The Anatomy of a Tyre

To the casual observer all tyres look alike. Don't be fooled. Today's tyres offer a degree of handling, ride comfort, traction, treadwear and fuel economy that far exceeds tyres built just a few years ago.

A single tyre today contains more than 200 raw materials. Today's tyres also feature a complex architecture of steel belts, textile plies and computer designed tread patterns, all designed to produce optimum performance characteristics for each type of tyre.

The radial positioning of the plies and the layers of steel belts in a radial tyre allow it to flex and absorb the irregularities of the road surface. Plies that are arranged radially also produce much less friction, resulting in longer tread life and increased fuel economy. Other advantages include better traction, handling and ride comfort.