Ultra-high performance tires

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TPMS Cadillac XT5 – 2022

brake, UHP tires will allow the vehicle to perform at its peak.

Pirelli’s tailor-made, OE marked tire will provide the best possible performance for a customer’s vehicle. When a customer knows that, they will be willing to pay a premium for the best performing tire to bring out the best performance from their vehicle.

Lynch (Sailun): Educate your counter sta so they know what questions to ask (and) can give the best tire for that particular driver. But what’s equally important is you want to have a strong product mix — not only in the top tier but in the value tier. You can save your customers a lot of money and that means a lot to so many consumers, especially when their tires might only be lasting 25,000 to 30,000 miles.

When you get down to the value tier, understand what value tier manufacturer you’re working (with.) ere are some incredible value-tier tire manufacturers like Sailun that do the R&D, do the research, spend years on these tires and then they bring them to customers at a fraction of the cost.

Gutierrez (Sentury): Our recommendation for tire salespeople would be (that) simple tech tools could make all the di erence. Utilize the tools tire brands like Sentury offer to your advantage. For example, Sentury brand websites have tools like tire nders, plus-sizing solutions, staggered tment nders and other helpful info. ese tools make research easy and less time-consuming.

Tsuyoshi Johnson, product manager for Falken PCR tires, Sumitomo Rubber North America Inc. (SRNA): It’s important that tire dealers have a strong understanding of every tire segment and what each one o ers to properly service their customers’ needs. Today’s high performance and UHP tires are no longer reserved for performance enthusiasts.

Anyone looking for improved overall safety behind the wheel can bene t from these tires’ enhanced dry and wet capabilities.

Plus, with longer tread life, improved ride quality and enhanced light snow performance, these products are now suitable for a wider range of consumers.

This is largely due to manufacturers’ emphasis on using more advanced technology to develop these tires versus your standard touring tires. For these reasons, we believe a UHP all-season tire like our Azenis FK460

Yokohama’s Drew Dayton says dealers need to qualify customers to know which performance requirements are most important to them. “Happy customers will come back for their next tire purchase and spread the word of their great buying experience.” is a great option for drivers who expect a high-performing tire in all aspects.

Sanders (TBC): In today’s market, performance vehicles are driving the need for higher speed ratings and capabilities. Work with your customers, understand their needs and determine the best tire to optimize and meet these requirements.

Hoit (Tireco): Educating customers about the features and bene ts is a key component to selling more HP and UHP tires. I also believe there’s a big advantage to monitoring vehicle trends that are coming in for service. Dealers can use this data to make improvements to their inventory level with better product mix.

Gonzalez (TGI): High performance tires are no longer a luxury priced out of range for the average consumer. Dealers should have brands in their portfolios that provide consumers options to increase their fitments and speed ratings, while delivering value. More OEMs are abandoning traditional OE touring tires for a more robust and performance-driven option, with V or higher speed ratings.

When it comes time to replace the first set of tires on a new vehicle, consumers will look for options with similar, manufacturer- recommended or even better speed rating and driving characteristics. Consumers look to tire dealers to provide those options. And if those options are absent at their preferred tire dealer, consumers will likely go elsewhere.

Kevin Arima, senior manager, consumer products and technical services, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.: It’s always good to know your customer and understand how they plan to use their vehicle. Factors such as their performance needs, budget, how long they plan to keep their vehicle, etc., will help to recommend which HP/ UHP tire is best-suited for the customer.

For example, if you have a customer that wants to get new wheels while enhancing the performance of their ride, then a tire like our Proxes Sport A/S may be suitable.

Understanding the trends and what vehicles are owned in your area will ensure you have ample inventory for replacement HP/UHP sizes.

Tolbert (Trimax): Be proactive in communicating with your tire distributors and tire manufacturer sales representatives on updated information. ere are so many ever-changing tments, speed ratings, features and bene ts to make sure the tire exceeds customer expectations and prevents issues.

Drew Dayton, senior product planning manager for consumer tires, Yokohama Tire Corp.: Qualifying your customer’s performance requirements is key for determining what type of HP or UHP tires would be the best t. If they want a high-performance tire that can also be driven in inclement weather, an all-season tire such as our the Advan Sport A/S+ is the best.

Having expert knowledge on performance and performance tradeoffs will give the customer con dence in your recommendations.

Li (ZC Rubber): Chinese tires are getting better every year and ZC Rubber’s tires have consistently performed exceptionally well in reputable testing. 

ZC Rubber says it is focusing on low rolling resistance and good handling for modern internal combustion engine vehicle applications.