Mon September 10 02:38 pm 2012 in category Product news

New Nokian WR winter tyres: safe, economical and sporty

Slush blower throws off slush and water and protects against aquaplaning

The firmest grip on snow, ice and water and first-class handling thanks to nanotechnology, canola oil and the environmentally friendly winter competence of Nokian Tyres, the world's leading winter tyre specialist and multiple test winner

Driving Safety Indicator (DSI) with the unique snowflake symbol, the Winter Safety Indicator, warns against insufficient tread depth

The new Nokian WR D3 winter tyre drives safely and economically, offering the firmest grip on snow for compacts, mid-range and small cars. The new Nokian WR A3 winter tyre offers safe and sporty performance with precise, stable handling for big, fast cars, even at higher speeds claims the world's leading winter tyre specialist.

The Nokian WR winter tyre is the test winner in the German car magazine "sport auto" (11/2011) winter tyre test 2011, scoring "highly recommended", in the German "VOX" television show "auto mobil" (23.10.11) and in "Auto Plus" (1211/2011), the "Auto Bild" of France and leading popular car magazine. The best result for all test tyres was achieved by Nokian on snow with 99 out of 100 possible points. It also came out top under dry conditions with 68 out of 70 points. "Finland's Nokian swept the board in the winter disciplines. It can be relied on even under dry conditions," was the assessment of "sport auto", the specialist performance car magazine.

Its slush blower throws off slush and water from tyre grooves and combats aquaplaning. On the Driving Safety Indicator (DSI) with the unique snowflake symbol, the Winter Safety Indicator, the tread depth is displayed as a number between 8 and 4.

"We utilized our top expertise and knowledge of all types of winter conditions. Thanks to nanotechnology, new materials and innovations, as well as our modern production technology, we are able to provide drivers with tyres that have first-class grip and handling properties," explains Nokian Tyres Product Development Manager Juha Pirhonen of Nokian Tyres, the Nordic premium brand.

Nokian WR D3: Slush Blower against aquaplaning and slush planing

Studies have shown that slush is even more dangerous for drivers than ice or aquaplaning. The risk of fatal accidents is more than four times as high on slush than on dry surfaces. Melting snow, a layer of water on the road surface and possibly also ice form a combination that makes driving very difficult even for experienced drivers.

The Nokian WR D3 has a directional tread pattern with new solutions to actively prevent slush planing. "We further enhanced the tyre's resistance against aquaplaning and slush planing by applying a slanting, staggered front edge of tread blocks. This new innovation is called Slush Blower, because it actually blows water and slush away from the tyre grooves. The polished grooves also speed up the removal flow of water and slush," Pirhonen tells us.

Driving Safety Indicator (DSI) with the unique snowflake symbol, the Winter Safety Indicator, provides more safety

The Nokian Driving Safety Indicator (DSI) with the unique snowflake symbol, the Winter Safety Indicator, on Nokian WR winter tyre simply shows the driver the groove depth as a number from 8 to 4 millimetres. The snowflake stays visible down to 4 millimetres. When it disappears the risk increases and the winter tyres should be replaced. No other tyre manufacturer has these patented innovations.

Nokian WR D3 is available in 30 sizes for speed ratings T and H (190 and 210 km/h). New in this winter are the sizes 215/55 R 16 H and 225/50 R 17 H. Nokian WR A3 is offered in 41 sizes from 195/50 R 15 to 285/30 R 20 for speed ratings H, V and W (210, 240 and 270 km/h). New size now is 285/30 R 20 W. These winter tyres were especially developed for the European weather and the higher speeds on the European motorways. For tyre change, Nokian tyres are obtainable on good terms at local tyre dealers, as complete winter wheels with rims, too.

Cryogenic Canola Compound for extreme snow, ice and wet grip

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The new tyres' tread rubber compound, the Cryogenic Canola Compound, is a novel combination of natural rubber, silica and canola oil that optimises winter grip, wet grip and wear resistance in varying temperatures.

The new kind of full-silica compound contains so-called Cryo silane, which enhances the functionality of the rubber mix. Canola oil provides higher resistance to tear and improves snow and ice grip. Thanks to the high silica content, the environmentally friendly Nokian WR tyres feature a very low rolling resistance, lower fuel consumption and fewer harmful emissions than their traditional competitors.

The Nokian WR is green at heart, and it is also a typical example of Nokian Tyres' principle of sustainable development: its properties remain nearly unchanged even upon ageing and wear.

Nokian WR A3: Nanobase for optimal stability

Good contact with the surface is a basic characteristic of a reliable, safe winter tyre. At the same time, the continuously increasing engine power rates and load indexes require special properties also from winter tyres. The tread design, structural solutions and tread rubber compound must form a sturdy yet responsive entity.

Nokian Tyres' tests have shown that an asymmetrical, open-centre tread pattern is the best solution especially for tyres used at high speeds. The sporty Nokian WR A3 features an asymmetrical inside-outside tread pattern that enables reliable grip without compromising high-speed driving properties. The inner shoulder design enhances the removal of water and slush.

“A stable driving response is emphasized at higher speeds. This has been a particular focus in the development of the Nokian WR A3. It has a Nanobase support layer at the bottom of its strong cap & base structure. The smaller molecular structure enabled by nanotechnology improves the tyre's steering properties and control when driving in corners, changing lanes and dodging. The tyre has exemplary control properties in extreme situations both on gripping and slippery surfaces. Thanks to its innovative structure, the Nokian WR A3 is safe and accurate even in demanding conditions," Pirhonen describes.

Representing the most advanced new technology, the Nanobase structure also reduces the tyre's harmful heat emission and, consequently, lowers its rolling resistance.

Nokian Tyres is the world's leading winter tyre specialist, a multiple test winner and a premium brand

As the world's leading winter tyre specialist, a multiple test winner and a premium brand, Nokian Tyres offers the safest tyres for northern conditions. Innovative Nokian tyres from Finland for cars, trucks and heavy machinery demonstrate their high quality particularly well in snow, tough climates and demanding driving situations, and deliver sustainable added value. In addition Nokian produces tyres especially developed for the European weather and the higher speeds on the European motorways. Nokian tyres deliver excellent safety, save fuel and are the forerunner of environmental friendliness. The company is the number 1 in terms of brand recognition and appreciation in Scandinavia and Russia and has a positive exceptional image.

Nokian is the inventor of the winter tyre

New world record with Nokian winter tyres on ice: 331.61 km/h

Standard Nokian winter tyres achieved a new Guinness world record with a top speed of 331.610 km/h on ice. Extremely high speeds also demand top-quality tyres, as the tyres are the only points of contact between the car and the road. Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 studded winter tyres, famous in Scandinavia, broke the record on the frozen Baltic Sea off the coast of Finland.

Nokian tyres are also fastest on ice with an electric car, achieving a new world record of 252.09 km/h. Test driver Janne Laitinen reached the top speed in the E-RA with a purely electric power train, on standard Nokian winter tyres. The high-tech electric car reached a top speed of over 260 km/h.

The green Nokian WR winter tyres provide better protection against slush planing and the strongest grip on snow, ice and wet surfaces, thanks to ultra-tough testing

As the northernmost tyre manufacturer, Nokian is the winter tyre expert for all winter conditions. "Nokian tyres offer optimum safety thanks to ultra-tough testing at our test centers in Finnish Lapland and in Southern Finland, in extreme winter conditions with frosty cold, in dangerous slush, on glassy ice and slippery snow, on treacherous wet and dry surfaces" says Juha Pirhonen, development manager at Nokian Tyres.

Unique slush planing tests by Nokian optimize the grip of the winter tyres. Slush planing is the most dangerous driving situation for German car drivers in the winter. Nokian has carried out slush tests for 15 years, it is seen as a pioneer in this and has precise testing methods at its disposal today. Nokian Tyres is the only tyre manufacturer to have a unique test track at which the effects of slush planing are tested longitudinally and laterally.

Nokian tyres are the test winners in the German car magazines' summer tyre tests, 2012

The summer tyres from Nokian are also multiple test winners, offering high levels of safety and saving fuel. The Nokian tyres are test winners in the 2012 summer tyre tests in the German car magazines "Auto Bild" (9/2012 + 8/2012), "Auto Zeitung" (6/2012 + 12/2012), "auto Test" (4/2012), "gute Fahrt" (3/2012), "Auto Bild allrad" (4/2012), "pro mobil" (4/2012) and "Firmenauto Transporter" (4/2012). With eight wins in the tyre tests, the Finnish premium brand has won more tests than any other brand. The top scores - "Auto Bild, exemplary,” "Auto Zeitung, test winner", "auto Test, test winner", "gute Fahrt, recommendation" and "Auto Bild allrad, exemplary" - show the outstanding qualities of the summer tyres from the world's leading winter tyre specialists in each of the test reports. The SUV tyre is also the test winner in the "Auto Zeitung" SUV tyre test (12/2012).

Nokian was the runner up in "auto motor sport" (7/2012) with the excellent rating of "highly recommended". ADAC (3/2012) and the "Stiftung Warentest" test (3/2012) rate it "very good" for "dry surfaces", "good" for "wet surfaces" and also "good" for fuel consumption. The result in the Auto Club Europe ACE GTÜ tyre test (2/2012) and in "sport auto" (4/2012) is "recommended".

The E-RA achieved a record lap time for electric road cars of just 8 minutes 42.72 seconds on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, on Nokian eco-tyres. The electric sports car reached a top speed of 238 km/h with a purely electric power train and with zero CO2 emissions.

Environmentally friendly: Nokian tyres save fuel and environment - company was the first manufacturer to introduce a production method using only purified, low-aromatic oils

Car drivers should opt for tyres which are safe, but at the same time also environmentally friendly. Nokian tyres save fuel and score top marks for fuel consumption and rolling resistance in tyre tests. They also generate less carbon dioxide as a result. Furthermore, they contain harmless purified, low-aromatic oils. With the Finns, you protect the environment in three ways at once.

Nokian Tyres is the world's first tyre manufacturer to have established a production process in which only purified, low aromatic oils are used instead of high-aromatic (HA) oils. High-aromatic oils are classified as carcinogenic, as they contain PAHs. Another example of the environmental friendliness of Nokian tyres is the use of the renewable natural product canola oil, which is used in the winter tyre Nokian WR and in the summer tyre Nokian Z SUV. Canola oil makes the rubber tear-resistant and offers an outstanding grip on wet surfaces.

Nokian Tyres achieved 1456 million euros turnover in 2011

Nokian Tyres achieved a turnover of 1.456 billion euros in 2011 and had 3900 employees. The Vianor tyre retail chain, with over 930 outlets in 24 countries, also belongs to the company. The Nokian Tyres stock is listed on the NASDAQ OMX in Helsinki.

www.nokiantyres.com

Editorial: Dr. Falk Köhler

Photos, videos, downloads Nokian WR winter tyres:
www.nokiantyres.com/NewNokianWR

Video download Nokian WR winter tyre:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxhC-xT_uLo&feature=share&list=UUv-VDEjbdBkuZ-eSvYOn0FA

Photos download, Nokian world record winter tyres on ice:
www.nokiantyres.com/FastestOnIce

Video download, Nokian world record winter tyres on ice:
http://youtu.be/NIWABCS9Ilg
If you need video material in TV quality please contact us.

Video download link Nokian world-record tyres on ice with an electric car:
http://youtu.be/Ix8TN4jMAeo

Photo download links 300 dpi jpg files, Nokian Z G2 summer tyres:
https://www.nokiantyres.com/nokianzg2

Photo download links 300 dpi jpg files, Nokian H summer tyres:
https://www.nokiantyres.com/nokianh

Photo download links 300 dpi jpg files, Nokian V summer tyres:
https://www.nokiantyres.com/nokianv

Photo download links 300 dpi jpg files, Nokian summer tyre tests:
https://www.nokiantyres.com/testingsummer

Video download link "Nokian Z G2 tyre is the winner of the summer tyre test, 2012":
http://youtu.be/QyqdI5sh2VY

Video-footage download link, "Nokian Z G2 tyre is the winner of the summer tyre test, 2012":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft97peOlVJk

Photo and video download links 300 dpi jpg photo files. Eco-friendly: Nokian tyres save fuel:
https://www.nokiantyres.com/company/news-article/how-to-optimise-your-tyres-increase-safety-and-save-money/

Nokian winter tyre is the test winner, scoring "highly recommended" in the "sport auto" winter tyre test, 2011
https://www.nokiantyres.com/company/news-article/undefined-90/

strong>Nokian tyres are the fastest on ice, even with an electric car: new world record, 252.09 km/h
htthttps://www.nokiantyres.com/company/news-article/undefined-80/

Nokian tyres are the test winners in the 2012 summer tyre tests
https://www.nokiantyres.com/company/news-article/undefined-73/

Nürburgring record for electric cars: ERA with Nokian eco-tyres
https://www.nokiantyres.com/company/news-article/nurburgring-lap-record-for-electric-cars-electric-raceabout-on-nokian-eco-tyres/

Save fuel and drive safely with eco-tyres by Nokian
https://www.nokiantyres.com/company/news-article/save-fuel-and-drive-safely-with-nokian-eco-tyres/

Other Nokian press releases:
https://www.nokiantyres.com/releases

Test success Nokian tyres:
https://www.nokiantyres.com/test-success

Nokian winter tyres:
https://www.nokiantyres.com/tyres/passenger-car/winter-tyres/

Nokian summer tyres:
https://www.nokiantyres.com/tyres/passenger-car/summer-tyres/

Nokian Z G2:
http://www.nokiantires.com/summer-tires/nokian-z-g2/

Video, Nokian summer tyre campaign "Enjoy the water" with water ski scooter action riding scenes:
http://youtu.be/ZIw-3SGarUU

Further information:
www.facebook.com/nokiantyres
www.youtube.com/NokianTyresCom

Sources:

sport auto, issue 11/2011

VOX auto mobil, 23. October 2011, 5 p.m.
http://www.vox.de/cms/sendungen/auto-mobil/auto-mobil-videos.html

Auto Plus, Nr. 1211, 21.11.2011

Nokian Tyres is the world's leading winter tyre specialist, a multiple test winner and a premium brand

Nokian is the inventor of the winter tyre

Nokian has been designing, testing and patenting innovative tyres for more than 75 years and is the inventor of the winter tyre. The world's first winter tyre was developed and manufactured in the midst of icy winds and bitter cold in 1934. Two years later, Nokian Hakkapeliitta, created for northern winters and today one of the best-known winter tyre brands, was born. The world's fastest winter tyre with a top speed of 270 km/h, the Nokian WR, was launched by the Finns in 2002. In 2007 the Nokian WR G2 came into the world; it was rated as "highly recommended" and "good" in tests because of its outstanding grip and unique protection against slush planing. Its success story is now being continued with the safe and economical Nokian WR D3 as well as the safe and sporty WR A3: The Nokian WR winter tyre is the test winner in the German car magazine "sport auto" (11/2011) winter tyre test 2011, scoring "highly recommended", in the German "VOX" television show "auto mobil" (23.10.11) and in "Auto Plus" (1211/2011), the "Auto Bild" of France and leading popular car magazine. Standard Nokian winter tyres achieved a new Guinness world record with a top speed of 331.610 km/h on ice.

Nokian tyres are the test winners in the German car magazines' summer tyre tests, 2012

The summer tyres from Nokian are also multiple test winners, offering high levels of safety and saving fuel. The Nokian tyres are test winners in the 2012 summer tyre tests in the German car magazines "Auto Bild" (9/2012 + 8/2012), "Auto Zeitung" (6/2012 + 12/2012), "auto Test" (4/2012), "gute Fahrt" (3/2012), "Auto Bild allrad" (4/2012), "pro mobil" (4/2012) and "Firmenauto Transporter" (4/2012). With eight wins in the tyre tests, the Finnish premium brand has won more tests than any other brand. The top scores - "Auto Bild, exemplary,” "Auto Zeitung, test winner", "auto Test, test winner", "gute Fahrt, recommendation" and "Auto Bild allrad, exemplary" - show the outstanding qualities of the summer tyres from the world's leading winter tyre specialists in each of the test reports. The SUV tyre is also the test winner in the "Auto Zeitung" SUV tyre test (12/2012).
Nokian was the runner up in "auto motor sport" (7/2012) with the excellent rating of "highly recommended". ADAC (3/2012) and the "Stiftung Warentest" test (3/2012) rate it "very good" for "dry surfaces", "good" for "wet surfaces" and also "good" for fuel consumption. The result in the Auto Club Europe ACE GTÜ tyre test (2/2012) and in "sport auto" (4/2012) is "recommended".

Driving Safety Indicator (DSI) with the unique snowflake symbol, the Winter Safety Indicator, provides more safety

Nokian Tyres achieved 1456 million euros turnover in 2011

Nokian Tyres s.r.o
Business Director Central Europe
Dieter Köppner
Phone: +420 222 507 761
E-mail: dieter.koppner(at)nokiantyres.com

Product Development Manager
Sven Dittmann, Dipl.-Ing.
Tel.: +49 8143 444 850
E-Mail: sven.dittmann(at)nokiantyres.com

Marketing Manager
Lukáš Líbal
Tel.: +420 222 507 759
E-mail: lukas.libal(at)nokiantyres.com

Nokian Tyres plc:
Development Manager
Juha Pirhonen
Tel.: +358 10 401 7708
E-mail: juha.pirhonen(at)nokiantyres.com

Technical Customer Service Manager
Matti Morri
Tel.: +358 10 401 7621
E-Mail: matti.morri(at)nokiantyres.com