Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 tyre hits the shelves

The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric has been regarded as the leading tyre in terms of wet and dry braking and overall performance for the past three years. According to perhaps the most stringent of all independent testing organisations, Germany's TÜV SÜD has found the new tyre provides shorter braking distances than three of the top competitors in its class in recent tests.

In December last year, TÜV SÜD conducted a major test on the new Eagle F1 pitching it against three of the leading competitor brands in various wet and dry tests (competitor brand names could not be identified for legal reasons).

In the wet braking test (80km/h to 20km/h), the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 slowed the car a minimum of three metres before the next competitor. In the dry test (100km/h to 0km/h) the new tyre stopped up to two metres before the next competitor.

One of the reasons the new tyre is able to pull up in shorter distances than its competitors is due to the introduction of ActiveBraking Technology. The technology focuses on how the tread pattern is constructed. On the Eagle F1 2, each block of tread has been engineered to expand and thus increase the overall tyre contact patch on the road during braking loads - much like how when a soft object is squashed, its footprint becomes larger.

Another new element to the Eagle F1 2 is a richer concentration of silica grade in the tyre compound. This new compound is said to improve dry braking performance and handling. The new 86-degree cross-ply also improves torsional rigidity of the tyre wall to help eliminate tyre roll, offering increased steering accuracy and response.

On top of these revisions, the new tyre is also said to improve fuel consumption when pumped to correct pressures. We recently spoke with professional racing driver John Bowe, who attended the launch with Goodyear and has been driving on the new Eagle F1 2 tyres for the past few weeks in his personal daily driver. He said he was surprised to note his car did show a considerable drop in fuel consumption, saying that on a common trip he undertakes to the race track and back he noticed he could drive a lot further on a single tank of fuel.

The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 is now available in most leading tyre stores in sizes ranging from 17 inches to 22 inches. The tyre is recommended for high performance sports and luxury cars.