New Firestone features ultimate tire technology.NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(AutomotiveWire)--June 6, 1996--"Born of Indy, Driven Everywhere" has been the tagline for the Firestone Firehawk performance tire line for the past year. Firestone is now introducing a Firehawk ultra high performance tire that is derived from Firestone's Indy racing program. Featuring a tread pattern that is a descendant of the Firehawk Indy Rain tire, the new Firehawk SZ50 was unveiled at the Road America Road America is a road course located in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the Champ Car, SCCA, American Le Mans, ASRA and AMA Superbike series. race course in Elkhart Lake. The new Firehawk SZ50 features a water-channeling tread pattern fashioned after the Firehawk Indy rain tire, and Bridgestone/Firestone's UNI-T(TM) which deliver ultra high performance, ride comfort and low noise in both wet and dry conditions. An acronym for Ultimate Network of Intelligent Tire Technology, UNI-T includes three patented technologies that address all major areas of tire design. The three technologies are: -- Computer Optimized-Component System (CO-CS) enables engineers to achieve the optimum balance of performance characteristics in the Firehawk SZ50 by calculating the ideal combination of tread design, materials and tire shape. -- O-Bead is a design that allows a more uniform fit of the tire to the wheel, thus providing improved ride comfort and handling. Bridgestone/Firestone has redesigned the external shape of the tire to better fit the wheel, which reduces vibrations of the tire. In addition, refinements to the internal bead area construction also allow for better uniformity and contribute to improvements in ride comfort and handling. -- L.L. Carbon (Long-linked Carbon) is an improved reinforcing material that increases the wear resistance of rubber. Tires use carbon black as a reinforcing agent. Conventional carbon black form particles in clusters that look like a bunch of grapes. L.L. Carbon, however, replaces these clusters with long chains which better resist wear by dissipating the forces created by normal braking, acceleration and cornering over a larger area than the clusters. This inhibits the formation of tiny cracks which can form on the rubber tread, thus extending tire life. "The Firehawk SZ50 serves as a bridge between our Indy program and the new era of Firestone as a technological leader," said Shu Ishibashi, executive director of consumer tire marketing for Bridgestone/Firestone. "Returning Firestone to the forefront of tire technology, the Firehawk SZ50 is the first Firestone tire that marries the lessons we have learned in Indy Car with our new technologies promoted under the trademark of UNI-T. We plan to include UNI-T in our major Firestone products in the future." The Firehawk SZ50 also includes Five Pitch Noise Reduction Technology, a tire noise treatment that uses an alternating tread block design. Five Pitch Noise Reduction Technology creates specific sound phases that cancel each other out. This results in a quieter tire. The use of a special carbon polymer in the Firehawk SZ50 helps deliver consistent traction in cold or wet conditions when conventional compounds become brittle and lose grip. Rim Guard Technology protects the vehicle's wheel from abrasions or damage from curbs or other road hazards. And special Key Hole Sipes maintain consistent wet traction throughout the life of the tire tread. The Z speed-rated Firehawk SZ50 will initially be available in 11 sizes through Firestone dealers and company owned stores in August. Three additional sizes will be added in January 1997. Sizes available in August will be: P225/60ZR15 P225/60ZR16 P205/55ZR16 P225/55ZR16 P225/50ZR16 P245/50ZR16 P255/50ZR16 245/45ZR17 P255/45ZR17 P275/40ZR17 P285/40ZR17 Available in January 1997: 215/45ZR17 235/45ZR17 255/40ZR17 Target vehicles for the Firehawk SZ50 include the Chevrolet Corvette corvette, small warship, classed between a frigate and a sloop-of-war. Corvettes usually were flush-decked and carried fewer than 28 guns. They were widely employed in escorting convoys and attacking merchant ships during the great naval wars of the late 18th and ZRI ZRI Zavod Za Racunalniško Izobraževanje (Slovenian) and Coupe, Ford Mustang For other Ford Mustang models and concepts, see . The Ford Mustang is an automobile produced by the Ford Motor Company, originally based on the Ford Falcon compact.[1] GT/LX and Cobra, Dodge Viper The Dodge Viper is a V10-powered sportscar manufactured by the Dodge division of Chrysler Corporation. Production of the two seat supercar began at New Mack Assembly in 1992 and moved to its current home at Conner Avenue Assembly in October 1995. RT/10, Pontiac Firebird The Pontiac Firebird was a pony car built by the Pontiac division of General Motors between 1967 and 2002. The Firebird was introduced in the same year with its platform sharing cousin the Chevrolet Camaro. TransAm GT, Chevy Camaro, Mercury Cougar The Mercury Cougar was an automobile sold under the Mercury brand of the Ford Motor Company's Lincoln-Mercury Division. The name was first used in 1967 and was carried by a diverse series of cars over the next three decades. XR-7, Toyota Supra
The Toyota Supra was a sports car/grand tourer produced by Toyota Motor Company from 1979 to 2002. , Ferrari 456GT and SAAB SAAB Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (Swedish Aeroplane Corporation; auto/aircraft manufacturer) SAAB Student-Athlete Advisory Board SAAB Student African American Brotherhood SAAB South African Association of Botanists 9000. The Firehawk SZ50 is backed by Firestone's Gold Pledge limited warranty Limited warranty A warranty with certain conditions and limitations on the parts covered, type of damage covered, and/or time period for which the agreement is good. which provides free replacement against material and workmanship defects during the warranty period. Nashville-based Bridgestone/Firestone is the largest subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation of Japan, the world's largest tire and rubber company. Bridgestone/Firestone develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone, Dayton and private brand tires. The company also produces Firestone air springs, roofing materials, synthetic rubber synthetic rubber: see rubber. , and industrial fibers and textiles. CONTACT: Bridgestone/Firestone Inc., Nashville John Taylor John Taylor, or Johnny Taylor may refer to: Academic figures
Melissa Dykstra, 615/872-1412 800/851-7000 |
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