunlop brand is also very successful in motorsport, and it has won the second "24 Hours of Le Mans" race held in 1924, and many other competitions. For Sumitomo, it is especially important that in 1991, Dunlop tires helped the Mazda 787B bring the first victory in Le Mans to a Japanese automaker.

Starting from the second stage of the Gran Turismo World Series 2025 in Berlin, Dulop will be the official partner of the series, and the brand's tires will also appear in the game when future updates are released.

"We are very pleased to be part of Gran Turismo, a game that continues to conquer the hearts of motorsport fans around the world," said Hiroshi Hamada, Sumitomo's senior executive director. "Gran Turismo opens up new horizons for motorsport, combining the real and virtual worlds. The outstanding technological capabilities and attention to detail are deeply in line with our philosophy, and for us, this partnership is of great value. For over a century, Dunlop has been actively involved in motorsport, earning a high reputation in racing around the world. By combining our accumulated experience with the latest simulation technologies, we are developing high-performance and environmentally friendly tires, and through this new partnership, we intend to further increase the value of the Dunlop brand and contribute to the future development of motorsport."