Bespoke Goodyear tyre for Maserati GranTurismo

Goodyear has worked closely with Italian car manufacturer Maserati to develop a bespoke tyre for the different versions of its new GranTurismo.

The tyres selected are Goodyear’s Eagle F1 SuperSport, part of Goodyear’s UUHP (ultra-ultra-high performance) range.

The same SuperSport performance will come as standard on the new GranTurismo, with additional development that tunes the tyre to the characteristics of the new Maserati models.

The tyres will be marked with MGT that means it’s a specific development for the Italian brand.

Goodyear says it developed the Eagle F1 SuperSport range to provide superior performance for extreme road and track cars, using the same development technologies as race tyres that carry teams to victory in some of the most prestigious races in the world, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Learnings from Goodyear’s involvement in a number of top-level racing championships have gone directly into the Eagle F1 SuperSport road tyre to give drivers superior grip, handling and stability in dry and wet conditions.

Goodyear and Maserati have collaborated to use virtual simulation to develop the tyres fitted to the GranTurismo. This simulation helps cut down on the number of prototype tyres required, which makes the process of designing and developing high-performance tyres more sustainable.

The move away from multiple iterations of physical prototype tyres also improves cost and efficiency, due to the huge amount of data that can be collected with virtual R&D methods.

Instead of using raw materials to manufacture small batches of prototype tyres, advanced tyre models are created in the virtual world, where thousands of permutations can be calculated and experimented in the simulator, saving on the logistical costs associated with traditional testing.

Hans Vrijsen, managing director OE, Goodyear, commented: “It has been exciting to see the development of this tyre after Maserati selected Goodyear as its UUHP tyre provider for the new GranTurismo.

“We’re in a rapidly evolving technical environment, which means simulation now plays an integral part of Goodyear’s research and development.

“This activity was key to setting tyre and vehicle targets, narrowing down the tyre design scope and reducing the number of physical development loops.

“Goodyear is committed to embracing new technologies and methods. This project with Maserati is a case study for what is to come.”